Page 6/The Battalion/Monday, November 28,1983
Rumors surround Andropov
United Press International
MOSCOW — For 100 days,
the Soviet Union has had no visi
ble leader to guide it through
rnses over nuclear missiles and
the shooting down of a Korean
airliner, and yet it has felt disin
clined to explain the public abs-
ence of President Yuri
Andropov.
Andropov, 69, remains presi-
dent. Communist Party general
secretary and commander-in
chief of the military — titles that
make him by far the most power
ful man in the Soviet Union.
But the mystery surrounding
his prolonged absence since
Aug. 23 has plunged foreign di
plomats, Kremlin watchers and
Soviet citizens into a guessing
game fed by shadowy rumors on
the true state of Andropov’s
health and authority.
Officially, Andropov, 69, has
a cold. He said so himself in a
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letter released by the Soviet
news agency Tass on Oct. 29.
No ranking Soviet official will
comment on Andropov’s health
and by outward appearances,
absolutely nothing unusual has
happened or is occurring inside
the Kremlin or, indeed, any
where in the capital.
Concern over the Andropov
mystery has been made more
acute by the fact that East-West
relations have plunged to their
lowest point since the shooting
down of a Korean airliner over
Soviet airspace Sept. 1 and the
U.S. missile deployment plan
for Europe.
A senior Western diplomat
said that despite the lengthening
absence, “there is no solid infor
mation” available about the true
state of Andropov’s health.
wounded
attempt.
in an assassination
“We don’t even know if he’s
out of town,” the diplomat said.
He is said to be recovering in a
hospital in Moscow, in a sanitor-
ium outside the city or not con
fined to bed at all.
“Our main source of informa
tion (on Andropov) is rumors,”
said a spokesman for a West
European embassy.
Some Western academicians
have said Andropov is through
and the battle to succeed him is
underway. They may be right,
but they cannot be certain.
By various unconfirmed
accounts, Andropov suffers
from kidney failure, complica
tions from diabetes, a severe
case of the flu and the aftermath
of gall bladder surgery. One
account even claimed he was
Despite the rumors, most
observers are convinced Andro
pov is seriously ill. The real ques
tions are when and whether he
will recover and who will replace
him if he dies or is incapacitated.
What’s up |4 ri
MONDAY
UNIVERSITY LUTHERAN CENTER: Meet at
the center, 315 N. College Main, for a Bible study.
AGGIE AIXEMANDERS :The square dance class isai!jj
and the club meets at 9 p.m. in 226 Memorial Student
STUDENT Y FISH CAMP:Applications for chairman,!
chairman and recreation coordinator are available untilD
on second floor Pavilion from Janie Metzer. Applkatii
due by 5 p.m. on Dec. 8.
HILLEL STUDENT FOUNDATION: A table will be se-
the MSC from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday for last tninuteO
nukah shoppers.
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS:Rod O’Connor will speak abo
experiences and plans for the future at 8:30 p m
Rudder.
Tee U
^ATTENTION AGGIES!
N^ed a place to rent for your sorority
or private parties?
Sons of Hermman Lodge
is the place.
For additional information
call: Don Roberts
822-4238 or 845-0336
Doctor says wrong side
backed in El Salvador
Registra
Improvem
Ipproved t
Traffic offe
lount on a
lash only a
lial Studen
Friday. Pai
Jlasses Fill s
Ion call 84
by Steve Thomas
Battalion Staff
Charles Clements is a medical
doctor that lived among the con
flict of El Salvador for a year,
trying to help the common peo-
tnc
pie. He saw the rebels and he saw
the government.
And he thinks the United
States is backing the wrong side.
“I believe the greatest obsta
cle to peace in Central America
is U.S. foreign policy. We are
contributing to one of the most
brutal and corrupt regimes in
juniors
seniors
grad, vet, tned
e*id U
v at 1700 S. Kyte
Yearbook “ be takuig P;o
““ ^morfSormakon catt 693-675
845-2681.
t ^,1 At the Pavilion-
Last chance. Agdteten dyea*22!i
5-9.
Latin America, which is
war on its own p eo pk
ments said lasl suninierafi^
turning from El Salvador,
Clements will speak it)
der Theater Monday ail|
on “El Salvador: a view fra
front”, a free programi
sored by the MSC Greail
Committee.
Clements is a veteran I
Vietnam war. He wasrf
Force Captain and flewai.
transport until he begani|
the war was wrong. Her 1
l>e relieved ofdutyandk
civilian again, then laten
through medical school.
While working i na
hospital, he came incont
some Salvadoran refuge*j
“lx>re the marks of phys
psychological torture.
The stories they to!
him angry, so Clementsdd
to go to El Salvador as a j» J
ly neutral “healer and wi
He made a deal with thet
tionaries which required I
remain neutral, t° no1 '
weapon, and to treat ™
an opposition-controlled I
What he saw wasa
backed government ki
lians indescriminately wl
rebels worked in their bet
“I’ve been called aeon
ist,” be says. “I’m not. Im
manist and I’m involved!
Salvador because our
menl is responsible formt
the violence."
)verst
MSC 1
jveryone I
i.m. to 2
uesented
weiet)
Pledge
:iety, wi
|53, and
uesday .
lachry, tl
ilynn Lu
junior
Jin have
fcday tin
1700 S. ¥
Javilion c
L have p
Fo submi
ffice in
TV statioi
mourns si
United Press Intematioul
MIDLAND — KOSA-h
porters Sunday copedsvith
ering their own disaster -
loss of six members of asr
crew whose chartered w
crashed on its way home
covering two high school
ball games.
i he Odessa-Midland!
nel 7 crew’s chartered!
Beechcraft-100 twin-c"!
plane crashed and burnedl
out 2 a.m. Saturday in ar .
area between Midland 1 !
Odessa, about 2.5 milesfW®
airport, state police repotwr
The victims were idet®
as Keith Elkin, 29, a
pilot and Jay Price, 27,>1
Paso Products employed 1
Midland who worked asa* 1
spotter at football gant&l
station news director^
McCall. g,-
KOSA victims included|
duction coordinator f
Dyer, 26, and assistant
director Gary Hopper,
of Midland.
Television crew member*
Odessa were Brent R° ac j
production coordinator;
engineer Bob Stepl> e ‘'^
assistant chief engineer k
Monette, 26, and sportsd
Jeff Schull, 25. , .
The shock of the
working its way t * ir ^ |1( )|l
KOSA newsroom
McCall said.
“We’re doing our own
age of our own disaster
said. “It’s been tough-
ally deal with these thinfr|
emotionally as possible, 1
can’t in a case like this.
had
The television crew
vered Midland Lees
tory over Fort Worth .
Tech and Odessa Pe^'j
0 victory over Wichita |
er in Fort Worth. ^ ot ”r„ v£ w
playoff games were ton
broadcast later this we
WOP
McCall said there
three funerals ‘ n /” r o(l
Odessa Monday for m l l |
dead. Hopper and * I “"J
were brothers-in-law'’ w J
buried in a double 4
Roach and Stephens " I
buried in single servt ce