The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, July 30, 1986, Image 1

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mCROFILlCFWTER
P.O. BOX 12188
Dallas, tx 75225-0188
25 killed
by Beirut
car bomb
BL1RLT. Lebanon (AP) — A
car bomb exploded with terrify
ing effect in Mortem west Beirut
Tuesday, tolling 25 people and
wounding 170, police said, as a
mass f uneral was being held for
victims of an even deadlier car
bomb in the Christian sector
No one claimed responsibility
for either explosion
On Monday, the detonation of
a white Mercedes-Benz sedan
packed with a quarter-ton of ex
plosives killed 32 people and
wounded 140 in east Beirut's Em
Rummaneh residential district.
At 11 a m on Tuesday, a gray
Volkswagen Golf laden with 165
pounds of explosives, the charge
oobtered by mortar rounds to in
tensify the force of the blast,
erupted 20 yards fronr^ Barbir
Hospital
The Barbir area, whtfh takes
its name from the 220-bed hospi
tal. was jammed with vegetable
vendors, taxicabs and pedestri
ans.
The blast hurled bodies into
the air and devastated 20 shops
on the ground floor of a 13-story
business building, in front of
which the car bomb was parked.
More than 30 cars were set ab
laze. Broken glass and twisted
metal littered the streets, which
were awash with water from Tire
engine hoses
Smoke billowed from burning
stores and cars.
Barbir Hospital. 300 vards west
of the Green Line that divides the
capital into sectarian halves, had
been hit frequently in shelling
duels between Moslem and Chris
tian militia gunners during Leb
anon’s 11-year-old civil war. Peo
ple inside the hospital thought it
was being shelled again.
Svnan and Lebanese troops
and Shwte Moslem Amal mili
tiamen quickly cordoned off the
site, firing submachine guns into
the air to clear a path for ambu
lances and fire engines
The Syrians have an estimated
500 soldiers in west Beirut, help
ing the Lebanese army enforce a
month-old security plan aimed at
ending the chaotic reign of feud-
in^ militias
The two car bomb explosions
in two davs raised fears of retalia
tory attacks like the three car
bomb blasts within four davs that
rocked Beirut's Moslem and
Christian sectors in August 1985,
killing 66 people and wounding
301.
At the tune of the Barbir car
bomb explosion, the 32 victims of
Em Rummaneh were being bur
ied in a mass grave.
The Vosce of the Mountain ra
dio station of Druse chief Walid
Jumbiatt accused the Lebanese
army's Christian-officered intelli
gence department of engineering
the Barbir bombing But it cited
no evidence to back up the
charge
Barbir Hospital. Makassed
Moslem Hospital and the medical
center of the American Univer
sity of Beirut appealed urgently
for blood donors
Escape of shuttle crew called possible
SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP)
— Some of Challenger's astronauts
may have lived until their cabin hit
the ocean, but experts said Tuesday
it was unlikely they could have par
achuted to safety even if they had an
escape system.
T doubt very senouslv that a. bail
out system would have had any
chance of working," said Tommy W.
Holloway, chief of the flight direc
tors office at the Johnson Space Sys
tem.
A report released Monday by
NASA said some of the space shut
tle's seven astronauts may nave been
alive and perhaps even conscious
while their cabin fell from a height
of 12 miles on Jan. 28.
The report, by astronaut-phvsi-
cian Joseph Kerwin. said an exami
nation of recovered wreckage and
bodily remains suggested the astro
nauts survived the explosion that
separated their crew compartment
from the rest of the shuttle
At the tune of the blast, he said,
the crew endured *bout two seconds
of 12 to 20 times the force of gravity.
“Analysis indicates that th«e acce
lerations are survivabfe. and that the
probability of major injury to the
crew members is low," Kerwm's re
port said
Kerwin said the intact cabin fell
for 2 minutes. 45 seconds and then
shattered when it smashed into the
ocean at 207 mph He said the ex
plosion was at 45,000 feet and the
cabin was thrown upward an addi
tional 20.000 f eet
During at least part of the fall,
said Kerwin. some of the crew mem
bers were alert enough to turn on
emergence air packs. Three of four
recovered air packs had been acti
vated. he said, and gauges on two of
them showed that three-fourths to
seven-eighths of the five minutes of
air had been expended in what Ker
win called “normal breathing/*
NASA offered no explanation for
the difference between the amount
of air gone and the amount of tune k
took for the compartment to hit the
water
In order for any of the seven crew
members to have used a bail-out sys
tem. Holloway and others said they
would have to have been alert, but
most experts believe this is unlikely
because the cabin probably lost pres
sure.
Kerwin said a loss of pressure
would quickly have brought
unconsciousness
He said investigators were unable
to determine conclusively if pressure
was lost.
. "If the cabin did not depressu
rize." said former shuttle com
mander Robert Overmeyer, “they
rode that way (alive and conscious)
all the way to the water."
In addition to the need for the as
tronauts to be alert to use an escape
system, "you would need to have a
stable vehicle and I can’t imagine
See Shuttle, page 5
Protest
Jenny Stark. 16. a high-school student from Hous
ton, "dies” from nuclear contamination as, from
left. Jimi Clark, Charles Perez. Angelica Flores and
Photo b% Anthony S. Casper
Bob Hensc hen look on. The skit was part of a dis
armament protest held Tuesday at Rudder Foun
tain. (See story, page 3).
Hobby says tax hike
needed to lessen
projected deficit
DALLAS (AP) — Patching up a
projected $3 billion gap in the state
oudget will require raising tax reve
nues. Lt. Gov. Bill Hobbv reiterated
to a group of executives Tuesday as
he kicked off a statewide swing to
popularize his proposal.
. Hobby dismissed budget cutting
without more taxes as a “Band-Aid''
approach and not a real solution.
Tsing a pointer and a senes of
overhead projector charts, the lieu
tenant governor showed a group of
about 250 executives meeting in
downtown Dallas his solution to the
state's financial crunch, which was
precipitated bv the ailing energy in
dustry.
“The onlv rational way to solve
this problem is to do it with some
very significant budget cuts and
some significant revenue raises,” he
said. .
The legislature meets Aug. 6 in a
special session to consider the defi
cit.
Hobby's plan involves a $2.25 bil
lion tax bill and $650 million in bud
get cuts, including rolling back a
promised 3 percent raise for state
employees
The state no longer can rely on
the tax revenue mainstays of oil and
gas. Hobbv said.
“What we need to do is restruc
ture the tax base to reflect the reali
ties of the economy,” he said
About $2.25 billion could be
t amed by raising the state sales tax
rom 4.125 percent to 5 percent and
expanding it to cover many services
not now covered. Hobby said.
However, food and medicine still
would be exempt, he said
Hobby's tour, which targets state
business executives, will continue
with stops in Lubbock, Amarillo, El
Paso, Midland and San Antonio.
Executives at Tuesday’s meeting
in Dallas said they preferred a sales
tax increase to cutting funding for
such vital services as education,
highways and the state’s prisons.
And Dallas lawyer Tom Timmons
said he thinks most people will agree
to the tax increase, faced with the al
ternative.
Hobby admits that selling a tax in
crease in an election year is a tough
10b, but said the reaction so Tar has
oeen unexpectedly positive
(.omptroller Bob Bullock, who es
timates the shortfall rowM be as
large as $3.5 billion, said in Austin
on Tuesday that state officials
should not wait for new economic
forecasts before offering solutions to
the financial problems.
Hospital devoted solely to AIDS planned
HOUSTON (AP) — The nation's first hos
pital dedicated solely to research and treat
ment of AIDS became a reality Tuesday, and
officials said the (acilitv s almost limitlcsN
opportunities should advance the search for a
drug to combat the dreaded disease.
Officials of American Medical Interna
tional Inc. signed a working agreement Tues
day with the University of Texas to create the
hospital, to be known as the Institute for Im
munological Disorders
"What we re embarking on here is an excit
ing journey into the unknown," said Roger
Bulgffr, president of the University of Texas
Health Science Center at Houston.
The 150-bed Citizens General Hospital is
being converted from a general care facility
to a research and treatment center for Ac
quired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, better
known as AIDS.
“A year from now. I'd like to be in a posi
tion of developing an anti-viral drug," said
Peter Mansell, medical director of the new
center. “Then Td like to start looking at syn
thesizing drugs. The opportunities this fa
cility offers for advancement in AIDS re
search. diagnosis and treatment are almost
limitless "
Under the agreement. American Medical
International is providing the hospital, man
agement and staff of 100 to 150 people, while
the University of Texas System supplies fac
ulty staffing and direction for the medical
and research activities. *
t
AIDS cripples the body's disease-fighting
immune system, leaving its victims vulnerable
to life-threatening infections and certain can
cers.
AIDS is caused by a virus believed to be
passed through the blood and semen, but not
through casual contact. Groups at highest risk
for getting AIDS are male homosexuals, in
travenous drug users and recipients of con
taminated blood products.
As of July 21, 1986. AIDS had struck
22.815 in the United Slates and killed 12.530
of them, according to the National Onters
for Disease Control in Atlanta
The number of victims is expected to dou
ble again by the end of next vear. Mansell
said.
“T 1 eating AIDS is like trying to fill up a
bucket with a hole in it," he said “Until we
can plug up the hole, it’s not going to work."
Mansell, who will direct an initial research
team of seven, is professor of medicine in the
Department of Clinical Immunology and Bi
ological Therapy at the University of Texas
Cancer Center. He also has worked at an
AIDS Treatment and Evaluation Unit at
Houston's M.D. Anderson Hospital, which
this week treated its 1,000th AIDS patient, he
*aid.
In San Francisco, where in 1983 the city’s
Department of Public Health opened the first
ward exclusively for AIDS patients at San
Francisco General Hospital, spokesman Paul
Varnes said the opening of a new center cer
tainly would help.
“It will open more opportunities to treat
AIDS patients ...” he said “Occasionally a
drug comes up for expenmentatioa that is
not available to the public and is used in AIDS
patients.”
But Benjamin Schatz. director of the AIDS
Civil Rights Project of the National Gay
Righu Advocates, had mixed feelings about
the Houston center
"It is important for AIDS to get more at
tention,” he said. “But there wouldn't be a
need for facilities of this nature if the federal
government was taking care of the problems
instead of relying on the private sector ."
The first AIDS patients will be accepted
Sept. 2. with about 30 patients anticipated af
ter three months and then a gradual filling of
the beds, officials said.
Ortega: U.S. policy
to bring new Vietnam
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Ni
caraguan President Daniel Ortega
said T uesdav that President Rea
gan's policies will lead “to another
Vietnam in Central America "
“President Reagan must recognize
that the state terrorism he is practic
ing against the people of Nicaragua
is immoral,” Ortega told the Security
Council, meeting at Nicargua's re
quest.
“President Reagan must recognize
that through that route he is pro
moting another Vietnam in Central
America where he will send Ameri
can youth to die." he said.
Ortega asked the United States to
abide by a World Court decision
which declared U.S. support for the
Contra rebels in violation of interna
tional law He asked the Security
Council to support the World
Court's decision
U.S. Ambassador Vernon Walters
attacked Onega’s government, say
ing Nicaragua had misused the
World Court
Walters said that in us decision,
the court "has fundamentally mis-
percetved the situation in Central
America. It is simpiv wrong on many
of the facts."
He said the cause of the conflict in
Nicaragua was that the Sandimstas
betrayed the revolution which over
threw Anastasto Somoza in 1979.
“While they were promising plu
ralism they were laying the ground
work for a one-party state." Walters
said
White proclaiming commitment
to a mixed economy, he said, thev se
cretly expressed determination to
crush the private sector
In his speech. Ortega said, “We do
not want confrontation. We have not
come to the council to cast insults
against the U.S. government, but to
seek peace and respect for interna
tional law.”
The World Court ruled June 27
that the United States should stop
supporting the Contras and should
pay reparations to Nicaragua
The U.S government rejected the
ruling, saying the court has no juris
diction over the Omral American
dispute
See Policies, page 5
Shiite message to be given
Jenco to meet with pope
ROME (AP) — The Rev Law
rence Martin Janco, wearing a
“Free the Hostages ' pm on has
lapel, said Tuesdav he was given a
message for Pope John Paul II by
the Shiite Moslem extremists who
held him captive for nearly 19
months.
Jenco. who was released last
Saturdav, was flown here in a
U.S. Air Force jet from Frank
furt, West Germany, with 12
members of his family
Reporters at Ciampino Airport
asked whether the Roman Catho
lic priest. 51, would speak to the
pope about the three other
Americans held with him in Leb
anon.
“1 am sure that is one of the
items I will speak to him about,"
he said “Before I left Lebanon , .
mv captors asked me to speak to
him " Jenco. who has a history of
heart problems, appeared weary
and spoke in a soft voice
He added that it would be up
to the popr *© decide whether to
disclose the contents of the kid
nappers message U.S. Embassy
officials said the priest was to
have a private audience with John
Paul at noon Wednesday.
“It's just nice to be present in
the H<4v City." said Jenco, who
was director of Catholic Relief
Services in lebanon when he was
kidnapped Jan. 8, 1985. I he
agency served both Christians
and Moslems.
Terrs Waite, a special envoy of
Archbishop of Canterbury Rob
ert Rune le. also was on the plane
Jenco is scheduled to fly to Lon
don on this evening to meet with
the Anglican spiritual leader, who
has sent Waite on several missions
to Lebanon seeking the release of
Western hostages
On hand at Ciampino as a wel
coming paitv were L .S. Amnama-
dor Maxwell R-bb: ‘be -ctmg
U S charge d affaires to the Vati
can Petei Murphv, and the Rev
Michael Sincernv, head of the
Servites of Mana religious order
to which Jenco belongs.
Jenco, a native of Joliet, III.,
underwent two days of checkups
at the U.S. military hospital in
W iesbaden, near Frankfurt, after
his release from captivity.
In a 10-minute statement at
U.S. Air Force's Rhein-Mam base
before departing for Rome,
Jenco addressed remarks to cap-
tors he knew as Haj. Said and
Ahab.
“After going through hours of
diverse physical examinations,
your concern for mv health was
well founded." he said “Thanks
again for that caring concern.”
The captors said they released
Jenco because of his health
Jenco spoke of his relief in de
livering a videotape made by hos
tage David Jacobsen of Hunting-
ton Beacb, Calif., to The
SeeJenco, page 5
Candidates
for governor
to debate
AUSTIN (AP) — A debate be
tween Gov. Mark White and Repub
lican challenger Bill Clements wdl be
televised statewide on Oct. 6, offi
cials said
The one-hour debate, starting at 7
C m., will be co-produced by the
rague of Women Voters and
KPRC-TV of Houston
After the announcement Tues
day, White said he is looking for
ward to the confrontation.
“This is a critical juncture in the
history of Texas." he said. “I believe
the people of Texas deserve to be
fully exposed to the ideas and issues
in this campaign, and this debate will
offer such an opponunity
Clements also said he is looking
forward to the debate
“The differences between us are
clear." he said. “This televised de
bate ... is one forum where all Tex
ans will again see those differences."