February 24, 2003

US military begins ambitious assault on Iraq, using electronic and psychological weapons on information battlefield; cyber-warfare experts have waged e-mail assault on Iraq's political, military and economic leadership, urging them to break with Saddam Hussein; wave of calls have gone to private cellphone numbers of specially selected officials inside Iraq; more than eight million leaflets have been dropped on Iraq warning antiaircraft missile operators and ground troops that they face destruction; Air Force Special Operations planes are broadcasting directly to Iraqi people in Arabic with programs that mimic styles of local radio stations; US military planners are hoping to break Iraqi military's will to fight and to sway public opinion; maps; photos (M)

Pres Bush launches one of most ambitious efforts to reinvent Medicare and Medicaid since programs were created 38 years ago with proposals that mark shift away from notion that everyone should be in same government-managed system with same benefits; proposals would transform pillars of Great Society and their guarantee of health benefits to elderly, disabled and poor; would give states far more power to determine who receives what benefits in Medicaid program, and make elderly more reliant on private health plans; individuals would be given more choices, including option of picking private health plan; critics say proposals will mean less security, fewer guaranteed benefits and more financial risks for beneficiaries; argue that administration is retreating from goals of Great Society and New Deal, and promises government made across generations; say proposals are essentially effort to limit federal government's financial responsibilities and to cap open-ended guarantee of specific benefits in effort to move from defined benefit to defined contribution; administration officials and allies in Congress, including centrist Democrats, say changes are essential to modernize creaky government programs and to stem growth in entitlement spending; graphs (M)

Realism triumphs over escapism at 45th annual Grammy Awards ceremony; some examples cited, including numerous awards won by Norahy Jones's 'old-fashioned' album and performances by Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello; photos (M)

24 victims critically burned in fire in Station, West Warwick (RI) nightclub, that killed 97 people struggle for lives in intensive care unit at Rhode Island Hospital; 22 are on ventilators; doctors say many will need extensive psychological help with injuries, which in some cases will be disfiguring, and face long period of rehabilitation; photo (M)

British Businessman Seen In Formal Bid for Hotel Chain Hugh E. Osmond, a British businessman who made a fortune running pizza and pub chains, is planning to make a formal offer this week for Six Continents, the world's second-largest hotel chain, that values the company as high as $9 billion, people involved in the talks said. A formal offer from Mr. Osmond would likely flush out other interested parties. The Hilton Group, a British company that owns the rights to the Hilton brand outside the United States, is considering its options, including buying some hotels from Mr. Osmond should his bid succeed, a person close to the company said. Hilton could also team up with a private equity firm to start a counteroffer. [Page C3.]

Herbert F Matare's and Heinrich Welker's work in developing transistor will get some deferred recognition in forthcoming book by Armand Van Dormael, The Silicon Revolution; fame and Nobel Prize for inventing transistor in 1948 went to John Bardeen, Walter H Brattain and William B Shockley of Bell Laboratories in New Jersey, but Matare and Welker, working at Westinghouse Laboratory in Paris, independently came up with same device two months later; Matare, who now lives in Malibu, Calif, continues to do groundbreaking work in field of semiconductors, exploring potential of exotic materials for solar energy applications; photo (M)

Miami International Film Festival, which many supporters declared dead after its acquisition by Florida International University in 1999, opens under leadership of Nicole Guillement, whose predecessor, Nat Chediak, led festival for 18 years and left two years ago because of creative differences with university; Guillement says she plans to make Miami place where Spanish and Latin American filmmakers, producers and distributors meet and strike deals with their American counterparts; photos (M)

Iraq publicly holds out hope that technical talks with UN weapons experts may stave off forced destruction of its most potent short-range missiles but appears bowing toward inevitable by playing down importance of weapons in defending country against US invasion; reaction comes amid intensified diplomatic maneuvering ahead of new Security Council resolution by US and Britain for military action to force Iraq to disarm; Lt Gen Hussam Muhammad says Iraq is still studying request by UN arms inspectors; says destruction of missiles would not affect Iraq's fighting capabilities; sees no need for new Security Council resolution, arguing that Iraq is cooperating with weapons inspectors in every conceivable way; notes Iraq is excavating sites where it claims to have destroyed nerve agents and biological weapons so weapons inspectors can verify its assertions; photos (M)

News analysis examines New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein's controversial decision to exempt 209 schools from uniform curriculum that will be adopted as part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's takeover plan; says Klein did not consider consequences of his decision--possible alienation of middle-class parents who send their children to public schools (M)

Norah Jones, 23-year-old singer and pianist, takes five Grammy Awards at ceremony at Madison Square Garden, including album of year (Come Away With Me) and best new artist; Don't Know Why, from album, is named record of year, and Jesse Harris, its songwriter, receives award for song of year; other awards noted; photo (M)

Joyce Purnick Metro Matters column criticizes New York Gov George Pataki for using Medicaid as political tool; examines how program grew so expensive and Pataki's role in increasing state's generous menu of services, many of which he is now seeking to cut as budget deficit looms (M)

For five minutes every morning and five minutes every evening, Barry Zito stops everything, finds a peaceful place and speaks into a tape recorder. In soft, soothing tones, Zito reminds himself that he is in control of his life and that the answers are within. Then Zito listens to the tape throughout the day, allowing his voice to seep into his consciousness and make him more confident and more comfortable. It is one of the numerous mental exercises Zito uses to make sure he will be relaxed and in control whenever he pitches for the Oakland Athletics or whenever he puts the keys in the ignition of a car. Zito won the American League Cy Young award last season, but he says he typically nudges conversations away from baseball to ''guitars, surfing, Fiji, whatever.''