May 30, 1999

Joint interview with George Wein, producer of JVC Jazz Festival, and Michael Dorf, producer of Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival; both festivals are set for New York City in June; photo (M)

Defense Sec William S Cohen and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chmn Henry H Shelton rarely speak directly to Gen Wesley K Clark, commander running Balkans war; Cohen and Shelton are Pres Clinton's top military advisers as NATO campaign in Balkans grows into its third month, but in sense they are not its leaders; Clark, allied commander in Europe, is charged with running war from Belgium; he must answer not only to his own political leaders but also to leaders of often unwieldy NATO alliance of 18 other nations that acts only by consensus; that has turned Cohen and Shelton more into managers than commanders, trying to balance various domestic and international demands while maintaining support for effort; photo (M)

Olusegun Obasanjo is sworn in as President of Nigeria as nation's military ruler, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, turns over power to elected official during exuberant ceremony; Obasanjo, retired general, receives copy of Nigeria's new Constitution and vows to follow 'path of democracy'; Abubakar is only second general to give up power voluntarily in Nigeria's postcolonial history; Obasanjo was first, in 1979, but civilian rule that followed lasted only until 1983; military has ruled since then; photo (M)

Richard L Berke article, in series The Contenders: Running Toward 2000, notes that Steve Forbes's campaign for Republican Presidential nomination will open unusually early and heavy multimillion-dollar advertising offensive nationwide, with emphasis in primary battleground states, that is intended to repackage Forbes; Milwaukee advertising executive William Eisner will run campaign; Eisner says campaign will try to overcome voters' twin misgivings about Forbes, wealthy publiser; says they cannot imagine him as President because he has never been elected to anything, and they think he is rich man running on lark; Eisner photo (M)

Article on affordable housing in Manhattan and surrounding New York City boroughs for recent college graduates; photos (M)