FLASHBACK — March 1999-2003

Niche markets urged[/B]

With the cutthroat competition in the travel industry, the CNMI government must intensify efforts to establish an image of Saipan that will make it unique from other destinations in the Pacific, according to a Japan Airlines official. Tom Shigemitsu, director of JAL’s international passenger marketing and sales department, said the Northern Marianas would need to promote its restaurants and shopping centers since these are important considerations for Japanese in choosing their holiday destinations Shigemitsu commended the Marianas Visitors Authority for using the mascot “Saipanda” a new character resembling a panda bear with a rhinoceros horn nose, which he believes is effective.

Renewal of business licenses suffered its worst decline in years, plunging 47 percent to 1,754 in 1998 compared to the previous year, according to statistics from the Department of Commerce that offered another gloomy economic condition in CNMI. Government figures show that new licenses issued during that year slipped 45 to 877 from 922, or a slight decrease of 5 percent, with the biggest drop posted in March at 70, or 53 percent, compared to the same period in 1997. Total number of licenses released by the commerce department at the end of 1998 tumbled 39 percent to 2,854 from 4,653.

‘Please give Rota a chance’[/B]

Embattled Rota Mayor Benjamin Manglona—criticized by some for his support for the Global Country for World Peace, a group that has ties with meditation guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi—spoke in defense of the group’s agenda on the island, saying it is Rota and its people that stand to benefit from the group’s projects. Surrounded by members of the group-all dressed in coats and ties-at the conference room of Saipan Mayor Juan Borja Tudela, who was also present, Manglona told reporters Friday that the group has no suspicious agenda, as it simply aims to promote world peace. At the same time, Manglona said the entire Commonwealth and its economy would benefit much if the group’s proposed projects on Rota materialize. “When Tinian embarked on the casinos to be their industry, a lot of people objected, even when the people of Tinian felt that would be good for them.”

Sen. Ricardo S. Atalig said Friday that he and Senate Floor Leader Joaquin G. Adriano will be rejecting Dr. Joaquin A. Tenorio’s nomination as Labor and Immigration Secretary. Atalig, who is a member of the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigations, said he and Adriano will not support Dr. Tenorio’s nomination due to his failure to fulfill the request of the Rota Legislative Delegation for the construction of a marina in Rota when he was still the Land and Natural Resources secretary. The incident last week involving three foreign nationals who were supposed to attend the Global World Peace conference on Rota but were barred from entering the Commonwealth also has a bearing on the senators’ stance against Dr. Tenorio.

US forces within 100 miles of Baghdad[/B]

NEAR NAJAF, Iraq (AP)—Driving night and day, more than 70 American tanks and 60 armored troop carriers raced 700 miles across rough desert terrain—a bold flanking movement that placed U.S. forces less than a day’s march from Baghdad on Sunday. The 3rd Infantry division, 2nd Brigade-also known as the Spartans-covered 228 miles in less than 40 hours to take up fighting positions ahead of all U.S. forces, about 100 miles from the Iraqi capital.

Faced with federal wire fraud charges, Sen. Ricardo Atalig is taking refuge behind the Covenant, accusing federal authorities of violating the Covenant’s provisions on the CNMI’s self-governance, which includes the independence of the Legislature. In a hearing Saturday, former Senate legal counsel Stephen C. Woodruff, on behalf of Atalig, asked the U.S. District Court to dismiss the federal indictment against his client. Atalig and Sen. Jose M. Dela Cruz, together with the latter’s daughter Marjorie, are facing 26 criminal counts of wire fraud and a count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The indictment alleged that the two senators entered into a scheme to defraud the CNMI government by providing fictitious jobs in favor of their relatives.