Informed Sources

Andrew Young and the Dictator

Washington -- Former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young was recently invited to Zaire by military dictator Mobutu Sese Seko for a secret meeting that focused partly on ending that country's estrangement from the U.S. The two discussed the ! possibility of using the good offices of the Carter Center in Atlanta to supervise elections in the central African country later this year. Young's visit was made with the knowledge of the U.S. State Department, and after Young returned to Washington, he delivered a letter from Mobutu to President Clinton.

The Israeli Army Spruces Up for the P.L.O.

Jerusalem -- At Israeli army headquarters in the Gaza Strip, workers are painting walls and fixing things up. It's not because they plan to stay -- they're making repairs for the P.L.O. to take over after they leave, which could happen soon. To show goodwill, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin ordered troops to turn over facilities in pristine condition.

Is Mitchell's Next Stop the Supreme Court?

Washington -- It has been widely speculated that retiring Senate majority leader George Mitchell would like a Supreme Court seat, and insiders say the White House is now actively exploring that prospect. A source close to Mitchell says that Chief Justice would be his ideal job: "It's very hard to be driving consensus in the Senate, and then find yourself sitting second fiddle on the court."