Lithuania

VILNIUS, U.S.S.R. -- Boosted by a landslide victory at the polls, Lithuania's president has called on the United States to warn Moscow to keep its hands off Lithuania.Vytautas Landsbergis also disclosed yesterday that it was President Bush who, during a White House meeting last December, suggested a republic-wide vote "as a way of expressing the nation's will."Landsbergis told reporters the beleaguered Vilnius government has a right to expect a bolder turn in U.S. policy. Meanwhile, the Kremlin called the vote unconstitutional.

On December 5, 2003 CESAR SURDOKAS, of Baltimore, MD, loving husband of Stase; dear father of Linas and his wife Christel; brother of Anele, Birute, Algirdas, all of Lithuania; grandfather of Maria. Also survived by many nieces and nephews in Lithuania. Friends may call the Loudon Park Funeral Home, 3620 Wilkens Ave, on Sunday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Service to be held on Monday at 10 a.m. at St. Alphonsus Church, 114 W. Saratoga St. Interment Loudon Park Cemetery.

Lithuanian officials reacted ambivalently yesterday to the announcement that the United States was granting diplomatic recognition to their government.They were pleased to have the political protection that it implies but irritated that it did not come sooner.No one expressed the ambivalence more clearly than President Vytautas Landsbergis, who left Lithuania yesterday for a one-day trip to Budapest and was unavailable for comment.A spokesman said Mr. Landsbergis had not known that the announcement of American recognition was to be made yesterday, though President Bush called him on Friday and said that he would have a significant announcement yesterday.

As the first republic to declare independence, Lithuania played such a pivotal role in the break-up of the Soviet Union that a popular rebuke of its nationalist leadership has to be scrutinized for bellwether significance. If Lithuanians after two years of independence are fed up with economic chaos and political witch hunts, are voters in other former Soviet republics also ready to give the technocrats of the old order another chance?The voters' rebuke of President Vytautus Landsbergis and his Sajudis party, the amorphous nationalistic movement which has been in power since 1990, was the culmination of increasing turbulence during the past several months.

More than 85 percent of callers to SUNDIAL say the United States should recognize the Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia as independent states. Of 297 callers, 253 supported that position, and 44 (15 percent) said the United States should not recognize the republics' independence."It's Your Call" represents a sampling of opinions from certain segments of the community, but it is not balanced demographically, as would be done in a scientific public opinion poll.

A NATO that will not save Bosnia from Serbia cannot protect Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Albania and Lithuania from Russia.If Nancy Kerrigan is not on the U.S. Olympic team, the creep who attacked her is rewarded.Only an independent counsel appointed by judges can reassure the nation on the Clinton-Whitewater business -- but the Dole crew killed that system.

If Lithuania can evict the Russians, the Philippines has the right to kick us out.George does too have a domestic policy. It is to get Clarence Thomas onto the Supreme Court.Now Ed Hale can merge Baltimore Bancorp with the Blast and move it to Dundalk.First, Tadzhikistan declared sovereign independence. Now, it needs an airline.Cheer up. Congress is back on the job.

WASHINGTON -- With shouts of "No more tanks" and "Freedom now," several dozen Baltic-American demonstrators -- most from the Baltimore area -- rallied outside the Soviet Embassy yesterday, protesting the Soviet military incursion to restore its rule in the breakaway republics."

Just a year ago, the fate of the Soviet Union's three Baltic republics was front-page news. Lithuania declared independence and a violent confrontation with Moscow appeared inevitable. The crisis however, never reached flashpoint.Now, even as war clouds darken over the Persian Gulf, ominous developments are again taking place in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. And Americans should pay attention."Your [the George Bush] administration is sending to the Kremlin a very confused signal. A clear policy is lacking," complains Tunne Kelam, an Estonian independence leader.

Each time their phone rang Wednesday evening, Algimantas and Kathryn Grintalis jumped and their hopes soared.For four days they had been trying to get through to their homeland of Lithuania, trying to contact a close friend for first-hand news of the bloody Soviet crackdown against the Baltic state's fledgling democratic government."