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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 1986)
Regents approve refund. Soviets modernizing arsenal. A&.M's in-house inquiry into sale of government bonds challenging U.S. technology recruiting violations continues — Page 3 — Page 7 — Page 9 wmmmmmmmmmmmmummmmmmmKmmmmmmKm lancvi tests selon Servitf 3r. The Battalion 83 No. 121 CJSPS 075360 12 pages College Station, Texas Wednesday, March 26, 1986 mos nps ^J.S. forces knock out 2 more Libyan ships • Trade lepau ssons C.S. SHINGTON (AF) — U.S. jets arships destroyed two Libyan trol boats and damaged a radar ssile site Tuesday, and the Penta- Bedared the renewed American —lion a defense against ‘‘hostile in- ™itions,” even though no hostile lie provoked it. Fm a second straight day, the Na- s pth Fleet opened tire on Col. janimar Khadafy’s forces in the ipnte over Libya’s claim to sover- 9 ^Jity over the Gulf of Sidra. Ca|first, on Tuesday morning, the Vntagon’s chief spokesman said the £ Delved attacks came in retaliation ^).S. strike *l!>n Libya raised ■ Favoriti t a very st $1J 5 p.m.! rs nd b (NED against Libyan missile attacks aimed unsuccessfully at U.S. planes. Later, the administration said there had been no new fire from the Libyans. One of the patrol boats was sunk by the cruiser Yorktown, marking the first time a Navy ship had used its surface-to-surface missiles against a Libyan vessel. U.S. officials said the attacks, which occurred during the pre dawn hours Tuesday, Tripoli time — or late Monday night Eastern Standard Time — were justified to protect American sailors and ships from attack by a country that had al ready demonstrated “hostile inten tions.” The attacks came even though the Libyan boats and missile installation did not fire on American forces. But U.S. officials said the battle force had standing orders that declared any Libyan plane or boat ap proaching them to have hostile in tentions. Pentagon spokesman Robert Sims, referring to Libya’s launch of ground-to-air missiles against U.S. planes on Monday, said “We have been given ample evidence of hostile Libyan intentions . . . and we will de fend ourselves.” There were conflicting reports, meantime, as to whether the United States might end its maneuvers be low Libya’s so-called “line of death” before the scheduled deadline of April 1. Secretary of State George Shultz said the Mediterranean exercise, which began Saturday night, would continue as planned. But Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger and Sims both suggested that the commander of the 6th Fleet, Vice Adm. Frank Kelso, could decide to end the exercise before April 1. The United States has three air craft carriers and 27 other combat ships operating in the region. Three surface ships remained inside the gulf, but the carriers remained out side it to the north. In other developments: • Pentagon sources said the U.S. armada was being closely shadowed by six Soviet combat ships and that the flagship of the Soviet flotilla re mained in port in Tripoli, passing along intelligence information. Sims would not provide a precise count on the Soviet ships, although he in dicated at least four were near the American vessels. • Libyan air forces remained ab sent from the combat arena. Wein berger said Libyan fighters had been detected in the air, but all had re mained over land and had made no move toward the gulf. • White House spokesman Larry Speakes and Sims said there was an other “event” on Tuesday involving a Libyan patrol ship, but no further details were immediately forthcom- See U.S. forces, page 12 as leaders say ponse justified )rder Washington (ap) — Mem- rlof the Texas congressional del- ation supported U.S. military re- l-gnil'fation against Libya, calling it a Pfed response to Libyan aggres- rnes m. . Rep. Charles Wilson, D-Lufkin, a JliDii e^ber of the Defense Appropria- ■ subcommittee, said, “It was a V%?p ;arcase Libyan aggression.” M 1 * isjto fexas legislators reacted to Mon- ly’s missile attacks on U.S. planes _ (crating in the Gulf of Sidra that to retaliatory raids against some rol boats in the gulf and missile cries on the Libyan shore. "The Libyans deserve what they Wilson said. Republican Sen. Phil Gramm, i0 is on the Armed Services Com- :tee, said, “I think our reprisal is totally justified. “We can’t let pirates go around lling us we can’t operate in the Biterranean Sea.” Democratic Sen. Lloyd Bentsen jrl, “You can’t let (Libyan leader pammar) Khadafy close down in- rnational waters. “He has no more right to shut of f e Gulf of Sidra than we would ve to keep everybody out of the If of Mexico, and when he fires iles at U.S. airplanes you have ^'take steps to protect the people ' 'ng them.” Republican Rep. Dick Armey of ton said, “If you take a loud- jlith bully like Khadafy and call ■“bluff, he’ll pull in his horns.” jRep. John Bryant, D-Dallas, ed, but added that there could risks. “Anytime you confront a bully, |u run the risk of losses,” Bryant K | “And I think our whole nation is laced at risk, but the price of not Infronting a bully is much higher ujiTie<b lan t ^ ie P r ‘ ce °f facing one,” he 2611 1(1 Reflections The windows of Rudder Tower show a reflection of the sun behind the clouds. Photo by ANTHONY S. CASPER Reagan gives emergency aid to Honduras WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi dent Reagan gave $20 million in emergency military assistance to Honduras on Tuesday and agreed to the use of U.S. helicopter pilots in response to an incursion by troops of the Marxist-led government of neighboring Nicaragua. White House spokesman Larry Speakes said as many as 1,500 Nica raguan troops had crossed the bor der into Honduras. The Honduran government confirmed the incur sion and said it had requested U.S. aid. Speakes said U.S. personnel are “not to be introduced into combat situations.” Nicaragua’s Marxist-led Sandi- nista government, however, called the border crossing report “one more lie by the Reagan administra tion.” Administration officials described the Nicaraguan military move as the largest of more than 100 Sandinista border crossing into Honduras since the Nicaraguan rebels began using that country as a base of operations more than four years ago. White House Chief of Staff Don ald Regan, after meeting with Re publican Senate leaders, said trans portation assistance will be supplied by U.S. helicopters and pilots. He said they are in Honduras already as part of an on-going military excer- cise. Regan said that while they will be used in support of the Honduran See Honduras, page 12 Khadafy philosophy one of Arab unity CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — Despite his reputation as an erratic leader, Moammar Khadafy has con sistently steered his nation of some 3 million peo ple according to a philosphy of Arab unity marked by hostility to Israel and to “imperial ism.” Khadafy, Libya’s leader for nearly 17 years, sees himself as the guardian of the pan-Arab, so cialist ideals of the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel-Nasser. Libya celebrates each year the anniversary of the July 26, 1952, Nasserite coup in Egypt, even though it’s hostile toward the Cairo government. Western and Arab diplomats believe it is Kha dafy’s messianic view of Libya’s role in the world that has often put the mercurial colonel in con flict not only with the United States but with other Arab leaders who do not share his views. As an opponent of what he considers imperial ism, Khadafy has championed causes of such di verse groups as Indians in the United States, Moslem rebels in the Philippines and the Irish Republican Army. He has backed radical factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization opposed to a peaceful settlement with Israel, financed opponents of de posed President Gaafar Nimeiri in Sudan and is believed to have supported a bumbling coup at tempt against the late President Anwar Sadat in Egypt in April 1974. As a champion of pan-Arabism, Khadafy has unsuccessfully sought political unity at various times with Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, only to be rebuffed each time. Nevertheless, Khadafy is one of the few Arab leaders who openly supports non-Arab Iran in its war with Iraq, whose government he condemns as fascist. Although he is clearly Libya’s strongman, Kha dafy shuns formal titles and holds no office be yond “guide of the revolution.” He calls his country “the Socialist Peoples’ Li byan Arab Jamahiriya,” roughly translated from Arabic as “state of the masses.” Khadafy’s political and social philosophy cen ters around the belief that Arab countries must purge themselves of Western and Marxist cultu ral influences and build a popular society based on principles of the Koran, the Moslem holy book. Khadafy launched his cultural revolution in April 1973, nearly four years after deposing King Idris and closing U.S. and British bases in the North African country. Khadafy vowed “to destroy imported ideologies, whether Eastern or Western.” The following month, he announced his “third See Khadafy, page 12 Classes to meet on Friday Students anticipating another Easter surprise from Gov. Mark White can sit back, relax and pre pare for classes on Friday. Mike Schneider, assistant press secretary for White, said the deci sion to close state agencies on Good Friday last spring was made by the Texas Legislature, which was in session during the week before Easter. The resolution was proposed by Sens. Ed Howard and Grant Jones. The Legislature is not in ses sion this week and, under Texas law, White can’t cancel classes without a resolution from the Legislature. The question of honoring Good Friday is now up to each in dividual state agency, Schneider said. Dr. Gordon Eaton, provost and vice president for academic af fairs, said since the governor has already designated San Jacinto Day a state holiday, cancelling classes would affect the Universi ty’s required number of class days. “We will not be taking that day off,” Eaton said. It Jissan y 0 dis- Jissan tiine Police still looking into studenfs death By BRIAN PEARSON Senior Staff Writer he Bryan Police Department not closed the case involving apparent suicide by a Texas M student. IChris Carter Holmans, 24, an AjcM senior finance major from Denton, walked into his apart- nient complex laundromat about 10:30 p.m. Friday with a knife embedded in his chest. He was lad in a blanket, T-shirt, under- arand socks, Bryan police said, lolnians was taken to St. Joseph ispital and died at 12:30 a.m. an operating table during icrgency surgery. Police Sgt. Choya Walling said le victim’s father says he’s not lisfied with current police in stigations of his son’s death. Walling said no autopsy was performed on Holmans. In most suspicious deaths an autopsy is ordered to determine the cause of death, he said. “We didn’t see anything that we could gain from the autopsy,” Walling said. “What is an autopsy going to show us? It’s going to tell us that he died from the knife stab to his sternum.” An autopsy, Walling said, is or dered by a justice of the peace who receives recommendations from investigating officers. Justice of the Peace Carolyn Hensarling, who could have or dered Holmans’ autopsy, said an autopsy was not needed. “You never do an autopsy on anybody unless there is foul play See Bryan case, page 12 KLS computers should sue A&M' System official files reply to suit By SCOTT SUTHERLAND City Editor Attorneys for Texas A&M Uni versity System Vice Chancellor Bill Wasson filed a response Monday to the multi-million dollar lawsuit filed in January by local computer store owners who want to shut down the Texas A&M Micro Center. The lawsuit, filed January 29 by attorneys for KLS computers, seeks $4.05 million in actual and punitive damages from Wasson. Other local retailers that have been affected by the Micro Center are also named as plaintiffs. The suit contends that WasSon, along with other System employees, conspired to put the retailers out of business by establishing a low-cost computer outlet that decimated competition. Wasson was served with the KLS petition on February 28. Texas law allows the defendant 20 days and a Monday to file a rebuttal to the law suit. Wassons refutes the suit on proce dural grounds. His response doesn’t seek to challenge any of the accusa tions of unfair competition leveled at the Micro Center. Instead it con tends that KLS should sue A&M and not Wasson. The suit seeks action against Was son instead of the University because Wasson has represented the Center as a separate venture and not an en tity of the University, according to KLS attorney John Hawtrey. In the answer, Wasson’s attorneys contend that Wasson was acting in his official capacity with A&M and therefore is entitled to protection from antitrust lawsuits. “All of (Wasson’s) actions and ac tivities complained of were pursuant to proper authority and well within the course and scope of his employ ment,” the answer states. The answer further says that A&M is an entity of the state, and to sue the state or its entities, a plaintiff must receive permission from the Legislature. KLS has not done that, the answer states, therefore the suit should ei ther be dropped or held in abate ment until permission is received. Under Texas antitrust laws the state is immune from prosecution for unfair trade practices unless the Legislature agrees it can be sued. Robert Henderson, general coun sel for the Legislative Council of the Legislature, says getting the Legis lature to grant permission to sue isn’t as complicated as it sounds. Pas sage of a concurrent resolution that states why the plaintiff is suing is generally routine, he said. In the event that KLS is forced to sue A&M rather than Wasson, KLS would not be able to get permission until January. The Legislature is not in session now and will not reassem ble until January, barring a special session. Retailers fear that many of them will be out of business by Jan uary. See Administrator, page 12