A prep course for the month-long World Cup soccer tournament, a worldwide pheno

than the regime 's . '' But the group appears to have several factors that could

 give it weight , including financial backing and connections within the Saudi b

ureaucracy . Most importantly , it draws support from disaffected Sunni professi

onals and clergy who have grown outspoken about human-rights abuses and corrupti

on since the Persian Gulf War . The Saudi government dismissed the significance 

of the group 's London operations . `` This will not change the stability of the

 kingdom , and it is nothing which worries us , '' said Deputy Information Minis

ter Shehab Jamjoon . Masaari was fired from his job at Riyadh 's King Saud Unive

rsity and jailed for six months after helping set up the dissident committee las

t year . In April , he fled Saudi Arabia despite being forbidden to travel abroa

d . In an attempt to discover how he left the country and pressure him and fello

w dissidents to discontinue their activities , Saudi authorities arrested Masaar

i 's stepson , a brother , a cousin and two brothers-in-law , he said . In a sep

arate interview from Riyadh , Masaari 's American wife , Lujain Imam , said her 

5-year-old child by a former Saudi husband was taken from her by his father with

 the support of Saudi police .

 TOKYO Japan on Tuesday released a report accusing the United States of unfair t

rade practices , yet another indication of its continued tough stance toward Ame

rican trade demands . `` The United States is without parallel in imposing measu

res that force its trading partners to abide by unilateral judgments , and shows

 no sign of abandoning this practice , '' charges the 333-page report , which al

so summarizes alleged unfair practices by nine other major trading partners of J

apan . The report , prepared by an advisory committee under the Ministry of Inte

rnational Trade and Industry , harshly criticizes President Clinton 's reinstitu

tion in March of the `` Super 301 '' trade law , which allows U.S. retaliation a

gainst Japanese imports if Japan fails to further open its market to foreign goo

ds . `` When the same country serves as both prosecutor and judge , one must ass

ume that due process is lacking , '' the report declares . This is the third yea

r Japan has produced this kind of report , which serves as a counterattack again

st an annual U.S. report on foreign trade barriers . A U.S. report released Marc

h 31 , which singled out Japan for the most severe criticism , could ultimately 

lead to sanctions . The Japanese report , in turn , lists more categories of unf

air practices by the United States than by any other country . Taken together , 

the two reports show how officials of the two countries continue to largely talk

 past each other when discussing trade . The underlying theme of the Japanese re

port is that trade issues should be settled according to international rules as 

embodied in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , or GATT , and its succe

ssor , the World Trade Organization , or WTO . But U.S. complaints about trade b

arriers in Japan primarily concern features of Japan 's economic structure that 

are not covered by GATT rules . Tokyo and Washington agreed last week to resume 

trade talks that had broken down in February , but basic conceptual disputes bet

ween the two sides remain unresolved . From the U.S. perspective , the purpose o

f the talks is to agree on ways to further open Japan 's market so as to reduce 

Japan 's $ 60 billion merchandise trade surplus with the United States and its $

 131 billion global surplus in trade of goods and services . The Japanese report

 , however , dismisses core U.S. arguments in almost condescending terms . It is

 especially critical of demands to address detailed `` microeconomic '' issues a

s a means of redressing trade imbalances . In the trade `` framework '' talks no

w being resumed , a key American focus is on specific sectors , including automo

biles and auto parts , insurance , and government procurement of telecommunicati

ons and medical equipment . These sectoral talks formally resume Wednesday with 

insurance negotiations in Tokyo , while auto talks reopen Thursday in Washington

 . ( Optional add end ) Yet Tuesday 's report rejects the conceptual basis for t

hese talks . `` A quick perusal of almost any economics textbook will confirm th

at microeconomic policies for individual sectors are not effective means of reso

lving trade imbalances , '' it says . The report also states that `` in purely e

conomic terms there is no need to resolve .. . trade imbalances . '' The report 

's charges of U.S. discrimination against foreign competitors run the gamut from

 unfair enforcement of anti-dumping actions to patent law . Some complaints are 

remarkably detailed . The report charges , for example , that U.S. restrictions 

on the export of logs cut from federal forests , imposed to protect the endanger

ed spotted owl , are a violation of GATT rules . While log exports are restricte

d , lumber exports are encouraged , it charges , suggesting that WTO dispute set

tlement procedures could be invoked to demand a change .

 WASHINGTON In many respects , Rep. Dan Rostenkowski never left Chicago and its 

political folkways , despite spending nearly 36 years in Congress and achieving 

a lasting national legacy for his role in helping to overhaul U.S. income tax la

ws in 1986 . A towering bear of a man who could intimidate his colleagues , Rost

enkowski 's brusque style reflected the blunt , take-no-prisoners politics pract

iced in his hometown . `` You might as well kick a guy 's brains out if he 's no

t for you , '' the Democratic congressman once said in a typical bit of Chicago 

street talk . So the aggressive `` Rosty '' was doing what comes naturally when 

he decided to go to the mat with federal prosecutors rather than holler `` uncle

 '' and accept a plea bargain . Rostenkowski , who dominated the House Ways and 

Means Committee as its chairman for more than a decade , earned top marks as a l

egislative achiever . Driven by a passion for political power , the 66-year-old 

lawmaker hoped to climax his career by playing a leading part in passage of heal

th care legislation that would add to his reputation for accomplishments against

 the odds . Instead , his dream has soured as he has spent much of this year try

ing to retain some measure of dignity in a Washington world where he never seeme

d fully at home . As Ways and Means chairman , he was one of the most powerful m

en in government , shaping policy on taxes , Social Security , Medicare , welfar

e and trade . Probably his proudest accomplishment was passage of the 1986 tax l

aw , which reduced the top income tax rate to 28 percent and eliminated many tax

 preferences for business . As part of that campaign for tax fairness , he appea

red on television , urging listeners to `` write Rosty '' if they favored the pl

an . On the downside , Rostenkowski 's reputation suffered because of his unasha

med appetite for perquisites , including steak dinners at lobbyists ' expense an

d invitations to free golfing trips at some of the nation 's top resorts . `` In

 my hometown of Chicago they call politics a blood sport , '' he once said . `` 

I don't apologize for getting in the arena and I 'll be damned if I apologize fo

r winning . '' He was also true to his roots on another issue . As the city 's l

ate mayor , Richard J. Daley , once declared : `` Chicago ISn't ready for reform

 . '' Neither was Rostenkowski . ( Begin optional trim ) While other lawmakers p

retended that they did not want a pay increase , Rostenkowski came out for a sys

tem whereby a House member could , within limits , set his or her own salary . N

aturally , Rostenkowski said that he deserved the highest rate of pay because of

 his committee chairmanship as well as his ability to deliver benefits for his c

onstituents . Rostenkowski bristled at Congress ' increasing requirements for fi

nancial disclosure , limits on members ' speaking fees and proposals to curb fre

e meals and golfing trips financed by lobbyists . ( End optional trim ) The Chic

ago congressman had few peers when it came to taking free trips to make speeches

 before special interest groups at locations conveniently close to a golf course

 . During the five years ending in 1991 , for example , the veteran politician t

ook 167 trips at the expense of corporations , universities and charities an ave

rage of 34 expense-paid trips a year . His re-election campaign once paid $ 1,60

0 in `` consulting fees '' to five golf professionals who attended fund-raising 

events with Rostenkowski on the golf links . In the 1992 election cycle , Rosten

kowski charged his campaign treasury for $ 28,422 worth of meals at restaurants 

and country clubs , mostly in the Chicago area . At the same time , he was a lea

der on the paid lecture circuit , collecting more than $ 1 million in speaking f

ees in a two-year period , keeping the maximum amount allowed under House rules 

about $ 50,000 and donating the rest to charity . Growing up in the Great Depres

sion in what now would be called a disadvantaged neighborhood , he learned direc

tly about free-and-easy machine politics as the son of a Chicago alderman and wa

rd boss who presided over a Polish-American fiefdom on the city 's Northwest sid

e . With his father 's clout , it was easy for Rostenkowski to become the younge

st member of the Illinois legislature at the age of 24 , the youngest Illinois s

tate senator at 26 and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives at 30 . Chi

cago 's Democratic Party selected nominees who breezed to election in the one-pa

rty town , assuring a safe House seat for Rostenkowski for decades . ( Begin opt

ional trim ) Although in recent years the machine has began to sputter , Rostenk

owski whose possible indictment was the subject of wide speculation in the press

 at the time got help when he desperately needed it from ward organizations in M

arch 's primary election . They gave it unquestioningly and overwhelmingly and h

e won renomination to another term . On Capitol Hill , he focused at first on th

e internal politics of the House , gradually building friendships that might hel

p him later , keeping Chicago 's needs ever in mind . He became known as `` Mayo

r Daley 's man in Washington , '' although other Democrats in the city delegatio

n had more seniority . He brought home the bacon to his city and state with such

 regularity that even Republican Gov. Jim Edgar endorsed Rosty 's re-election th

is year when he was in the toughest race of his political life . ( End optional 

trim ) In 1965 , Rostenkowski was rewarded with a seat on Ways and Means , then 

under the forceful leadership of Rep. Wilbur D. Mills , D-Ark . For a decade , u

ntil Mills departed after a scandalous encounter with an exotic dancer from Arge

ntina , Rostenkowski acquired seniority and familiarity with the arcane tax code

 . He chafed during the tenure of Rep. Al Ullman , D-Ore. , a knowledgeable but 

ineffectual leader , and took over the committee 's helm in 1981 , passing up a 

chance to take the third-ranking House leadership post as majority whip . ( Begi

n optional trim ) With newly elected Republican Ronald Reagan in the White House

 , the rookie chairman made what he later conceded was a serious mistake , engag

ing in a `` bidding war '' to see who could cut taxes the most . Reagan won , th

e federal government 's revenue base was seriously reduced and Rostenkowski lear

ned a political lesson the hard way as the House voted with Reagan by a large ma

jority . Working with Reagan and the Republicans , Rostenkowski helped to preser

ve the solvency of the Social Security system by making tough choices to raise p

ayroll taxes . ( End optional trim ) As a result of his strong hand , Rostenkows

ki brokered the complex deals behind the major tax bills of the 1980s and 1990s 

. But he experienced some embarrassing defeats as well . In 1991 , for example ,

 six Democrats on Ways and Means joined with all the Republicans to push through

 a cut in capital gains taxes that Rostenkowski fought , both in his committee a

nd on the House floor . Only hard-nosed tactics by Senate Majority Leader George

 J. Mitchell D-Maine , blocked it from becoming law . Even worse , legislation t

hat Rostenkowski championed to provide catastrophic health insurance coverage fo

r senior citizens , along with a surtax on them to pay for it , produced such a 

strong backlash that the law was repealed . It was during this seniors ' rebelli

on that a group of elderly citizens chased the chairman down a Chicago street , 

shouting : `` Impeach Rostenkowski . '' As Rostenkowski increased his power on t

he committee , he began to run the panel like a Chicago ward boss , disbursing b

enefits and demanding loyalty in return . Under his system , committee Democrats

 caucused frequently to develop a consensus , pledging that each of them would s

upport the resulting compromise . Rosty took names of defectors , placing them i

n his own version of political purgatory . Former Rep. Kent Hance , D-Texas , on

ce deserted the chairman on a key vote . Shortly afterward on a bus trip where o

ther committee members sat in front , a seat was marked for Hance next to the to

ilet . He got the message that the chairman was not pleased .

 WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave a boost to the growing number of c

ities that enforce curfews for teen-agers by rejecting a challenge to a Dallas l

aw that generally requires people under 17 to be off the streets after 11 p.m. o

n weekdays and midnight on weekends . Without a dissenting vote , the court refu

sed to hear an appeal filed on behalf of three young people and their parents wh

o said the city law `` convicts the innocent .. . and broadly stifles fundamenta

l liberties . '' Although the court did not explain its decision , in earlier ru

lings the justices have said the First Amendment to the Constitution does not gi

ve teen-agers a `` generalized right of social association '' that permits them 

to be out after hours . Moreover , official discrimination based on age is permi

ssible , the court has said . Lawyers in the case said curfews to combat juvenil

e crime exist in as many as 1,000 cities , including Atlanta , Boston , Detroit 

, Houston , Los Angeles , Philadelphia and Phoenix . While Tuesday 's action is 

not a binding national ruling , it strongly suggests the court will not strike d

own curfews as broadly unconstitutional . However , some lower courts have inval

idated curfews that do not permit exceptions for teen-agers who work or are acco

mpanied by their parents . Two other decisions announced Tuesday also restrict F

irst Amendment rights . In a case that yielded four separate opinions , the high

 court ruled that public employers may fire workers whose job complaints could a

ffect the morale of fellow employees . So long as the manager makes a `` reasona

ble '' effort to investigate what was said , the manager can then freely dismiss

 disgruntled workers to ensure that their complaints do not `` detract from the 

agency 's effective operation , '' the court said . The case of Waters vs. Churc

hill , 92-1450 , sought to clarify the free speech rights of public employees , 

such as teachers , nurses , police officers and state workers , but it resulted 

in badly splintered decision . The First Amendment severely restricts the govern

ment 's power to pass laws infringing free speech , but government officials can

 limit the free speech rights of their employees . In Tuesday 's decision , seve

n justices agreed only that the nursing supervisor at a public hospital could di

smiss a disgruntled nurse for her on-the-job griping , so long as the supervisor

 first made a `` reasonable '' effort to learn who said what to whom . In a sepa

rate First Amendment case , the justices allowed government-sponsored fairs , ca

rnivals and parades to keep out groups whose message is deemed `` inappropriate 

. '' On an 8-1 vote , the justices refused to hear an appeal filed by anti-abort

ion activists who claimed their free-speech rights were violated when they were 

excluded from a city-sponsored festival . Frankfort , Ky. , holds its `` Great P

umpkin Festival '' each October to bring people downtown for `` fun and entertai

nment . '' In 1990 , a local anti-abortion group applied for a booth to distribu

te `` plastic models of fetuses , '' but fair sponsors deemed such political adv

ocacy inappropriate . The group denied booths to groups who support abortion rig

hts , including the Kentucky chapter of the National Organization for Women . Th

e Kentucky Supreme Court upheld the fair sponsor 's authority to restrict partic

ipation to non-political groups , and only Justice Sandra Day O' Connor voted to

 hear the appeal in Capital Area Right to Life vs . Downtown Frankfort , 93-1201

 . ( Optional add end ) In the curfew case , lawyers said the Dallas law may hav

e won approval in part because it contains so many exceptions . `` If a mother i

s sick , and a kid needs to go get a prescription filled , who would doubt that 

he has a constitutional right to be out doing that ? , '' asked ACLU attorney Ch

ris Hansen , who has coordinated the group 's attacks on teen-age curfews . The 

Dallas curfew was enacted in 1991 but exemptions were added in 1992 . For exampl

e , it exempts young people who are accompanied by a parent or guardian , are ru

nning an errand , or are out on an emergency . It also does not apply to those w

ho are traveling for work reasons or attending a school , religious or civic fun

ction . Moreover , young persons are allowed on the sidewalks in front of their 

homes or a neighbor 's home . Fines of up to $ 500 can be assessed against youth

 who violate the law , as well as their parents and the owners of establishments

 who serve minors after hours . In November , the U.S. . Court of Appeals based 

in New Orleans ruled that the Dallas law is justified by the city 's `` compelli

ng interest '' in reducing juvenile crime and in `` promoting juvenile safety an

d well-being . '' It cited statistics showing that murders , assaults and rapes 

occur most often between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. . The case of Qutb vs. Bartlett , 93

-1571 , was dismissed without comment on Tuesday . `` I think this means that ev

ery major city in this circuit is going to have a curfew , '' said Bruce Morrow 

, a Dallas attorney who appealed the case to the Supreme Court .

 WASHINGTON President Clinton and his top national security officials met Tuesda

y to consider the potentially volatile question of whether to seek economic sanc

tions against North Korea a move that Pyongyang has warned would be regarded as 

an act of war . Although no final decisions were expected Tuesday , officials sa

id Clinton wanted a consensus for any future actions by Wednesday night , when h

e is scheduled to leave for Europe , where he will help celebrate the 50th anniv

ersary of D-Day . The flurry of activity came amid growing fears that North Kore

a may be removing spent fuel rods from its reactor so rapidly that it is on the 

verge of destroying U.N. inspectors ' ability to determine if spent fuel has bee

n diverted to make nuclear weapons . The administration has warned that it consi

ders the ability of the U.N. inspectors to trace the history of North Korea 's n

uclear program a crucial issue in the current dispute . Results of such inspecti

ons could tell for certain if North Korea has built a bomb . The situation has b

een intensifying for days . In a last-ditch effort to avert a crisis , the U.N. 

. Security Council urged North Korea on Monday to preserve all existing evidence

 of how much nuclear fuel it may have diverted to a nuclear weapons program . Th

e International Atomic Energy Agency , which conducts the nuclear weapons inspec

tions on the U.N. 's behalf , is expected to issue a report this week declaring 

whether North Korea has destroyed the agency 's ability to tell if Pyongyang eve

r made nuclear weapons . U.S. officials say that , if the IAEA reports its effor

ts have been blocked , there is little doubt the Security Council will begin con

sidering the sanctions . The only real question would be how broad the measures 

should be and how rapidly they should be imposed . South Korea said Tuesday that

 North Korea already has removed more than 4,800 of 8,000 spent fuel rods in the

 reactor at Yongbyon a far more-rapid pace than Western analysts had expected . 

Officials say that , at this rate , it could be only days before the evidence is

 destroyed . The administration continued to express alarm publicly . `` We 're 

very concerned about the situation , '' White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myer

s told reporters . But she said Washington still was hoping for a diplomatic sol

ution . ( Optional Add End ) A major problem facing the administration is uncert

ainty whether China will go along with any new move to impose formal sanctions .

 Although the Chinese supported Monday 's U.N. appeal , they still are not ready

 to go along with sanctions . As a result , the administration may have tough ne

gotiating to do on how rapidly the sanctions should be imposed . China wants Was

hington to fold negotiations about nuclear issues into broader U.S.-North Korean

 talks . Pentagon officials said Tuesday that any decision to push for sanctions

 almost certainly would be accompanied by a step-up in the alert status of U.S. 

military in the region . In Vienna , North Korean officials continued to rebuff 

IAEA demands that U.N. inspectors be permitted to test the rods that have been r

emoved . Yun Ho Jin , Pyongyang 's representative to the agency , said his gover

nment would not alter its policies anytime soon , but he said that it would set 

aside 40 of the spent fuel rods for possible inspection by the IAEA later . Anal

ysts said the move would be useless .

 WASHINGTON In a ruling that affects the free speech rights of 18 million govern