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Viewpoint The Battalion • Texas A&M University Tuesday • June 19, 1979 Khomeini: just another shah In February of 1979 the people of Iran staged a revolution and ousted the shah. Their new ruler is the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a man who vowed to set up a Islamic republic in that country. After four months in power, it looks like the Iranian people have not done any bet ter with their new head of state. The secret revolutionary court of the new government has ordered assassins to Mexico to kill the shah. The assassins also have orders to kill the shah’s wife and mother, saying that during the last days of the revolution the shah was not capable of giving orders, so his wife and mother ordered the execution of dis sidents. The shah’s wife has an out, though. If she kills the shah, her death sentence will be commuted. It is hard to believe the government of a country could publicly order hired killers into another country to assassinate some one. Khomeini would probably get upset if Mexico ordered assassins into his country to kill a guest there. Sheik Sadeq Khalkhali, head of the rev olutionary court, said the whereabouts of former Iranian Prime Minister Shahpour Bakhtiar is known, and he will be executed in good time. Bakhtiar was the last government official appointed by the shah. He was also an old friend of Khomeini’s. The shah and Bakhtiar are fortunate, however. They are not dead yet. Since Khomeini has come to power 300 Iranians have died at the hands of a secret revolutionary court. One reason the Iranians rebelled against the shah was because of his secret police, SAVAK. It imprisoned and executed hun dreds of people opposed to the shah. Now the revolutionary court of Khomeini is doing the same. The prime movers in the revolution to oust the shah were the new middle class in Iran. These people made their money, mainly in oil, by dealing with the west. They adopted western customs, western dress and learned to enjoy what their western money could buy. This new mid dle class was opposed to the shah because they felt he was restricting their ability to make money because of the unfair compe tition from his many industrial holdings. Western customs are opposed to Kho meini’s Islamic teachings. The new middle class is having to give up its western cus toms, its western dress and its western money. Iranian students in America had to fear imprisonment from the shah when return ing to their country for being enemies of the shah. Now they face imprisonment for being socialists or communists; enemies of the Islamic republic. All in all it would seem the Iranians have traded one despot for another, but four months is a short time. The Iranians should hope Khomeini stops his blood bath soon. If he does not, revolutionaries will probably stir in Iran again. —KEITH TAYLOR Friends warn that time is running out Kennedy’s coyness exhausting Democrats By DAVID BRODER WASHINGTON — If you want to know how nervous the people in Jimmy Carter’s camp are about the 1980 political plans of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), con sider this small but revealing incident. Photostatic copies of a note from Kennedy to Carter, inviting the President to speak at the Oct. 190 dedication of the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, were being passed around the White House. The invitation (which Carter has neither accepted nor declined) was being pres ented to nervous Carterites as evidence that Kennedy really is not as hostile to their boss as press and public speculation would suggest. If Kennedy intends to run against the President, the insiders told each other, he certainly would not invite him to speak in late October at an event of such importance to the Kennedy family and its devoted followers. Well, would he? Perhaps not. But the custom of inviting the incumbent Presi dent to dedicate the repository of a pre decessor’s papers is so well established that Lyndon B. Johnson asked Richard M. Nixon to do the honors at the LBJ Library in Austin — a thought that may chill any reassurance Carter’s people derive from the Kennedy letter. But it is not just the workers in the White House who are increasingly anxious to know what Kennedy will do next year. Their nervousness may give Kennedy a certain private pleasure. What cannot please him, however, is the growing impa tience and aggravation of heavy-weight political pros, who are frustated by the senator’s coyness in answering their ques tions about his intentions. These are poeple with long-term influ ence in the Democratic Party who have been close to Kennedy and his family for years. They share his outlook on major is sues and look forward to the time that he might be President. Most of them would enlist willingly if Kennedy announced his candidacy tomor row. But if Kennedy stays out, they would be for Carter against California Gov. Jerry Brown and against anyone the Republi cans nominate for President. What vexes them greatly — as they have begun to tell Kennedy — is his un willingness to go beyond his ritualistic statement that he “expects” Carter to be nominated and “expects” to support him. They do not understand Kennedy’s refusal to take effective action to halt the unau thorized “draft-Kennedy” movements bubbling up around the country. To these pros, it is unthinkable that Kennedy would actually run for President under the auspices of the mavericks who are now doing the organizing on his be half. But they have been looking in vain for a clear signal from Kennedy, either tel ling them to get in and run these efforts themselves or to join Carter in combating them. Douglas Fraser, the president of the United Auto Workers, in a statement de signed to prod Kennedy into a decision, told interviewers in Detroit he would have no part in a draft-Kennedy movement un less and until Kennedy makes his plans clear. Alexander Barkan, the director of the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Educa tion, has told friends he is ready to halt his regular visits with Kennedy because “I can’t get the answer I need.” These are important allies — for 1980 or 1984 — Kennedy can toy with only up to a point. Some of his friends think he has aready trespassed on their tolerance of his coyness. A nationally prominent Democrat from Massachussetts, after checking with other long-time Kennedy lieutenants and find ing that none of them had been signaled whether Kennedy wanted them to “stay loose” or not, paid a call recently on the senator. As he tells the story, he used the blunt language appropriate to old friends in warning Kennedy that he was running out of time for cute tactics. “People who have been with your family for years are taking you at your word,” he told the senator, “while a lot of guys who have no such claim on your loyalty are going ahead like you’be given them the wink to get things started. If you turn around and run, you’re going to make bleep-bleeps out of people who don’t deserve that treatment from you.” Kennedy’s only reply, the man says, was to reiterate what he has said publicly about intending to support Carter. But in the very next breath, Kennedy reportedly asked his visitor: “Are you sure Carter’s going to run? Do you think he can win?” That kind of coyness is beginning to exhaust the patience of Democrats outside the White House as much as it worries the Carter circle. (c) 1979, The Washington Post Company IRS may play Godfather to collect ovedue debts By DICK WEST United Press International WASHINGTON — The persistence of bill collectors pitted against the obstinance of deadbeats is the closest thing in nature to an irresistible force meeting an immov able body. In the government, however, it’s a mismatch. As a debt collector. Uncle Sam has been badly outdone by the debtors. Let us re capitulate. Last month, using all of their fingers and most of their toes. Treasury accountants calculated the national debt at $805.66 bil lion. Which proves that Uncle Sam has no peer as a borrower. He is no slouch as a lender either. Offsetting a portion of the $805 billion the government owes the people is $140 bil lion people owe the government. This means that if Uncle Sam were si multaneously to pay off his debts and col lect what he has coming, he would be only $665 billion in the hole. But before you break out in anthems and gladsome hallooing, be advised it isn’t likely to happen. The record, as developed by a Senate appropriations subcommittee, indicates that even if Uncle Sam could scrape up the $805 billion he owes, he would fail to ex tract anywhere near the $140 billion owed to him. In fiscal 1978, the last period for which such figures are available, the government wrote off $3.5 billion in bad debts. For the most part, defaulters were not your basic widows and orphans who would have lost the farm had Uncle Sam foreclosed. According to Sen. James Sasser, D-Tenn., who recently complained in the Congressional Record about the “simply awful job” of debt collection, many of those who defaulted were “prosperous and affluent individuals who could well afford to pay.” Some of the debts deemed uncollecta ble were owed by “persons who had suffi cient credit to secure mortgages on vaca tion sites or second homes,” he said. If Sasser has his way, the advantage may soon shift the other way. He has prepared a Senate resolution proposing that the Internal Revenue Serv ice lend other agencies a hand in squeez ing deadbeats. Calling on the IRS for assistance in debt collection is roughly equivalent to getting help from the Godfather. Its flint-hearted extraction techniques have been duly cel ebrated in song and story. Under Sasser’s plan, tax returns qualify ing for rebates would be checked against delinquent loans and accounts. No remit tance, no refund. Sasser said this pitiless process would keep deadbeats from “making a monkey out of the American taxpayer.” Letters to the Editor Editor: As one who takes things in stride, I am to the point now where I feel I must express my opinions concerning the profes sionalism of the Battalion staff. For the last three years, I have sat back and watched Battalion after Battalion contain articles concerning the Corps of Cadets that have been misconstrued and biased. Each time I have overlooked the articles as a learning experience for yet unknowl- edgeable reporters that are still having trouble interpreting the responses of their subjects and data without subjectivity. However, I cannot sit back and overlook Maybe so, but to the more compassion ate or squeamish citizens, it might seem excessively harsh. Cornering a deadbeat in a dark alley and breaking his fingers is one thing; garnishe- eing the poor devil’s tax rebate is quite something else. idle comments by your staff that reflect blatant disrespect for the Corps of Cadets, i.e. your article “Wake up! We have a con test,” in which your staff implied that one way to pass the time away is “To figure out a use for C.T.s.” If your staff has to rely on suggestive comments aimed at a part of the student body to get laughs, maybe you should con sider my comment also aimed at a part of the student body: “Let’s figure out uses for The Battalion.” Heck, I can think of a number myself. It would be grgat to: 1) put in the bottom of a kitty litter box, 2) wash windows, and perhaps most importantly, 3) teach high school journalism students how to write with subjectivity. Get the message. If I should desire to read your paper in the future, I would like to be able to do so without your biased comments toward this institution or any part of it. —Michael Formby Corps Scholastic Officer Corps Staff No temporaries Editor: I object to the insistence of certain offices on campus who refuse to hire applicants in need of summer employment on the basis that the offices are seeking permanent employees. I have repeatedly telephoned the per sonnel office after completing an applica tion and aptitude test and have discovered that a Clerk I position for which I qualify — except for the permanent employee cri terion — has been vacant for some time. I am certain that I can be a competent employee if given the chance. I believe that I can do something other shoveling fast food and that there are others who feel the same. —Paul Ortega Corps uses for the Batt STATE Jury selected in Henley trial District Judge Noah O. Kennedy convened his 148th District haulin Court in Corpus Christi briefly Monday to announce selection ofi fexas jury to try Elmer Wayne Henley a second time for his part in tin I anima 1973 Houston mass murders case. Final selection of the jurors wasJ metho finalized Monday by Harris County District Attorney Carol Vanctl Dr. and defense attorney Will Gray striking 22 names from a list whittled; fessor down to 34 qualified jurors out of 106 questioned individually overaIticipat two week period. Kennedy said court officials would begin notifying the selected jurors Monday afternoon to arrive at 9 a.m. Tuesdayfoi swearing-in, then they would be immediately secjuestered at a local hotel while he conducts a pre-trial hearing on motions. The jud| said the jurors would be locked up for the duration of the trial expected to take up to three weeks. ral E earch tie bac ® ec Transr livesto unload for five NATION FBI agent confirms sabotage An FBI special agent in Richmond, Va. has confirmed a report that two Virginia men admitted sabotaging stored fuel at Virginia Electric and Power Co.’s Surry nuclear power plant. The two men told another FBI agent that they poured sodium hydroxide on uranium fuel elements at the plant April 27, a Richmond agent said Sunday William E. Kuykendall of Newport News, Va., a former employeeat the Surry plant, told the Newport News Daily Press that he and James Merrill Jr. of Hampton were responsible for the damage, esti mated by Vepco to be about $1 million. Uniroyal announces settlement The United Rubber Workers Monday announced a contract set tlement with Uniroyal Co. in Akron,Ohio where 8,500 workers have been on strike since May 9. A URW spokeswoman would give no details of the proposed three-year Uniroyal pact, but said it did ex ceed an agreement reached Friday with B.F. Goodrich. The old contract for the 55,000 URW members expired April 21, but rubber workers continued on the job at three of the Big Four rubber pro ducers. Uniroyal’s 8,500 URW employees, however, walked off their jobs after the company refused to violate President Carter’s 7 percent limit for yearly wage-benefit increases. Boilermakers agree to contract Construction boilermakers in four states, including Texas, will re ceive a $1.95 an hour pay raise during the next 12 months undera contract that prevented a strike threatened for Monday. Negotiations were concluded in a lengthy bargaining session Friday and Saturday in Houston, said A.E. Vincent, business manager for Local 79 whicli includes the western half of Louisiana. The agreement covers con struction boilermakers in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma employed by companies belonging to the South Central Employers Group. HAI Canadi SO-year pe At dinghy was foi r Can. said Pa from h miles s the Ca] But ; was far Kern to row smalles voyage ofi sche Parsi after ai WORLD Second new settlement started On the West Bank, a bulldozer roared through an olive grove ad corn patch Monday to cut a road to the second Israeli settlement established in that occupied territory this month. The settlement Karnei Shomron Bet, is situated about 10 miles east of the so-calM green line that separates the West Bank of the Jordan from Israa proper. The new move came after Israeli troops fired tear gas and shots into the air to disperse West Bank Arabs protesting establisbf ment of another Jewish settlement on expropriated Arab land near? their town of Nablus. But unlike the controversial settlement of Elonj Moreh set up two weeks ago, the new outpost is planned for an area! said to be owned by the government. Israeli planes strike guerrillas Israeli warplanes hit Palestinian guerrilla bases in southern Lei non Monday in the second such strike in 10 days, the Tel Aviv tary command reported. The announcement said the airstrike camfl at 7 p.m. (noon EDT) and “all planes returned safely. It gavenol further details. The military command last reported an airstrike June 8 on Palestinian guerrilla concentrations north of the Isn frontier town of Metullah. Plans to kill Shah not a bluff The self-proclaimed president of Iran’s revolutionary court saidW plans to execute the exiled shah are “not a bluff and a group of thret “hit men” were in Mexico Monday to try to carry out his order. Shei Sadeq Khalkhali said in an interview in Qom Sunday the three as® 1 sins were members of the Fedayeen-e Islam guerrilla organization' which, he said, the shah tried to crush during his rule. The organic tion’s revival was announced recently, with Khalkhali as its president Khalkhali described the Fedayeen-e Islam as a group of pious» devoted men in the service of our faith, though he refused to answiy further queries about the mission. J The Battalion LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the address of the writer and list a telephone number for verification. Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor, The Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843. Represented nationally by National Educational Adver tising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday from September through May except during exam and holiday periods and the summer, when it is published on Tuesday through Thursday. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per school year; $35.00 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas j United Press International is entitled e use for reproduction of all news dispatche$fl| Rights of reproduction of all other matter hell Second-Class postage paid at College Statk MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress 1 Editor KatfS News Editor Debbil^ Sports Editor Sdf City Editor Me! Campus Editor ..KM Staff Writers Robin 111 Louie Arthur, Carolyn Blossef,? Boggan Photo Editor CMJ Photographer L\wp Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or of the writer of the article and are not necessarily those of the University administration or the Board of Regents. The Battalion is a notif supporting enterprise operated tt/t as a university and community Editorial policy is determinedb\jU^