'
Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Friday
October 24, 1980
By NA
Bat
Car advert
)U y a car
ileage.
Stal
Slouch
By Jim Earle
“In the future, you should be a little more careful about what you cut
for the bonfires. ”
Why Ivan no longer
needs the hostages
By WILLIAM O. BEEMAN
Pacific News Service
Last week’s wild rumors and headlines about
a “deal in the works” to exchange U. S. hostages
for U.S. military aid to Iran underscore how
sensitive the hostage issue remains as it
approaches its one-year anniversary on Elec
tion Day.
But the rumors proved groundless, and this
fact should also underscore something — as
former Iranian UN representative Mansour
Farhang has said, “the Ayatollah does’t make
deals.”
Still, jhe visit of an Iranian prime minister to
the United Nations is one more indication
verifying what experts have sensed for, several
weeks — that important shifts are taking place
within the Iranian internal power structure,
and these shifts represent important steps to
ward an eventual release of the hostages.
In order to understand these shifts’ Ameri
cans must remind themselves of several basic
points about the hostage crisis and its role in
Iranian internal politics.
First, the hostages have been used to solidify
the Iranian population by keeping the symbolic
spectre of an outside “enemy of the revolution”
alive.
Secondly, the keeping of the hostages has
been used by a number of political figures with
in Iran to bolster and advance their own power.
Finally, the identification of the hostages as
“spies” has been used by both leftist and rightist
Iranian political leaders to prevent moderate
polititions from forging any rapprochement
with the United States.
All of this means that the release of the hos
tages is going to be an extrememly difficult
internal political operation. Heads will roll in
Iran when the hostages are no longer a factor in
the politial calculus.
Iranian leaders now no longer doubt that the
presence of the hostages in Iran is a political
liability. Western trade sanctions in the wake of
the hostage taking have had a devastating effect
on the Iranian economy, and have resulted in a
serious depletion of oil production. More im
portantly, Iranian leaders were genuinely
shocked by the degree of their international
isolation when no nation came forth to condemn
Iraq’s incursion into Iranian territory at the be
ginning of the present conflict.
But the current shifts in Iranian positions
actually began weeks ago, before the conflict
with Iraq.
In issuing to parliament a set of guidelines
necessary for release of the hostages, the
Ayatollah significantly omitted a specific call for
an American apology — reflecting a realization
that this point had become an insurmountable
fetish for President Carter and many Ameri
cans.
Although various Iranian politicians tried to
place their “signature” on the conditions by
interpreting or reformulating Khomeini’s state
ment, indications are that the final list of de
mands likely will conform fairly closely to
Khomeini’s original statement. Declarations
Warped
Americans growing more
impatient about hostages
President Jimmy Carter has dealt the nation
al conscience another blow.
He tried very hard to leave the hostage issue
out of the campaign, but after last weekend it
has become a point of discussion between the
two major presidential candidates.
It was not enough for Carter to remain rela
tively inactive after the hostages were captured
— now he has the guts to offer the Iranians
money if they will release them.
It is almost Election Day, and I wonder if
voters will see Carter’s offer to the Iranians as a
solution consistent with their own desires.
The President seems oblivious to those
Americans who would like to go “over there and
show them what it means to take an American
hostage.”
The consequences of military intervention in
Iran are unclear, but people are getting more
and more impatient. Even beer and country
music can’t drown completely the occasional
upwelling of a call to “nuke ’em,” and similar
impotent demands of young and old alike.
Seldom have Americans conserved anger
Wortwechsel
on Carter’s generous offer to Iran’s Piii
Minister Mohammad Ali Raja that he
Iran’s assets and resume military parts
IpA-estimatt
Jjave beconu
Jaces.
The Envii
Agency is res]
grs, but the
tive, says I
igineer at tr
istitute.
These nui
gallon) a
mditions g<
curate foi
ins> ” Tond:
Tonda am
Ihich is a p
ments to the Moslem country, if the AmeritJj n j vers jty S'
By Uschi Michel-Howell
over such a long period of time. Some of my
conservative friends called for a nuclear attack
from the beginning, while others simply said
“something had to be done.” Now, after almost
one year of captivity, I can hear the moderates
say that “they should give me a machine gun
and I’ll show them.”
Carter, it seems, will not give Americans
their pride back. Defying the possibility of de
feat, he deals with Iran in terms that only he
and his staff understand.
“Carter will sell us down the river,” some
body said to me recently, after reading the news
are released.
The president hasn’t learned som
namely that the Iranian mentality is
predict and not receptive to Western ]
Raja, who addressed the United Nationse
ly this week, must have felt very satisfiedwlj
he received what he called an “Americanao;
by the EPA
ures currei
Mileage and
i be found
live of actu;
“One of tb
s accuracy f
gy” on past American involvement in ^ said^
I wonder how many Americans thoughtj
same thing about Carter’s offer.
Raja and Carter got what they asked for.]|
Iranian got the satisfaction that his countr
clout in the hostage issue, and Carter recehi
another slap in the face (an offer like
S; ‘50,0(
asking for it) by Raja’s refusal to makeaposit
statement toward Carter’s offer.
Election Day is fast approaching, andvoti
will go to the polls deciding who will 1
nation for the next four years.
Have you made up your mind yet?
FOR THE
Boycott up
U.S. OLYMPIC
NeXT PE3ATE,
To THE M,
TEAM TO
IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE
PRESIDENT CARTER HAS
SERVE IN HIS PLACE.
THE MOSCOW
ASKED THE
made in recent weeks by prominent political
figures, including Ayatollah Khomeini, who led
the original invasion of the embassy. Ayatollah
Hasham Rafsanjani, the speaker of the Iranian
parliament, and Prime Minister Rajai, himself,
reinforced the authoritativeness for Khomeini’s
original guidelines.
This can only be interpreted as an improved
climate. American State Department person
nel have wisely encouraged the thaw by issuing
positive reinforcement to the Iranian initia
tives. Secretary of State Edmund Muskie’s
address to the UN General Assembly — para
doxically on the day of the start of the Iran-Iraq
war-—specifically acknowledged the legitima
cy of Iran’s revolution ,ajid stated clearly 4hat
there was no obstacle to giving Iran’s grievances
a fair hearing in the United States. Similar
statements by Deputy Secretary Warren
Christopher and Assistant Secretary David
Newsome have been duly noted in Tehran.
The climate is now right for the release of the
hostages from Iran’s point of view. Iraq is a
greater and more immediate outside enemy for
Iran and has already taken the place of the
United States as a stimulus of revolutionary
fervor. As a political galvanizing force, the con
frontation with Iraq is without parallel and has
inspired Iranians to acts of bravery in resistance
that dwarf the accomplishments of the original
revolution against the Shah. Paradoxically it is
the hostages who now pose an obstacle to Iran’s
fighting this more present threat by standing
between .Iran and U.S. military aid.
Also, the political leaders who have gained
by the keeping of the hostages are now being
eclipsed by Iranian President Bani Sadr and his
coterie of supporters as the war proceeds.
As the hostages are perceived as an obstacle
to the successful conduct of the conflict against
Irag by the Iranian public, the hardliners’ oppo
sition to the hostage release will be entirely
undercut.
One additional sign of the weakening of
hardliners was Prime Minister Rajai’s visit to
the U.N. Given Iran’s condemnation of the
U.N. as an imperialist tool at the start of the
hostage crisis, it is significant that their highest
legislative official would now come to address
the Security Council. This is one way that Iran
could announce that they were now willing to
grant the Security Council and the U.N. a
legitimacy that they had previously denied.
No matter that Rajai himself seemed an un
sophisticated representative for his govern
ment. His title was literally all that mattered.
Much is still uncertain about the chances for
an eventual rapprochement between the U.S.
and Iran, but there is no doubt that both coun
tries are now responding to each other after a
long hiatus. This in itself is hopeful.
Both sides are painfully learning to com
municate with each other — a process which
takes a long time even under ideal conditions.
The fact that Iran continues to move on the
issue even as it is conducting a debilitating war
should be signal enough to Washington to bear
with the situation a little longer.
By I
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One aim
It’s your turn
Readev la uds Bn ttnlion sports coverage
Editor:
Unlike the majority of letters printed in this
column, I would like to commend something at
A&M. I would like to compliment The Batta
lion and in particular the sports department.
Having read other school newspapers’ sports
sections that only criticize their opponents, or
which sound like a rah-rah pamphlet to induce
contributions from alumni, I am pleased the
Batt doesn’t conform to these practices. Being a
true sports lover, I find the information in the
sports to be very accurate — from the women’s
volleyball team to our “football” team. I enjoy
reading the criticism of those who are responsi
ble for poor results as well as praise for those
who do well. So thanks, Batt, keep up the good
job!
Chris J. Carrie ’82
point of view, thereby taking no stance as to
morality. I think he did the right thing. Mr.
Mallin also fielded a few tough questions con
cerned with whether there exists “good” or
“bad” terrorists. Let’s face it, all terrorists de
serve to be shot. Yes, they are all insane people
with little regard for anyone’s life. I just don’t
see how you can characterize bombing, threats,
or kidnapping as good bull. Control of terrorism
should be exercised with all strength and re
gardless of cost. There is no easy answer, but
this shit cannot be tolerated in the U.S.A.
John R. Boeye ’82
give way to conservative values. We needfe* |
government regulations, less governmenti
terference in our personal lives and fe»?
taxes. But remember, this can only be accot
plished by electing conservatives to Congres
the Senate, as governors, and in state legisli
tures. So get out and exercise your vote!
patriotic Americans on November 4.
Richard Leonardon S
Correction
i
Thanks, Great Issues
Editor:
I would like to thank the staff of Great Issues
for its recent presentation of Jay Mallin. I had
never attended these presentations before, but
this program was interesting and I am looking
forward to seeing more of them in the future. I
also encourage the format which allows ques
tions from the audience.
It’s frightening that terrorism has to be
accepted as an integral part of our lives. Mr.
Mallin presented terrorism from an objective
Reagan endorsed
Editor:
With the election less than two weeks away, I
feel it is time to elect a conservative to the
White House, Ronald Reagan. The events of
the last twenty years of liberal leadership must
A page 1 story in Thursday’s Battalion inco
rectly stated that Board of Regents Chain
Clyde Wells served as an assistant to fon
Texas A&M President Jack Williams. Thestoj
should have said that Kent Caperton, Dent
cratic state senate candidate, served as
liams’ assistant.
The Battalion regrets the error.
By Scott McCuliar
WELL, THEVTE
m TESTS ARE
I WON'T E-VE/V
OVER, AT LAST
OVER, AA/p
GUESS Hou/
/AY WHOLE LIFE FOR
0. WEEKS HAS BEEN
OS PASSING THESE
THE PAST
FOCVSEP
TESTS
BUT... LIFE
CON) FORT
TO CO/AE
OF
GOES ON, THE
SIGHT CONTINUES
AND BIRDS
ANP /VOW THAT THEY'RE
OVER I DON'T EVEN K/VOW
WHAT TO FEE-L . .
v
shut Up you
birds!
A-
Jeim
The Battalion
U S P S 045 360
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