Information on International Town Meeting

INFORMATION ON INTERNATIONAL TOWN MEETING, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 18 

COLUMBUS -- On Wednesday (2/18) afternoon, St. John Arena on 
The Ohio State University campus will be the site of a live 
discussion between President Clinton's foreign policy team and 
the American people on the situation in Iraq.  Secretary of State 
Madeleine K. Albright, Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen and 
National Security Advisor Samuel L. "Sandy" Berger will take 
questions from the audience as well as from phone callers during 
a 90-minute CNN program, "Showdown with Iraq: An International 
Town Meeting," aired live by CNN/U.S. and CNN/International.  The 
discussion will be moderated by CNN anchors Bernard Shaw and Judy 
Woodruff.

Tickets
The arena set-up will permit about 5,000 persons to be part 
of the on-site audience.  Ohio State students, faculty and staff 
members and other interested members of the central Ohio 
community may pick up tickets for admission at two locations on 
campus after 3 p.m. on Tuesday.  These tickets will be available,
at no cost, on a first-come, first-served basis, at the Ohio 
Union newsstand, 1739 N. High St., and the front desk of the 
Fawcett Center, 2400 Olentangy River Road.  Tickets will be 
required for admission.

Schedule
The arena will open for seating at 11 a.m.  All guests will 
be required to pass through metal detectors, and no cameras, 
signs, banners or umbrellas will be permitted in the building.  
Also, all bags and purses will be searched, so guests are 
encouraged not to bring these in order to speed up the entry 
process.

Parking
The St. John Arena lots will be cleared for media and 
special guest parking.  The spaces for public parking will be 
very limited, so attendees are strongly urged to come by COTA
bus or to park in the university's West Campus lots off Carmack
Road.  Free shuttle bus service will be available from the West 
Campus lots.

Media Arrangements
CNN has exclusive broadcast rights but will provide a full 
feed to Columbus TV stations.  Details will be provided Tuesday.

There will be a media filing center in French Field House, 
adjacent to St. John Arena on the west.  Credentialing will be 
done on site here on Wednesday, beginning at 11 a.m. at the 
French Field House entrance on Woody Hayes Drive.  Reporters and 
photographers wishing to enter the arena must check in here to 
receive their badges for entry.

Still photographers will have one photo opportunity at the 
town meeting site -- between 1:30 and 1:45 p.m.  All 
photographers wishing to take part must be at the filing center 
no later than 12:45 p.m. for a security check and escort to the 
arena.  Secretary Albright, Secretary Cohen, and Mr. Berger will 
be on stage during the photo op, participating in final 
preparations for the broadcast.  STILL PHOTOGRAPHY ONLY; SORRY, 
NO VIDEO.

Other media opportunities
There will be photo ops for still and video photographers at 
the airport arrival and departure.  More information to come 
Tuesday. 

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Contact: University Communications, (614) 292-2711