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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1986)
MMMRMHRBNNHMMMMRIMHMMMHRNIMMMflMI exas »nt EATR[; Oil analysts report failure of OPEC talks no surprise — Page 3 Union Carbide settlement with Indians said to be too low — Page 8 Rockets' Sampson may have suffered broken back in fall — Page 10 T«« ASM _ « « «« The Battalion bl. 83 No. 120 GSPS 075360 12 pages College Station, Texas Tuesday, March 25, 1986 Libya exchange fire over gulf 1 Associated Press ■ [ WASHINGTON — Libya today :d ;it least six more missiles at U.S. I ftlanes flying over the disputed Hof Sidra, and the United States fated against two Libyan patrol and radar installations, the Bagon said. One boat was lef t in flames; debris Mpotted after the other was hit by Knerican missile. But the Ameri- Morces sustained no damage. Rpbert Sims, the Defense Depart- rjt's chief spokesman, said it was Iclear how much damage had een inflicted on the radar sites. ^iSmce Libya first fired on the U.S. —orors Monday, the spokesman said, taijbti 12 SA-5 and SA-2 missiles had teei directed at American ships and CE PG daiT's. None of the Libyan missiles rUREPGl hit their targets; a total of four Li byan ships and at least one radar site were attacked in retaliation, Sims said. Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy had threatened any of the U.S. forces taking part in a large naval exercise if they crossed his “line of death,” which cuts across the north ern boundary of the Gulf of Sidra. Libya claims the gulf, an appendage of the Mediterranean, as its own; the United States regards it as interna tional waters. Sims said a Libyan patrol boat that was preparing to attack the U.S. 6th fleet was “engaged with a surface-to- surface missile” at 6:12 p.m. EST Monday by the cruiser Yorktown. Sims said this confrontation oc curred in the Mediterranean outside the Gulf of Sidra and that debris from the patrol boat had later been spotted. It was the first Pentagon an nouncement that a Libyan ship had ventured north of the “line of death.” At 6:54 p.m. EST, Sims contin ued, the United States launched its second attack of the day on a radar site serving missile batteries at Sirte, Libya. The spokesman said two A-7 attack jets from the carrier Saratoga fired missiles at “a radar site that was radiating (operating) at the time.” He added that the Pentagon had not determined so far whether the radar units in the latest attack were the same ones attacked earlier Mon day. The spokesman said the con frontation continued as dawn broke over the Mediterranean. At 1:07 a.m. EST today, attack jets from two carriers hit another Libyan patrol boat that had been detected sailing from the port at Benghazi, on the eastern rim of the Gulf of Sidra. Sims said two A-6 attack jets — one from the carrier Coral Sea and another from the carrier Saratoga — had left the boat dead in the water and on fire. Life rafts were spotted in the wa ter after the attack, Sims said, and Libyan search and rescue helicopters had been seen in the area. Pentagon spokesman, Cmdr. Rob ert Prucha said later, “There has been no damage to U.S. forces.” A Pentagon spokesman declared Monday that any Libyan plane or ship closing on the Navy’s three car rier task forces off the Libyan coast would be regarded as having “hostile intent” and subject to attack. Libya, meanwhile, in broadcasts on state-run radio that were mon itored by the British Broadcasting Corp., vowed to “make the Mediter ranean into a sea of fire” and urged attacks on U.S. oil facilities and American workers throughout the Arab world. Earlier Monday, sources who spoke on condition of anonymity had declined to pinpoint the location from which the surface-to-air mis siles were fired. However, the Soviets are known to have been assisting the Libyans with the installation of SA-5 batteries outside the town of Sirte, at the southern end of the gulf, and near Benghazi on the gulfs eastern rim. The Gulf of Sidra is a large, U- shaped body of water that cuts into the central Libyan coastline from the Mediterranean Sea. Khadafy has claimed the gulf as Libyan territory, warning he has drawn “a line of death” above the gulfs entrance below which U.S. planes and ships are subject to at tack. The United States refuses to rec ognize the Libyan claim. According to the sources, the mis siles were detected early Monday morning Eastern Standard Time during the second day of maneuvers off the Libyan coast. The first flights by U.S. Navy jets over the gulf occurred late Sunday night without incident, the sources added. stars com; iday, April j Sunday. i which to ,e held on ay begins on Thors- ou can still i 24th i =ach team winner of ostedoot- mares to have twins because one and sometimes both foals are aborted. If not, he said, the foals usually are born with congenital defects. Denise Perkins, a graduate student in agriculture, said al though one twin has a problem with the tendons in its back legs, the outlook is bright for both foals. Libyan radio demands retaliation against U.S. Associated Press LONDON — Libyan radio threat ened Monday to turn “the Mediter ranean into a sea of fire,” and urged attacks on U.S. oil facilities and American workers throughout the Arab world in retaliation for the U.S. firing on a Libyan boat and the Libyan shoreline. “The oil which America exploits and usurps should now be de stroyed,” said the Libyan radio broadcast, monitored in London by the BBC. “The American bases in the Arab homeland should now be stormed. The American spies who were pushed forward as experts and consultants should now be executed, wherever they might be in the Arab homeland.” Libyan television, and the official news agency, JANA, had reported earlier Monday that three U.S. jets were shot down over the Gulf of Si dra. The White House denied the re port. Spokesman Larry Speakes said American aircraft fired on a Libyan patrol boat, setting it afire, after Li byans launched six missiles at Amer ican planes. He said no U.S. planes were damaged. The editor in Rome for the Li byan agency telephoned the Asso ciated Press in the Italian capital and read the following brief dispatch in Italian: “American aircraft today attacked with missiles the region of Sidra, and at the same time, Libyan air defense has struck back, shooting down three American fighter planes.” Libyan television said the U.S. Air Force had “started violating the air space over Libyan territorial water in the Gulf of Sirte Monday morning.” The television said two of the planes were shot down at noon local time (8 a.m. EST) and the other Monday night, according to the BBC. The Gulf of Sirte is known in En glish as the Gulf of Sidra. The British Broadcasting Corp. monitor said that Libyan television interrupted a musical program with the following statement read by an announcer: “Brothers and sisters, we now re ceive the following: “The American Air Force com menced this morning violating the air space over Libyan territorial wa ters in the Gulf of Sirte. Our air de- See Libyans, page 12 Libyan conflict troubles legislator Associated Press WASHINGTON — The chair man of the House Foreign Affairs Committee expressed concern Mon-, day that a military confrontation be tween the United States and Libya could erupt into a “significant con flict resulting in the loss of American lives.” Rep. Dante Fascell, D-Fla., also suggested that the administration may be in violation of the War Pow ers Act of 1973. Administration officials said U.S. warplanes knocked out a Libyan missile site and disabled two guided- missile patrol boats on Monday after Libya fired at least six missiles at American jets operating in the Gulf of Sidra. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed concern that the confrontation might spark Li byan attempts to carry out terrorist actions in the United States. “My chief concern now ... is not whether we can hold our own there in the gulf, because certainly we’ve got much more power there than Khadafy does. “But my concern is what action might be taken on the terrorist front, given Khadafy’s threat to carry terrorism to our shores. I want to find out all possible information we have about what possible steps he might take regarding terrorism,” he said. However, Leahy said the “FBI is See Legislators, page 12 egents give initial OK to fee changes urnamenls j the Men’s 5 nt,KenAI- 5 in Dallas, lifer Edgaf In C^sSu •juaneBar h 24 from 8 ch 26 By MARY ANN HARVEY and MONA PALMER Staf f Writers ihe Texas A&M Board of Regents Monday pie preliminary approval to increase fees for hilent services, parking, bus passes and mod- >lai style dormitories. ^&M President Frank E. Vandiver said he was oncerned that the A&M would outdo itself with increases and price itself right out of the university market. ■! asked Dr. Ed Davis ... to do a very special tudy justifying our fee structure and he sure e doing everything to contain costs,” Van- :r said. •avis, vice president for fiscal affairs, said the ffjrease in student service fees was reviewed Bdully by the students and administration and n produce about $2 million a semester. The iversity would use this money principally to band services at A.P. Beutal Health Center, he ! Student services lees were raised from $54.50 bmester to $61.00, a 10.6 percent increase. Al- Bugh the regents based this figure on a charge 5.20 per semester hour, Davis said $61.00 is maximum amount the University will he al- ed to charge students. e said the statutory limit for student service is $90 a semester and that most universities reached that limit. 'avis said a parking fee increase is necessary and a multi-level parking garage, which is ex- :ted to be completed by 1988. This raise in A parking fee increase is necessary to fund a. multi-level parking ga rage, which is expected to be com pleted by 1988. — Dr. Ed Davis, vice president for fiscal affairs. parking fees would be the first increase in two years. In 1984, Davis said, parking fees almost doubled after 10 years without an increase. Dorm parking fees will rise from $63 to $66, day student parking from $45 to $47 and sum mer permits from $15 to $ 16. Davis said this will add $800,000 to the pro jected funds for the parking garage. The esti mated cost is $12.6 million, and previously the board allocated $260,000 by the board at a pre vious meeting for preliminary design of the ga- rage. The cost of bus passes also will increase in Fall 1986, going from $44.50 to $46.00. Davis said this will fund intra-campus bus service, currently funded by student service fees. The regents also increased the room rental rate for modular style dormitories from $791 to $825 a semester — an increase of less than 5 per cent. Davis said the modulars are almost twice as large as rooms in the Commons and have carpet and private bath facilities. He said rooms in these dorms are more sought after than those in other dorms. This increase will bring the modular’s rent in line with the rental rate for the Commons dormi tories, he said. The board also gave preliminary approval to a recommendation from Student Government to establish an international student fee of $12.00 per semester and $6.00 per summer session. According to a release from Vandiver’s office the extra cost of services and materials for the special administration of international students requires funding over and above the student services fee. These special services include: • Verification of visa status. • Processing changes in visa status. • Processing transfers between universities. Davis said he believes these increases won’t put a heavy burden on the students. The board also preliminarily approved a re duction in the rental rate for married student apartment “A” complex from $237 to $195. Davis said the current rate is putting a burden on the tenants. A report from Vandiver’s office said students in these apartments must pay for their utility bills on a metered basis while other tenants’ utility costs are included in the base rental rate. The re port said the rental rate needs to be adjusted to compare with other University-owned apart ments. In other action, the board gave preliminary approval to a resolution recognizing J. W. “Bill” Runyon’s gift of an extensive art collection va lued at nearly $5 million. Faculty Senate passes changes in A&M rules By SONDRA PICKARD Staff Writer The Faculty Senate finished amending specific items in the core curriculum document Mon day and also passed three resolu tions, one which urged Texas A&M to persuade the Texas Leg islature to provide free tuition for full-time employees and their de pendents at state universities. The senate also approved 23 revisions to the University rules and regulations. The requested tuition exemp tion benefits for faculty, staff and their dependents originated in the Personnel and Welfare Com mittee, which argues that it’s be coming increasingly difficult to provide adequate salary increases and to recruit and retain qual ified employees. Dr. Richard Shumway, com mittee chairman, said many other private and public university em ployees and their dependents al ready receive such benefits, and offering the extra compensation would help recruit faculty and staff to A&M. In other business, the senate approved a resolution urging state legislators to maintain and, if needed, increase the state’s con tribution to retirement programs in Texas to achieve parity with comparable institutions. According to a Personnel and Welfare Committee document, in 1983 the state and member con tribution rate to the Teacher Re tirement System was reduced, and then in 1985 it was subse quently raised by a small percent age. The senate fears that such patterns of legislative action could adversely affect the long term soundness of the TRS when coupled with other factors such as lower withdrawal rates. Also, although funding of the Optional Retirement Program has not been affected, if the Leg islature ever decided to change the state or member contribution to ORP, there would be an imme diate impact. ORP benefits are directly re lated to member and state contri butions and no safeguard mea sures have been passed to protect See Faculty, page 12