Whatever the truth about President Clinton’s private life may be, many supporters assert that his public policies have been beneficial to American women. But some scholars are pointing to evidence that Clinton administration policies have actually been very harmful to women with scant economic resources. “In one broad stroke, his major legislative initiative — welfare reform — rolled back the rights of all mothers who find themselves in need of economic assistance,” says Gwendolyn Mink, a professor of politics at the University of California at Santa Cruz. The welfare law, signed by Clinton two years ago in late August, includes…

Interviews are available with these specialists on international law and the Middle East: LAURIE KING-IRANI Editor of Middle East Report. More Information PHYLLIS BENNIS Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies. More Information YVONNE HADDAD Professor at the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University. BARBARA LUBIN [currently in Jerusalem] Director, Middle East Children’s Alliance. FRANCIS BOYLE A professor of International Law at the University of Illinois College of Law, Boyle said: “The U.S. attacks were clearly illegal. Particularly the attack on Sudan was without reason. The Sudanese government can probably sue the U.S. in the World Court over this.”…

WASHINGTON—While “terrorism experts” are theorizing about the culprits in the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, it may be helpful to consider the track records of such commentators. Here is a selection of statements by widely cited terrorism experts: VINCENT CANNISTRARO: According to Cannistraro, a former head of CIA counter-intelligence, the Oklahoma City bombing had “the marks of a Middle Eastern group.” (Washington Times, 4/20/95) Cannistraro has claimed that environmentalists are seeking to eradicate humanity with killer viruses: “There are small organized clandestine cells working on the development of technologies to diminish or even eliminate the race of man from…

WASHINGTON — In the aftermath of the tragic bombings in East Africa that took the lives of at least 250 people, analysts familiar with the region are assessing major issues confronting Kenya, Tanzania and neighboring countries. Among those available for comment: DENNIS BRUTUS Professor of Africana Studies and English at the University of Pittsburgh, Brutus said: “We sympathize with those who are suffering from these tragedies, but we should also sympathize with those suffering independent of these bombings. In Kenya, we should bear in mind the repression of the Daniel Arap Moi government, which has jailed members of the opposition…

WASHINGTON — In the largest such effort since the anti-apartheid movement of the 1980s, the state of Massachusetts and some 20 cities and localities are effectively refusing to buy from companies that do business in Burma, where a military junta seized power and human rights abuses persist. Now, salvos are being fired about the legitimacy of such measures by local governments. Today, hours after the Cato Institute put out a news release arguing that state and local selective-purchasing laws on Burma are unconstitutional, the think tank drew a barrage of criticism for confusing the issue rather than clarifying it. Among…

WASHINGTON — Despite record temperatures and the prevalent view of the scientific community, some denial about global warming has not melted. In recent days, a troop of global-warming deniers journeyed to Capitol Hill. Patrick Michaels of the Cato Institute was among those who testified Wednesday disputing the scientific weight of evidence on climate change. A number of environmentalists and scientists are available for comment, including: KEVIN TRENBERTH Trenberth, who heads the Climate Analysis Section at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, said: “This is amazing in view of the heat wave going on in Texas and throughout the southern U.S.,…

WASHINGTON — In two weeks, the boys accused of the deadly shooting spree at their school in Jonesboro, Arkansas go on trial. Criminal justice and youth experts associated with the Institute for Public Accuracy say the trial — scheduled to get underway shortly before millions of students across the nation return to classes — should not be used to exploit the tragedy of school violence. The analysts warn against crafting policies and making statements that fuel fear at one of the safest institutions in America: schools. Among those available for comment are: VINCENT SCHIRALDI Schiraldi is director of the Justice…

WASHINGTON — While a prominent think tank claimed Monday that privatizing Social Security would help American women, a past president of the American Economic Association called the conclusions “preposterous.” Robert Eisner said the plan would actually harm women and severely damage Social Security as a system of social insurance. The Cato Institute — whose major contributors include American Express, the Chase Manhattan Bank, Citicorp, Fidelity Investments and other private firms — asserted that women would be better off under a system of privately owned retirement accounts. But a number of specialists quickly disputed the claim and said that privatization would…

WASHINGTON — As discussions on the International Criminal Court treaty were coming to a close in Rome today, backers of a strong Court criticized the U.S. delegation’s end-game approach at the historic meeting. Some Court advocates took particular exception to the common argument that the Court would open a legal Pandora’s box, saying that such allegations are a red herring. Among those available for comment are: PHYLLIS BENNIS A fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and author of “Calling the Shots: How Washington Dominates Today’s UN,” Bennis said: “The U.S. is essentially trying to create an international criminal court…

WASHINGTON — A new report by one of the nation’s most influential think tanks, the Heritage Foundation, criticizes witnesses who testified on Capitol Hill without disclosing grants they had received from the U.S. government. But the report does not mention that the Heritage Foundation presented congressional testimony on American policies toward North Korea without acknowledging that Heritage itself had received $1 million funneled from the South Korean government. The Heritage report assesses compliance with a “Truth in Testimony” rule, adopted by Congress in January 1997, requiring that witnesses who appear before House committees disclose federal grants and contracts received during…