January 26, 2004

Natasa Kandic, human rights advocate identified by Jack Kelley, USA Today correspondent who recently resigned under pressure, as source for 1999 article about ethnic cleansing in Kosovo village, disputes many of article's details, phone interview; she told USA Today about disagreements at Oct meeting; his editors began questioning article, and several others he wrote over years, last May; at issue is his claim that he saw typed order to 'cleanse' village in Yugoslav Army notebook; photo (M)

David A Kay, recently resigned chief weapons inspector for CIA, says American intelligence agencies failed to recognize that Iraq had all but abandoned its efforts to produce large quantities of chemical or biological weapons after first Persian Gulf war in 1991; says they did not detect that Iraq's unconventional weapons programs were in state of disarray in recent years under increasingly erratic leadership of Saddam Hussein, and they did not know that Hussein insisted on self-directing projects that were not vetted by anyone else, allowing wily scientists to fake weapons programs and pocket money themselves; says Iraq did attempt to revive its efforts to develop nuclear weapons in 2000 and 2001, but never got as far toward making bomb as Iran and Libya did; says Baghdad was working to produce biological weapon using poison ricon until American invasion last Mar; says Tariq Aziz, former deputy prime minister, said after his capture that Hussein had become increasingly divorced from reality during last two years of his rule; Kay says CIA missed significance of chaos in Iraqi leadership; photo (L)

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is now somewhat seasoned as he prepares for second Super Bowl appearance in three years; Patriots will face Carolina Panthers; photos (M)

Gen Wesley K Clark has not yet convinced Democratic voters that he has rightful claim to party's presidential nomination; polls show support for him in New Hampshire has flatlined or even fallen; Clark was preparing campaign against Howard Dean and was caught off guard when Sen John Kerry won Iowa caucuses; is facing emboldened challenges from Kerry, decorated Vietnam veteran, and Sen John Edwards who, like Clark, is from South; Clark's campaign has faced some internal tension and has reduced public role of Chris Lehane, one of its top strategists; Clark's campaign has no chief political strategist and is having difficulty adapting to changed scene since Iowa; photo (M)

Anna Kisselgoff reviews New York City Ballet premiere of work by Broadway choreographer Susan Stroman; photo (M)

Axel Ganz, interim chief executive of Gruner & Jahr USA Publishing, takes over day-to-day control of magazine publishing company that is no bigger or more competitive than it was five years ago, when now-ousted chief executive Daniel B Brewster Jr arrived; he insists parent Bertelsmann remains committed to American market, interview; photo (M)

Avocado growers of San Diego County, Calif, source of nearly half of nation's avocados, report widespread avocado theft; say thieves come in the night, plucking avocados from trees; size and price of avocados conspire with geography to make them particularly vulnerable; theft of avocados or any other fruit or vegetable is not insurable; at San Diego County Farm Bureau, ratio of law enforcement to avocados is slim, with two deputies patrolling 400 square miles; in Ventura County, 29 suspected thieves were arrested last year, charged with stealing estimated $115,000 worth of avocados; photos (M)

ABC is expected to announce that Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, most sucessful game show in history of prime-time TV, will return in February; show will be called Super Millionaire, hosted by Regis Philbin and will have top prize of $10 million; photo (M)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is named best picture in drama category at Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles; Lost in Translation, directed by Sofia Coppola, wins best comedy award, best actor award for Bill Murray and best screenplay for Coppola; Peter Jackson is named best director for Return of the King; Charlize Theron wins best actress for Monster; Renee Zellweger wins in best supporting actress category for Cold Mountain; other winners noted; photos (M)

Strategists for major Democratic presidential campaigns are looking beyond New Hampshire to prepare for national race, putting premium on competing in many states and steadily acquiring delegates; seven states will hold primaries or caucuses on Feb 3; that will begin four weeks of contests that will climax on Mar 2, when 10 states weigh in; strategists for major campaigns say they do not expect contest to be resolved until Mar 2, if then; Sen John Kerry is ahead now, but his campaign faces calendar that poses challenge for Northeasterner like him as well as several rivals determined to stay and fight for at least one more round; photo (M)

Very low inflation, atypical of economic recovery, has Federal Reserve officials apparently determined to keep interest rates low, policy likely to aid Pres Bush's re-election bid; analysts predict Fed's policy-making committee, meeting this week, will leave federal funds rate at just 1 percent and probably offer few new hints about future rate increases (M)

$63 Billion Hostile Bid Is Expected for Drug Maker Sanofi-Synthélabo, the French pharmaceutical company, is planning to announce today a $63 billion hostile bid in cash and shares for its national rival, Aventis, executives said. In an unusual step, France's finance ministry pressed Aventis to accept. The deal would create the world's third-largest drug company. PAGE A6 High Price of Gold Medals Some former East German athletes are seeking redress for the damage caused by a state-sponsored plan to use steroids to build Olympic champions. SPORTSMONDAY, PAGE D1