West Point cadets prepare to enter active service at time when US military's mission is changing to meet demands of new geopolitical reality; senior Mary Tobin notes that world is different place since her class entered academy before Sept 11 terorrist attacks and 'regime change' in Iraq; photo with classmates (M)

West Pointers Prepare to Face Changed World

US Army Special Forces soldiers in Diwaniya, who came to Iraq trained to fight war, find themselves wading into angry crowds, mediating between rival tribes and trying to hold together thin threads of social order; photo; 12-man team has become de facto center of government, hearing daily from tribal leaders, businesses and ordinary citizens who stream into compound to complain about spotty electricity, rampant looting and lack of jobs and commerce; Green Berets, several of whom speak Arabic, have in last week started police force, recruited English-speaking professor as city manager, located offices for municipal government and begun holding meetings where community leaders discuss problems (M)

Trained for War, 12 Green Berets Keep the Peace in an Iraqi Town

Jon Pareles comment on new Madonna album American Life suggests that singer's real talent lies in getting attention; points to her concurrent diversions: replacement video produced after US went to war in Iraq, video installation in collaboration with Steven Klein at Deitch Projects gallery, decoy versions of songs featuring Madonna cursing fans downloading files, and, for comic relief, appearance as uptight office worker on television program Will and Grace; photos (M)

Madonna's Real Art: Getting Attention

Group of 46 airline pilots, mostly industry veterans, will return to cockpits armed with weapons, having completed first training course on firearms and counterterrorism; photos; Transportation Safety Administration sees new level of security; rules for carrying guns explained (M)

Airline Pilots Set To Carry Firearms

George Vecsey Sports of The Times column contends that New York Yankees seem to be able to find solutions for every problem, bolstering roster with intelligent pick ups and achieving great success; some examples cited; photo (M)

Sports of The Times; The Rich (You Know) Get Richer

New York Stock Exchange is investigating practices of some of its traders, adding to pressure on exchange's managers to demonstrate that they are protecting interests of small investors; is conducting review of trading by several of its specialist firms, group of seven companies for maintaining orderly markets in shares of most of nation's biggest companies; photo (M)

Big Board Investigating Floor Trades

List of major news stories on inside pages

INSIDE

White Plains, NY, is undergoing economic renaissance under leadership of Mayor Joseph Delfino; has become boomtown, with billion dollars' worth of construction under way, including more than 1,600 rental apartments in and around central business district; 15 movie screens, new restaurants and major retailers from Target to Fortunoff are in works; developers keep proposing more: hotel, condominiums, even office space; photos; map (L)

The Renaissance of White Plains; A Wallflower of a City Becomes the Belle of the Ball

Australian government will bring 56 criminal charges against 20 executives involved in $2.5 billion collapse of HIH Insurance two years ago; senior executives of government's insurance watchdog agency, facing claims of inadequate supervision, are expected to be replaced (S)

World Business Briefing | Australia: Australia: Charges Expected In Insurer Case

Net profit for LG Electronics was 194 billion won ($159.9 million), 12 percent below net profit in first quarter of last year; revenue hit high of 5.2 trillion won, up 18 percent from 4.4 trillion won (S)

World Business Briefing | Asia: South Korea: Electronics Profit

Waterford Wedgwood, manufacturer behind Waterford Crystal and Wedgwood brands of luxury goods, lays off 94 temporary workers at its factory in city of Waterford, Eng; company is likely to cut costs further by closing its two Irish plants, which employ 1,600 people, for one week in June, pending discussions with labor unions (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Britain: Waterford Layoffs

Luistina Lopez Torregrosa report on lively tourist attractions in San Juan that have made Puerto Rican capital premier playground of West Indies; describes late-night scenes at nightclubs; photos (M)

A Vibrant San Juan Gets Its Groove Back

Summary of major events in Iraq on April 17 (M)

Rebuilding Contract, Threats to Syria From Congress, Help for a Museum

Federal authorities are investigating allegations that region's leading private ferry company, New York Waterway, defrauded federal government of hundreds of thousands of dollars in aftermath of Sept 11 attack; are looking into whether ferry company submitted inflated bills to Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for ferry services it provided to replace commuter rail link between New Jersey and Lower Manhattan that was destroyed by terror attack; New York Waterway receives about $1.74 million a month in subsidies (M)

Ferry Operator Is the Target Of U.S. Inquiry

World Business Briefing: Singapore: Chiï

World Business Briefing | Asia: Singapore: Chip Maker's Loss Declines

New York Yankees defeat Toronto Blue Jays, 4-0; photos (M)

An Improvising Weaver Stops The Jays Cold

Russian economy expanded by 6.4 percent in first quarter compared with last year (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Russia: Economic Growth

Documents found in Baath Party bureau in Zubayr show effort during summer of 2002 to mobilize cadres across country; efforts included emptying prisons in attempt to spark loyalty and recruit troops; party collected declarations from Iraqis professing willingness to make suicide attacks; documents represent important record of Baath Party culture and tactics it used to galvanize and control its security forces; what is impossible to convey in documents, however, is fear that existed between party leaders and soldiers whose lives, and lives of their families, depended on absolute obedience; documents illustrate patterns of coercion and redundancy showing conformity and discipline (M)

Documents Show Urgent Iraqi Push to Recruit and Control Troops

World Business Briefing: South Korea: Chip Tariffs Sought

World Business Briefing | Asia: South Korea: Chip Tariffs Sought

New Yorkers begin to confront long-threatened budget cutbacks, visible in dirtier streets, more homeless people in subways and job losses, after months of dire predictions by Mayor Michael Bloomberg; several comment; photos (M)

Once Just Threats, Cutbacks Sink In Among New Yorkers

Ford Motor Co executives back away from pledge to increase fuel economy of its sport utility vehicles by 25 percent by 2005; shift is linked in part to technological delays to company's plan to produce version of its Escape SUV with fuel-efficient hybrid system; company says it is less bullish on program because tax credits for such vehicles have not materialized in Congress; speculation about Ford's going back on its pledge developed after vice president Philip R Martens tells reporters that company is scrapping objective and will instead aim for fuel economy improvements of 20 percent to 30 percent across its entire vehicle fleet by end of decade; Ford says Martens's comment were misinterpreted; spokeswoman Francine Romine says company has not decided to give up on its SUV commitment, but also declines to reaffirm specifically pledge and its timetable; photos (M)

Ford Backs Off Efficiency Pledge For Its S.U.V.'s

New York Knicks forward Antonio McDyess will require another operation on knee, threatening his chances of returning at start of next season; photo (M)

Grim News for Knicks: More Surgery for McDyess

Ireland's Deputy Prime Min Mary Harney tells European politics conference that Ireland should be allowed to breach European Union's growth and stability pact, which limits government borrowing to 3 percent of gross domestic product for countries in European single currency; photo (S)1

World Business Briefing | Europe: Ireland: Debate Over Borrowing

Bush administration gives Bechtel Group first major contract in vast reconstruction plan for Iraq that assigns no major role to UN or Europe; US AID contract, potentially worth $680 million over 18 months, sets off heated contest among politically connected US companies and is part of multibillion-dollar effort to stabilize country and set up new government; US taxpayers to pay initial costs, but Iraqi oil revenue is supposed to eventually pay for much of reconstruction; retired US Gen Jay Garner to run civil administration until interim Iraqi authority is in place to work with World Bank and IMF; European countries hope for some influence and British companies are already upset at being cut out of most lucrative deals, but Pres Bush holds firm to having US play dominant role; photos; profile of Bechtel, privately-held company that is one of world's largest contractors (M)

U.S. GIVES BECHTEL A MAJOR CONTRACT IN REBUILDING IRAQ

Speeding Green Lines bus zigzags down three blocks of residential street in Queens, smashing into 15 occupied and parked vehicles, knocking down utility poles and sending terrified pedestrians flying; nine people are injured, none seriously; had only driver and one passenger aboard; police say driver might have suffered seizure; photo (M)

April 18, 2003

Headlines from April 18, 2003

West Pointers Prepare to Face Changed World

Trained for War, 12 Green Berets Keep the Peace in an Iraqi Town

Madonna's Real Art: Getting Attention

Airline Pilots Set To Carry Firearms

Sports of The Times; The Rich (You Know) Get Richer

Billboard 200

Meteora

Get Rich Or Die Tryin'

Now 12

One Heart

Come Away With Me

Historical Context for April 18, 2003