February 13, 2002

Former and current Enron Corp executives say in weeks before company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, it allowed small group of executives to withdraw their money from deferred compensation program, giving them preferential treatment over some former managers who had also requested early withdrawal; Enron paid millions of dollars in deferred salaries and bonuses to midlevel and high-level executives still working in late November, just before Dec 2 bankruptcy filing, which forced company to suspend payments; number of employees who had retired or recently left company were denied similar payments; some former Enron employees are considering lawsuit in hopes of recovering millions of dollars in deferred compensation they say they are owed; among those unable to withdraw money in November was Charles B Bowman, former senior vice president at Enron Facilities Services; Bowman, who took early retirement in October 2000, says he lost about $750,000 in deferred compensation plan; photos (M)

Carole Montillet (France) wins gold medal in women's downhill ski event; Isolde Kostner (Italy) wins silver medal and Renate Goetschi (Austria) wins bronze medal; photo (M)

Alan Riding Arts Abroad column on latest Berlin Film Festival focuses on issue of whether German film industry can compete with Hollywood; focuses on Tom Tykwer's Heaven, starring Giovanni Ribisi and Cate Blanchett, which got mixed reception; photo (M)

Sec Colin Powell tells Senate Budget Committee Bush administration is considering variety of options for toppling Saddam Hussein in Iraq, amid indications that Pres Bush and advisers are close to settling on serious plan; Powell takes unusually tough tone toward Iraq but draws careful distinction with regard to Iran and North Korea, saying there is no plan to 'start a war' with either; Vice Pres Cheney will visit countries near Iraq that might provide useful support and Iraqi opposition is getting warm reception from administration, although no military training yet; Gen Tommy Franks says plan has not been set yet; photo of Iraqi children at memorial service (M)

Ex-Enron Chairman Cites Fifth Amendment at Hearing After being subjected to a bipartisan verbal barrage from 21 senators, Kenneth L. Lay, the former chairman of Enron, asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and pleaded with members of the Senate Commerce Committee not to rush to judgment about his responsibility for the largest corporate bankruptcy case in American history. Mr. Lay, who sat scowling and impassive through more than an hour of harsh senatorial criticism, was accused of running a criminal conspiracy and gouging the energy consumers of California. [Page A1.] Pfizer Turns to a Younger Pitchman Pfizer wants men to know that Viagra is not just for the 60-and-over crowd. Advertisements that once featured former Senator Bob Dole, who disclosed at age 74 that he had used Viagra after prostate cancer surgery, now show 43-year-old Mark Martin, a star of the Nascar racing circuit. Advertising. [C10.]

US effort to extradite Lotfi Raissi, once identified as 'lead trainer' of Sept 11 hijackers, collapses in British court as Algerian pilot walks free on $14,200 bail; Judge Timothy Workman sets bail after hearing that US no longer intends to bring terrorism charges and seeks extradition only on minor charge of withholding information in applying for American pilot's license; James Lewis, attorney for US, effectively acknowledges that FBI has filed to come up with public evidence of terrorist link; photo of Raissi with mother and French wife, Sonia (M)

ImClone Systems rejects demands by Bristol-Myers Squibb to rework their $2 billion agreement to develop and market cancer drug Erbitux; Bristol-Myers does not immediately carry through with threat to terminate relationship, saying it will continue to work with ImClone least until companies meet with Food and Drug Administration on Feb 26 to discuss drug's status; Bristol-Myers' chairman-chief executive Peter R Dolan says in letter to ImClone's board that two companies still have 'fundamentally different view' of what must be done to win approval for drug (M)

Sen Robert G Torricelli, New Jersey Democrat up for re-election in November, is not being challenged by any of state's best-known Republican, but rather by five little-known ones: County Exec James W Treffinger, State Sen Diane B Allen, Douglas Forrester, Assemblyman Guy R Gregg and State Sen John J Matheussen; they are all broadly moderate in their views (M)

Mayor Michael Bloomberg will announce plan to cut New York City's police force by 1,000 officers, through attrition, in response to city's financial distress; Fire Department would lose about 275 positions; police cutback, first in more than decade, comes as department struggles to maintain increased security against terrorism; photo; city will hire 800 lower-paid civilians to free up officers for patrol; budget officials see personnel cuts as only way two departments can reduce spending five percent as Bloomberg requests, but cuts will likely stun rank-and-file already hit by Sept 11 losses (M)

Photo of Casey FitzRandolph (US) winning gold medal in 500-meter speedskating event at Salt Lake City Olympics

Bank of Japan leaves basic view of economy unchanged in its monthly report, saying that overall conditions continue to deteriorate; sees signs that current recession will not deepen further, although only mild recovery is expected; says exports might begin rising over next six months; leaves monetary policy unchanged (S)

Anita L Roddick and her husband, T Gordon Roddick, founders of Body Shop International, resign as co-chairmen after failing to find buyer for company; Adrian Bellamy, director who oversees American operations, will immediately replace Roddicks as chairman; Peter Saunders, chief executive of North American operations, will take over as chief executive of entire company, replacing Patrick Gournay, who resigns; Roddicks will retain seats on board, and Anita Roddick will become consultant; photo (M)