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The Battalion
Vol. 83 No. 18 (JSPS 045360 12 pages
College Station, Texas
Thursday, September 24, 1987
p House OKs package
o aid Contra rebels
pi
ASHINGTON (AP) — The
use on Wednesday approved
|5 million in new “humanitarian”
to the Nicaraguan Contras, and
|juse Speaker Jim Wright said he
ects it to be the last U.S. aid ever
t to the rebels.
[ The money was part of a stopgap
nding bill to keep the govern-
ient running after the current fiscal
■r ends Sept. 30. The measure,
roved 270-138 after little debate,
was sent to the Senate, where it is not
expected to encounter major opposi
tion.
The Contra aid money had been
worked out in a bipartisan
agreement between Wright, D-
Texas, and House Republican
leader Robert Michel of Illinois.
The $3.5 million represents the
amount of money needed to sustain
the rebels into November and is
icaraguan leaders
J^plaim restored rights
ere unjustly taken
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1ANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) —
he leftist Sandinista government’s
Kision to lift press restrictions
erely restores rights that it should
ot have taken away in the first
lace, opposition leaders said
dnesday.
The leaders also said the govern-
lent’s announcement that it would
jjgin a unilateral cease-fire was
imed primarily at ending U.S. aid
the Contra rebels.
iThey’re releasing our freedoms
by bit after having taken them
y,” said Enrique Bolanos, head of
Private Enterprise Council, an
osition group. “That’s not free-
arricada, the official newspaper
he governing Sandinista National
ration Front, lauded the gov-
ment’s moves and said they were
ftompliance with a Central Ameri-
peace plan.
f^Barricada called on the Reagan
E inistration to “take its hands out
entral America.”
he government on Wednesday
leased 17 Central American pris-
rs to comply with the peace plan.
National Assembly on Tuesday
roved a presidential decree to
the prisoners, some of whom
been accused of ties to the U.S.-
ked Contra rebels,
he Sandinista government on
sday said it was working on a
to clear certain areas of troops
gin a unilateral cease-fire.
A government statement said the
National Reconciliation Commis
sion, headed by Cardinal Miguel
Obando y Bravo, archbishop of Ma
nagua, and smaller local peace com
missions could then see if rebels in
the areas would accept a cease-fire.
The commission was formed to
oversee compliance with the peace
plan in Nicaragua.
The Central American peace plan
was signed by the presidents of Nica
ragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa
Rica and Guatemala. It calls for
cease-fires, amnesties, halting for
eign aid to rebels and freedom of the
press, among other points.
In Washington, the State Depart
ment accused Nicaragua’s govern
ment of engaging in mere “cosmetic
gestures.”
Spokesman Phyllis Oakley said a
recent statement by Interior Min
ister Tomas Borge indicates that the
Nicaraguan media will be forbidden
to provide news about the two most
important subjects facing Nicaragua
— the peace process and the econ
omy.
At the White House, presidential
spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said
there are no assurances that the
Sandinistas would not use a cease
fire to their advantage.
He said the Sandinistas could
maintain a cease-fire for a time, us
ing that opportunity to rebuild their
forces or surround the Contras or
cut off their supplies.
based on this year’s $100 million in
Contra aid money that has been
used for food, medical supplies and
uniforms for the anti-government
rebels.
The vote came a day after Presi
dent Oscar Arias of Costa Rica trav
eled to Capitol Hill to appeal to law
makers to “take a risk for peace” and
eschew further military aid to the
Contras at least until Nov. 7, the tar
get date for a regional cease-fire.
Asked whether he believed the
new money would be the last U.S.
aid to flow to the rebels, Wright said,
“Yes, unless some drastic change
were to occur in the situation in Cen
tral America.
“The evidence indicates to me
reason to be optimistic — still guard
edly, but less guardedly than be
fore.”
The Reagan administration has
signaled its intention to ask for $270
million in new military aid for the
Contras over 18 months if the peace
plan fails.
Wright cited as signs of progress
the pledge by Nicaraguan President
Daniel Ortega to begin a partial, uni
lateral cease-fire, the reopening of
the opposition newspaper La Pre-
nsa, the resumption of broadcasts by
a Roman Catholic-operated radio
station and the appointment of a
reconciliation commission led by
Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo, a
leading government critic.
“All of these give me reason to
have hope,” Wright told reporters.
The cease-fire announcement
from Managua was drawing skepti
cal responses from the administra
tion, however, with Assistant Secre
tary of State Elliott Abrams calling it
“a trick” to get the Contras to sur
render.
In Miami, Aristides Sanchez, one
of six members of the Contra politi
cal directorate, said the rebels will
not respect the cease-fire.
“We take it as a simple publicity
stunt on President Ortega’s part,” he
said.
But President Vinicio Cerezo of
Guatemala, while conceding that the
Nicaraguan move could be a ruse,
said the United States should “main
tain a more open position” toward
any peace overtures.
“If they (Nicaraguan leaders) are
making a step in favor of peace, we
have to discuss this step,” Cerezo
said on NBC-TV’s “Today” show.
Screw up
Roy Farmer manipulates a 42-inch diameter drill
bit over the spot for the next foundation pier hole
at the new parking garage. The crane with the rig
Photo by Robert W. Rizzo
on it weighs more than 70 tons. The foundation
pier holes, when completed, will be 55 feet deep
and will hold the concrete supports for the garage.
'iden ‘reluctantly’ ends campaign for president
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Joseph Bl
ended his quest for the 1988 Demo-
|tic presidential nomination “with incred-
reluctance” On Wednesday, saying the
faggerated shadow” of mistakes made it
possible to continue his candidacy,
iiden withdrew from the campaign after
[eek in which his campaign was rocked by
aissions of plagiarism and false claims
l>ut his academic record.
The Delaware Democrat is the second
ididate to be forced from the race by
ptions of character and integrity.
made some mistakes,” Biden, with his
at his side, told a room crowded with
arters. “Now the exaggerated shadow of
Jse mistakes has begun to obscure the es-
ice of my candidacy and the essence of
1 Biden.”
Biden said he had to choose between
continuing his presidential campaign and
chairing the Senate Judiciary Committee
hearings on the Supreme Court nomi
nation of Robert H. Bork.
“And although it’s awfully clear to me
what choice I have to make, I have to tell
you honestly I do it with incredible reluc
tance, and it makes me angry,” he said. “I’m
angry with myself for having been put in
the position — put myself in the position —
of having to make this choice.
“And I am no less frustrated at the envi
ronment of presidential politics that makes
it so difficult to let the American people
measure the whole Joe Biden and not just
misstatements that I have made.”
Biden refused to take reporters’ ques
tions and returned to the Judiciary hear
ings, where he was lauded by his fellow sen
ators.
Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Caro
lina, the ranking Republican on the com
mittee, said, “I would like to say the Demo
crats have now lost their most articulate
spokesman.”
Biden’s rivals for the Democratic nomi
nation were quick to react to his withdrawal.
Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis said
in Iowa, “I’m very saddened by it. It takes a
lot of courage to do what he has done — to
put the Judiciary Committee’s responsibili
ties ahead of his future.”
Rep. Patricia Schroeder, D-Colo. said,
“It’s one more down note. And I think we
all get tarnished by that type of news.”
Biden’s staff said the former candidate
would travel to Iowa and New Hampshire
on Thursday to thank his supporters.
Reading from his statement, Biden said,
“You know this is presidential politics
where you press folks ask me, ‘Biden,
what’s going to happen when the white-hot
heat turns on?’
“You warned me what it was going to be
like. I thought I knew. It’s a tough arena.
And I’m a big boy. Sometimes you win,
sometimes you lose.”
Biden did not rule out a future run for
the White House.
“There will be other presidential cam
paigns and I’ll be there,” he said.
Biden left it to his aides, campaign con
sultant John Marttila and spokesman Larry
Rasky, to answer questions from the crush
of reporters and photographers.
Rasky lamented that “10 minutes of 15
years (of Biden’s Senate career) have been
focused on in the last two weeks, and it
seemed like all anyone was going to focus
on.
“I feel some sadness. ... I’m sick.”
Biden’s prospects as a candidate have
plummeted during a week in which he ad
mitted committing plagiarism in law school,
acknowledged making exaggerated claims
of his academic record and was criticized
for lifting sections of other politicians’
speeches without attribution.
Sources who spoke only on condition of
anonymity said Biden made his decision af
ter close aides and family members advised
him to give up his damaged candidacy at a
late-night meeting at his Wilmington, Del.,
home.
•S!
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Burger urges Senate to OK
'mainstream' Bork as justice
GlVt
I 1 WASHINGTON (AP) — Re
tired Chief Justice Warren E.
Burger, stirred by what he called
unprecedented disinformation,
declared on Wednesday that Su
preme Court nominee Robert H.
Bork is not “an extremist any
more than I’m an extremist” and
deserves confirmation.
|| Burger, in an extraordinary
appearance for a sitting or for
mer member of the high court,
told the Senate Judiciary Com
mittee, “If Judge Bork is not in
the mainstream then neither am
I.
H“It would astonish me to think
he’s an extremist any more than
I’m an extremist.”
||; In particular, he criticized paid
newspaper advertisements that
have suggested dire consequences
for the nation if Bork’s nomi
nation is confirmed.
| The hearings, despite Burger’s
appearance and a heated ex
change later between committee
d j chairman Joseph Biden, D-Del.,
1 and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah,
were overshadowed to some ex
tent by Biden’s announcement
that he was withdrawing from the
presidential race.
Biden took time out from pre
siding over the hearings to tell a
news conference he was quitting
the campaign because of reports
that he committed plagiarism and
exaggerated his academic accom
plishments.
He said he couldn’t expend the
effort to get his candidacy back
on track and still be closely in
volved in the hearings on Bork.
Biden, who opposes the nomi
nation, said of the fight over
Bork, “I intend to be deeply in
volved in that battle. I intend to
attempt to bring it to victory.”
Among Bork critics, Professor
William E. Leuchtenburg of the
University of North Carolina said
the Senate should block the ap
pointment because of Bork’s
stands against Supreme Court
rulings of the past 30 years that
expanded civil rights.
U.S. battleships try to recover mines,
warn commercial boats near Bahrain
MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) —
American warships swept a strip of
the central Persian Gulf on Wednes
day to recover mines believed plan
ted by the Iranian ship that U.S. he
licopters attacked this week.
Commercial ships were warned
away from the waters about 50 miles
northeast of Bahrain.
There were reports that some
mines had been found.
Five Iranians were reported killed
and 26 were captured in the heli
copter raid on the Iranian vessel
Monday night.
It was the first direct American at
tack on Iranians in the two months
since the United States began pro
tecting shipping in the gulf.
Iran has vowed revenge for the
American attack.
The Iranian president said in
New York that the two nations were
moving toward war.
Britain announced that it was clos
ing Iran’s military procurement of
fice in London.
It also urged a United Nations
arms embargo because of Iranian at
tacks on Persian Gulf shipping.
President AH Khamenei of Iran,
in New York for a U.N. session, said
the U.S. government had taken the
road to war.
“The people of the United States
have a right to ask why is their gov
ernment dragging them toward
war,” he said.
Despite the increased tension and
the possibility of more floating
mines, gulf-based shipping sources
said a reflagged Kuwaiti gas carrier
had begun a southbound voyage un
der U.S. escort.
The reported departure of the
46,723-ton Gas Prince from Kuwait
would be the 10th convoy since Pres
ident Reagan’s program of escorting
Kuwaiti tankers went into effect in
mid-July.
But Defense Secretary Caspar
Weinberger was asked in a Washing
ton television interview whether a
convoy was moving.
“Not that I know of,” he replied.
In Washington, Pentagon officials
said threats of Iranian reprisal for
the ship attack by the United States
would not deter Weinberger from
leaving as scheduled for a five-day
trip to the region.
He was to visit Bahrain, Saudi
Arabia, Egypt and U.S. warships.
Iranian officials angrily promised
retaliation for Monday’s attack and
U.S. embassies and military bases
worldwide were warned to be alert
for terrorist incidents.
Officials from the United States
were discussing how to return the 26
Iranians taken off the ship Iran Ajr
to their homeland.
The Iranians, described as “detai
nees” by the Pentagon, were being
held aboard navy ships in the Per
sian Gulf.
In the search for mines, there was
no official word here on how many
were recovered.
But shipping executives, speaking
on condition they not be named, said
the Navy had found eight of the
moored, contact-type explosives.
Gulf civilian radio monitors said
Navy warships were warning all ves
sels to keep clear of the channel 50
miles northeast of Bahrain.
This is an area where U.S. naval
vessels often anchor when not on
convoy duty.
There was new fighting reported
in the 7-year-old war between Iran
and Iraq.
Iran’s official news agency said
Iraqi warplanes struck industrial and
residential areas at Bakhtara, west
ern Iran, at midday Wednesday.
Iranian artillery bombarded Iraqi
military and industrial targets in
southern Iraq.
The state-run Iraqi News Agency,
also monitored in Cyprus, said Iraqi
jet fighters flew 87 combat missions
during the day, one of the highest
totals in recent weeks.