October 6, 1998

Harvey Araton Sports of The Times column discusses up and down careers of New York Yankees outfielder Darryl Strawberry and Cleveland Indians pitcher Dwight Gooden; photo (M)

Article on New York Yankees preparing for American League Championship Series against Cleveland Indians; photo (M)

Portrait of Terror Suspect A key suspect in the embassy bombings is from an impoverished land where gifted youth often leave for radical Islamic training. Page A6. Crucial State Races Campaigns in 36 states will determine whether Republicans will continue to dominate the nation's governorships. Page A14.

Lawrence K Altman reports on hand and forearm transplant performed on an Australian man in Lyons, France, the controversies surrounding it, and late disclosure that the patient, Clint Hallam, is not a Perth businessman who lost his hand in a logging accident, but rather a convicted felon who lost the hand using a circular saw in a New Zealand jail; critics, including American hand surgeons, question risk-to-benefit ratio of such an operation, particularly because the procedure is not lifesaving and anti-rejection therapy could lead to serious infections and cancer; also fault the idea of assembling a surgical team from four corners of the earth and dispersing it right after the operation; Dr Jean-Michel Dubernard, team leader, and Dr Earl Owen, Australian microsurgeon, defend their approach; Owen says American critics suffer from sour grapes; photo (L)

Report by UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan accuses Serbian security forces of continuing punitive operations against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo Province as part of campaign of terror and violence; is unequivocal in conclusions--based on accounts from UN High Commissioner for Refugees, diplomats in region and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe--bolstering assessments by NATO and American officials; catalogues hallmarks of Serb drive against ethnic Albanians; calls it collective punishment to teach that price of supporting separatists is high and will be even higher in future; says Serbian security forces have used terrror and violence against civilians to force people to flee homes or where they sought refuge, under guise of separating them from fighters of Kosovo Albanian paramilitary units; expresses concern about appearance of Serbian-laid land mines in new areas, away from Serbia's borders with Albania and Macedonia; puts number of displaced people at about 280,000; US envoy Richard C Holbrooke meets with Yugoslav Pres Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade and reportedly warns that he must take further steps to withdraw military units from Kosovo or face NATO attack; US and NATO officials say Yugoslav Army still has substantial forces in Kosovo, despite some withdrawals; NATO Sec Gen Javier Solana says Milosevic has failed to respond adequately to UN Security Council demand for withdrawal of forces and that alliance is ready to act (M)