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

 HOLLYWOOD Casey Silver was named president of Universal Pictures Wednesday and 

given broad new responsibilities , including the authority to `` greenlight '' m

ovies . While Silver 's promotion was expected in industry circles , some were s

urprised by the level of autonomy he received . Universal said Silver , 39 , wil

l have control over all production , marketing and distribution at the studio , 

a division of MCA Inc. . Silver said he expects to `` stay the course '' at Univ

ersal , which has recently emerged from a long dry spell at the box office with 

Steven Spielberg-driven hits such as `` Jurassic Park , '' `` Schindler 's List 

'' and `` The Flintstones , '' the last of which grossed $ 37.5 million over the

 Memorial Day weekend . `` I want to make as many good movies as I can , '' Silv

er said . `` I have no plans to change what we 're going to do . '' Silver worke

d as president of production at Universal for five years . Hal Lieberman , the e

xecutive vice president of production , is rumored to be the leading candidate t

o replace him . Silver will report to Motion Picture Group Chairman Tom Pollock 

, who will become more involved in strategic planning . In partiular , Pollock i

s expected to focus on the international film market and MCA 's minority interes

t in Cineplex Odeon .

 By his own admission , it was hardly the stuff of Hollywood when Pfc . Anthony 

Yakaitis and a bunch of his American Army buddies entered Rome 50 years ago this

 week . `` It was the middle of the night and the place was pitch black , '' rec

alled Yakaitis , then a 20-year-old military policeman stationed with the 45th D

ivision on the outskirts of the city . `` There was nobody out , and it was too 

dark to see . Nothing was happening , so we walked around for a while and then h

itched a ride back to camp . Not very exciting . '' That was the evening of June

 6 , 1944 , and if Yakaitis , now a retired civil servant and Franklin Square , 

N.Y. , resident , had arrived 48 hours earlier , he would have seen something mo

re dramatic . Vera Signorelli Cacciatore , then a young Rome resident , would re

call the scene several years later for war correspondents . She told them how th

e first ranks of footsore , exhausted Americans walked into the capital , fulfil

ling a major goal of the bitter Mediterranean campaign launched by Allied troops

 almost a year earlier . `` They were silent , very tired , marching almost like

 robots , '' she said of members of the 88th Division , who were among the first

 Yanks to enter Rome on the evening of June 4 . `` The people came out of the ho

uses to cheer them , but they only smiled , waved and kept on going . '' Succeed

ing ranks of GIs were given different orders , however , and stopped in Rome for

 the night . And when they did , the citizenry could provide a more rousing welc

ome . `` The civilians crowded around them , patting them on the back , kissing 

them , '' said Cacciatore , whose description is contained in `` The Italian Cam

paign , '' a Time-Life book . `` The soldiers asked for something to drink water

 or wine and when they had drunk , they slumped down on the stones and fell asle

ep . '' Most of the troops slept on the streets or against the walls of building

s . A few simply flopped in the dry bottom of The Old Boat , as one of sculptor 

Giovanni Bernini 's fabled Rome fountains was known . By the next morning , the 

ambiance of Italy 's Eternal City had subtly changed . `` Before , Rome had alwa

ys smelled of cooking , wine , dried fish , garlic , '' Cacciatore recalled . ``

 Now , suddenly , it was Chesterfields . '' A few Americans Yakaitis among them 

were able to spend some time sightseeing in the following days . And , although 

Rome , like Paris , had been unscarred by combat , the New York City-born privat

e and his buddies came upon what seemed like a stunning scene of devastation . `

` We came across a big building that looked pretty well blasted away , '' Yakait

is recalled this week . `` And one of the guys pointed to it and said , ` Wow lo

ok at that bombed-out place , ' which is what I thought . Then another guy took 

a good look and said , ` You jerks that 's the Coliseum ! ' And he was right . '

' ( Begin optional trim ) Most of the liberators did not stay long in Rome , how

ever , because the capital , abandoned by retreating Germans before they arrived

 , had more symbolic than strategic significance . The primary goal of the Medit

erranean campaign , which began with the July 1943 invasion of Sicily by seven A

llied divisions from North Africa , was to drive Italy out of the war and tie do

wn German forces that might otherwise have been shifted to counter the long-expe

cted Allied invasion of northern France . Moreover , Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower ,

 supreme commander of Allied forces , strongly believed that nothing could help 

his planned invasion of Normandy codenamed Overlord as much as a landing in sout

hern France by troops who had fought their way into northern Italy . `` If we ca

n keep him on his heels until early spring , '' Eisenhower said of his German en

emy shortly after the invasion of Sicily , `` then the more divisions he uses in

 a counteroffensive against us , the better it will be for Overlord . '' Which i

s how things essentially worked out . ( End optional trim ) Italy formally surre

ndered in September 1943 . Thousands of Germans subsequently were bogged down ba

ttling Allied forces that , after taking Sicily , moved northward in Italy from 

Salerno and the blood-drenched beachhead at Anzio . Finally , thousands of Allie

d troops from Italy invaded southern France in August 1944 . Yakaitis and his 45

th Division comrades participated in all those combat episodes . After landing i

n southern France , they fought their way into Germany and wound up in Munich . 

After serving several months with occupation forces , Yakaitis was released from

 service in October 1945 . He had spent about 30 months in combat without a furl

ough . `` I dont regret it , '' he said . `` I felt it was my duty to fight for 

my country . And I would do the same thing today . ''

 UNITED NATIONS The U.N. Commission on War Crimes issued its final report Wednes

day , saying strong evidence in the former Yugoslavia indicates that Serb comman

ders violated international law by pursuing a deliberate policy of `` ethnic cle

ansing , '' sexual assaults and rape . `` The crimes committed have been particu

larly brutal and ferocious in their execution '' and `` the magnitude of victimi

zation is clearly enormous , '' the commission said . It said the `` ethnic clea

nsing , '' sexual assaults and rape were carried out so systematically with no e

ffort by authorities to stop or punish offenders that members of the commission 

believe that `` command responsibility can be established . '' The commission , 

headed by Cherif Bassiouni , an Egyptian-born professor of law at DePaul Univers

ity in Chicago , turned over its findings and its files to the International Tri

bunal on War Crimes in the former Yugoslavia , headquartered in The Hague in the

 Netherlands . The tribunal , which is supposed to indict and put on trial those

 accused of war crimes in Bosnia-Herzegovina and other parts of the former Yugos

lavia , has been slow in organizing itself . Its first prosecutor resigned befor

e even taking office . The Security Council has not yet named a replacement . In

 its report , the commission urged the tribunal to act . Victims , the panel sai

d , had `` high expectations that this commission will establish the truth and t

hat the ( tribunal ) will provide justice . '' The commission also said that , a

lthough the victimization was clearly ordered by commanders , the perpetrators m

ost but not all of them Serbs had no right to defend themselves by claiming they

 had to obey their superior 's orders . The command-and-control structure in Bos

nia was so loose , the commission said , that `` unlawful orders could have been

 disobeyed without individuals risking personal harm . '' `` Indeed , some did ,

 '' the commission went on . `` A moral choice existed . '' Discussing ethnic cl

eansing the practice of clearing an area of its non-Serb population the commissi

on said it was carried out `` with extreme brutality and savagery in a manner de

signed to instill terror in the civilian population , in order to cause them to 

flee and never to return . '' The weapons included mass murder , rape , torture 

, looting and property destruction . ( Optional add end ) Studying in detail one

 district northwest Bosnia 's Opstina Prijedorin the commission found that its M

uslim population had declined from 49,454 in 1991 to 6,124 in 1993 . Counting Cr

oats and others , as well , the commission concluded that 52,811 people had been

 killed or deported in `` ethnic cleansing '' in that district . Listing names o

f possible guilty parties , the commission said the military destruction of non-

Serb houses in the district occurred when it was under the command of Col. Vladi

mir Arsio and Maj. Radmilo Zeljaja . Further , the commission said , it `` posse

sses the names of hundreds of alleged perpetrators at different levels and in a 

variety of capacities . '' Discussing the siege of Sarajevo , the commission con

cluded there is no doubt that Bosnian Serbs deliberately targeted the civilian p

opulation in months of shelling a violation of international law . `` Whether or

 not it is possible to develop a firm case against individual soldiers or unit c

ommanding officers , '' the report said , `` it should be quite practicable to d

evelop a prima facie case against the officer or officers responsible for the ( 

Bosnian Serb ) forces which have ben surrounding Sarajevo from the beginning of 

the siege . ''

 WASHINGTON Prominent Washington criminal lawyer Robert S. Bennett is unlikely t

o represent Rep. Dan Rostenkowski , D-Ill. , in his upcoming trial on corruption

 charges because of increasingly strained relations between the two , sources sa

id Wednesday . The day after Rostenkowski , 66 , was charged with defrauding the

 government of more than $ 500,000 , sources said there was a `` less than 10 pe

rcent chance '' that Bennett will stay on as the longtime lawmaker 's chief coun

sel . Sources said the decision would have to be made sometime near the date of 

Rostenkowski 's arraignment , which has been scheduled for June 10 before U.S. .

 District Court Judge Norma H. Johnson . Sources said Rostenkowski has been frus

trated at the outcome of the plea negotiations with U.S. . Attorney Eric H . Hol

der Jr. . The veteran chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee had entered

 the negotiations in an effort to reduce or eliminate any prison sentence , avoi

d a lengthy legal battle and retain his powerful chairmanship of the tax-writing

 committee . Prosecutors offered a deal in which Rostenkowski would plead guilty

 to at least one felony and serve a limited amount of jail time . The discussion

s ended without prosecutors offering any options Rostenkowski considered accepta

ble . Some of his friends and colleagues privately complained to the Chicago con

gressman that the plea negotiations , which had been initiated by Bennett , may 

have been a mistake . They said the negotiations created a media `` feeding fren

zy '' and left the impression that Rostenkowski was guilty of something . Althou

gh sources said that the negotiations were initiated with Rostenkowski 's full k

nowledge and consent , evidence began building that a rift was developing , and 

that Rostenkowski had questions about Bennett 's legal advice . Bennett suggeste

d that Rostenkowski get another opinion about the plea negotiations but the cong

ressman declined , the sources said . Meanwhile , Bennett became increasingly co

ncerned that he did not have complete control of Rostenkowski 's defense and wor

ried that the Congressman 's longtime friends had too much influence over him , 

particularily decisions about how the case should be litigated , sources said . 

The same sources noted that the silence from Rostenkowski 's camp following Hold

er 's blistering press conference Tuesday spoke volumes . There was no press con

ference to raise doubts or suggest weaknesses in the federal government 's case 

against Rostekowski , a decision that was said to have infuriated Bennett . The 

sources said that unless the two strong-willed men meet and resolve their differ

ences , Bennett 's departure is imminent and Rostenkowski would hire his fourth 

chief counsel on the case . The tensions , said one source , are rooted in the f

act that Rostenkowski finds himself in the unfamiliar situation of not being abl

e to be in control . Sources said that if Bennett leaves , the decision will be 

mutual . Rostenkowski , completing his 36th year in Congress , has been charged 

with embezzling funds , tampering with a witness and using taxpayer money to enr

ich himself , his family and friends . He is accused of receiving cash for posta

ge stamps purchased in the House Post Office . Rostenkowski , who has been repla

ced as Ways and Means chairman by Rep. Sam Gibbons , D-Fla. , has denied all the

 charges and vowed to fight them in court . Sources knowledgeable about the prob

e say the FBI is completing its investigation into the House Post Office , focus

ing on '' two to three '' former members of Congress . The sources , who decline

d to name the former members , said it was unclear whether those investigations 

would lead to a grand jury indictment .

 SEATTLE The highest ranking military officer ever to challenge the armed forces

 over sexual orientation was ordered reinstated Wednesday in a ruling so broad a

s to cast doubt on the Clinton administration 's new `` don't ask , don't tell '

' policy for gays and lesbians . Army nurse Col. Margarethe Cammermeyer , a Viet

nam veteran and Bronze Star recipient , won at least the first step in her case 

to resume her 26-year military career . And in so ordering , federal District Ju

dge Thomas Zilly held that the military could not discriminate against gays just

 because of society 's prejudices . `` Mere negative attitudes , or fear , are c

onstitutionally impermissible bases for discriminatory governmental policies , '

' Zilly wrote in his 51-page ruling . `` Prejudice , whether founded on unsubsta

ntiated fears , cultural myths , stereotypes or erroneous assumptions , cannot b

e the basis for a discriminatory classification . '' Under long-standing but now

 revised rules of military service , Cammermeyer had been forced out of the mili

tary in 1992 after she was asked about her sexual orientation and replied that s

he was a lesbian . The question arose while she was being interviewed for a secu

rity clearance . At the time , her distinguished service in the Army and the Nat

ional Guard won her a great many sympathizers , including the governor of Washin

gton and the chief nurse of the Army , who described Cammermeyer as a `` great A

merican . '' Even in discharging her , the military rated her as qualified to le

ad the Army nurse corps and to represent her profession `` anywhere in the world

 . '' Since Cammermeyer 's discharge , the military has changed its rules regard

ing sexual orientation . The current policy of the Clinton administration is not

 to ask uniformed personnel about sexual orientation but to continue to forbid h

omosexual behavior by men and women in the military . Attorneys who represent ga

ys and lesbians said Zilly 's ruling was significant not only because of Cammerm

eyer 's high rank and long service , but because it was so sweeping and fundamen

tal as to invite a challenge to any type of military discrimination against gays

 . `` This is a terrific ruling . It 's very strong , '' said Mary Newbombe , wh

o worked on Cammermeyer 's case as cooperative council for the gay rights Lambda

 Legal Defense and Education Fund . `` The rational that Zilly used , the eviden

ce that he considered , would apply equally to the ` don't ask , don't tell ' po

licy , '' she said . So far , there have been no court rulings on Clinton 's mil

itary policy toward gays , although a federal judge in April issued a temporary 

injunction forbidding the discharge of six members of the armed forces who filed

 suit against it . Cammermeyer , 52 , the mother of four , now works at the Vete

rans Administration hospital at American Lake , near Tacoma , Wash. . She descri

bed herself Wednesday as `` absolutely ecstatic . I feel like a kid. .. . The fi

rst thing I did was holler so everybody at the hospital knew what was going on .

 '' `` It seems like a vindication of all the struggles so many of us have had .

 I can't say that I 'm speechless I can't afford to be . It 's just very excitin

g . '' Her attorneys said they hoped Cammermeyer might instantly be reinstated w

ith the state National Guard . But in the two previous 9th Circuit cases includi

ng that of sailor Keith Meinhold , who won a lower-court ruling saying the milit

ary 's exclusion of homosexuals was unconstitutional the Pentagon has appealed a

nd very well may in this one , too .

 Dis By Marc Lacey and Jim Newton ( c ) 1994 , Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES Hol

ding onto a critical bargaining chip the World Cup games the union for disgruntl

ed Los Angeles police officers Wednesday rejected Mayor Richard Riordan 's propo

sal to bring in an outside mediator to help settle their labor dispute . The uni

on 's action was a gamble . It prompted the city to immediately declare an impas

se , which ultimately could allow the city to impose the contract it wants . But

 union leaders needed to take the chance in order to stay in step with their mem

bership an increasingly militant crew that has already ousted one team of negoti

ators it viewed as not tough enough . A job action during the upcoming soccer to

urnament is unlikely to paralyze the massive security effort : The Los Angeles P

olice Department can easily force its officers to work during the World Cup by d

eclaring a tactical alert . But staging something similar to the Blue Flu II sic

kout which ended Wednesday would cost the city millions of dollars in overtime c

osts . And officers could still embarrass the city by publicizing their cause wh

ile Los Angeles is in the world 's eye , union officials said . `` You 're going

 to have the world 's media here and a whole lot of disgruntled cops , '' said u

nion spokesman Geoffrey Garfield . `` If any incident breaks out we can say , ` 

We told you so public safety is important . ' That will make our argument for us

 . '' Already , the union 's order that members refuse voluntary overtime during

 the World Cup games has stirred some concern among neighboring law enforcement 

agencies who have spent more than a year working with Los Angeles police to lay 

plans for the tournament , which begins June 17 . `` They have some very importa

nt policing functions to perform , '' said Capt. Dan Burt , a spokesman for the 

Los Angeles County Sheriff 's Department . `` This is going to be a monumental u

ndertaking . '' Officers ended their three-day blu flu Wednesday morning , when 

226 out of 458 officers on the morning watch called in sick . But they continued

 their campaign for a raise by protesting en masse at an evening speech delivere

d by Riordan . Hundreds of officers were there handing out fliers asking for the

 public 's help . To counter the city 's suggestion that a non-binding mediator 

be appointed , the union insisted on binding arbitration . The city rejected tha

t . The resulting stalemate prompted the city to declare an impasse , an action 

that may ultimately give the city the authority to impose a contract on its own 

. ( Optional add end ) As the league has tangled with the city in the current co

ntract talks , it has veered back and forth between confrontation and conciliati

on partly in an attempt to stay close to what league leaders believe the members

hip wants . Officers have shown that they are so frustrated that they will act e

ven without the union , said union president Danny Stagg . There was widespread 

participation in this week 's unauthorized blue flu . Earlier , officers overwhe

lmingly rejected a contract proposal that the union leadership brokered with the

 city . That deal called for 6 percent over the next two years . Among other thi

ngs , officers have insisted on retroactive pay for the two years that officers 

have worked without a contract .

 ` Barney 's '' producers at the Lyons Group have agreed on terms for a third PB

S season for the purple one . The new contract calls for 20 half-hour episodes o

f the popular preschool program as well as two one-hour specials . In addition ,

 PBS will undertake its first publishing venture with a `` Barney '' book , subj

ect and audience to be determined , according to Kathy Quattrone , vice presiden

t of programming at the network . Quattrone said the Lyons Group has guaranteed 

that PBS will recoup its investment , which for the new season will amount to $ 

1.7 million . That revenue will come from the sale of videotapes , audio tapes a

nd international rights to the program . The network will see no revenue from an

y of the merchandising spinoffs that have a more tangential relationship to the 

PBS program , such as toys and stuffed animals . `` They make the case , quite a

ppropriately , '' says Quattrone , `` that Barney had a life before PBS . '' She

 said the network continues to be very happy with `` Barney 's '' ratings and th

e attention it has drawn to all the network 's preschool programming .

 WASHINGTON Federal regulators are reviewing their approval of one of the bigges

t TV station deals in history , K. Rupert Murdoch 's 1985 acquisition of six big

-city television stations . With new information about the nine-year-old purchas

e emerging in the past week , the government is investigating whether the purcha

se of the stations violated federal laws prohibiting foreign ownership of U.S. b