I
MICROFILMCENTER
P.O. BOX 12188
Dallas, tx 75225-0188
Texas A&M
The Battalion
Vol. 88 No. 74 USPS 045360 6 Pages
College Station, Texas
Wednesday, January 4, 1989
Gadhafi promotes Libya’s image as ‘victim’
ROME (AP) — Col. Moammar
Gadhafi has stepped up a campaign
to improve Libya’s overall foreign
image and rebut charges that he is
building a chemical-weapons' plant.
In recent weeks, the Libyan leader
purportedly helped free two French
K ris held hostage in Lebanon, of-
red to return the body of a U.S. pi
lot killed in a 1986 attack on Libya,
and invited television correspon
dents to interview him.
In addition, he has appealed to in
ternational organizations from the
.United Nations to the Arab League
Officials say
mystery ship
never existed
GALVESTON (AP) — U.S. Coast .
Guard officials said Tuesday that a
ship thev searched for after a report
it was burning and sinking with 21
men aboard never existed.
Officials searching records for a
ship bearing the name Genu K de
termined that no such ship exists,
even though a-distress -call for the
vessel came in at 2 a.m. Monday.
The distress call prompted a 15-
hour air and water search for the
vessel Monday.
“As far as we can determine,
there’s no boat registered under that
name in the Lloyd’s registry or in
any of the U.S. systems," Lt. Mike
Tekesky of New Orleans said. The
Coast Guard records search was con
ducted there.
A man called the Galveston sta
tion on an emergency radio fre
quency but did not initially report
trouble. After switching to a non
emergency frequency, the caller bc-
gan to “act panicky” and report that
his 210-meter ship was ablaze and
sinking. Petty Officer Madison
Thompson said.
Despite the caller’s vague report,
Thompson said, he quickly repeated
key phrases during an approximate
20-minute conversation, suggesting
he “knew exactly what he warned to
say."
i The man who radioed the distress
call said he was about 21 nautical
miles south-southeast of Galveston,
but would not specify what Galves
ton point he was using as a refer
ence, nor give a latitude and longi
tude. There are three widely spread
reference points — a jetty and two
buoys — along the island.
Tekesky said false reports occur
occasionally, but seldom do they in
volve claims of sizable vessels.
to defend him, and he has used
friendly nations to convey to Wash
ington his contention the plant does
not produce chemical weapons.
“There is no doubt that the Li
byans have launched what has be
come known as their charm offen
sive in Europe,” a British Foreign
Office official said Tuesday, speak
ing on condition of anonymity-
Attention has been focused on Li-
byan-U.S. relations in recent weeks
after President Reagan told an inter
viewer that a military attack on the
plant near the Libyan capital of Tri
poli was under Consideration, al
though Gadhafi says the facility
makes pharmaceuticals.
A U.S. carrier group steamed to
ward the Mediterranean on Tuesday
in what the Pentagon said was a nor
mal rourion of forces, but the
movement prompted speculation of
an impending strike
Italian newspapers and politicians
billed the ships as a direct threat to
Libya. The U.S. Navy has said the
movement of the nuclear-powered
aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt
and 12 other ships in its battle group
is pan of a “previously scheduled,
routine deployment to the U.S. Sixth
Fleet.” A Reagan spokesman on
Tuesday declined comment on the
repons..
Gadhafi's reaction to the U.S.
charges is more conciliatory than his
response to threats of an attack three
years ago. But whether he will suc
ceed in winning allies is unknown.
“I think it's pretty dear that he did
not believe the U.S. would bomb the
country in ’86,” said Lisa Anderson,
a Columbia University professor and
a leading U.S. spedalist on Libya.
“Now, I think he takes threats on
Photobyjay Janocr
Sixth graders Sean Bass and Jimmy Clare play School. Classes resumed Tuesday h»r Bryan and
tether ball during recess at Oakwood Middle (x>llege Station school district students.
• A • %
Debate over proposed pay raise
livens up first day of Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
Democrat ic-con trolled 101st Con
gress staged opening ceremonies on
Tuesday filled with pomp and pag
eantry and spiced oy controversy
over a recommendation fo r a large
pay raise for lawmakers.
On a day given over largely to
swearing-in ceremonies and recep
tions, Democrats pledged cooper
ation with the incoming Bush ad
ministration. Leaders of both parties
laughed off a question about nigher
taxes.
President-elect Bush adminis
tered the oath of office to new and
newly re-elected senators in groups
of four. A few hundred feet across
the Capitol, Speaker Jim Wright
swore in House members.
Wright, D-Texas, in a speech
marking his election to a second
term as speaker, vowed to use the
next two years to attack “the budget
(deficit, the trade deficit and the so-
:ial deficit caused by the widening
i between rich and poor."
He offered Bush “unstinting co
operation" toward a bipartisan for
eign policy and said Democrats were
eager to nelp him improve educa
tion, child care, housing and envi-
ronmental programs.
Democratic Sen. George Mitchell
of Maine officially took up his duties
as majority leader, the most power
fulposition in the Senate.
Custom required that Mitchell,
Wright and otner legislative leaders
place a telephone call to President
Reagan notifying him that Congress
was in session. This they did, and'
when asked by reporters about the
possibility of higher taxes, the law
makers laughed in unison.
Bush has said he will fight any
proposal to reduce the deficit
through new taxes, but many Demo
crats and some Republicans believe
he will have to change his mind to
win agreement on a comprehensive
deficit-fighting plan.
If no one wanted to talk about
taxes. Rep. Tom Tauke, R-Iowa, was
eager to begin a debate over Rea
gan's expected recommendation for
a hefty pay raise for members of the
House and Senate.
“Congressional pay adjustments
have become a perpetual source of
debate, controversy and embarrass
ment,” he said, in calling for a two-
year delay in any increase and re
quiring a roll call vote in both houses
before salary hikes take effect.
Reagan is expected to call for a
substantial pay raise next week for
members of Congress to take effect
March 1 unless rejected before then
by both houses. An advisory com
mission has recommended a 50 per
cent boost for lawmakers, federal
judges and top executive branch of
ficials, with members of Congress
giving up lucrative honorariums in
exchange.
Current congressional pay is
$89,500 a year, and the* commis
sion’s proposal would raise it to
$135,000
The Senate bore a new blue pat
terned carpet for the occasion, as
well as new scarlet benches in the
corners for staff aides to view the
proceedings. The galleries were
packed with spectators as Bush
swore in 32 elected senators and Dan
Coats, &-1nd., appointed to replace
Vice President-elect Dan Quayle.
"The pomp was nowhere better on
display than in the Senate, where
outgoing majority leader Robert C.
Byrd off West Virginia was named
president pro tempore, the post that
goes to the longest-serving senator
of the majority party.
First a resolution was passed ap
pointing Byrd. Then, as he took the
presiding officer’s chair, a resolution
was approved notifying the House
of his appointment. Finally, a resolu
tion was approved congratulating
him for attaining his new position.
The atmosphere was less staid in
the House, where many- lawmakers
• were accompanied to the opening-
day session by spouses or young chil
dren.
alinas: Economy is top priority
MEXICO CITY (AP) — President
Carlos Salinas de Gortari said his ad
ministration’s No. 1 priority is to re
sume economic growth and Mexico’s
creditors should now dp their part to
help the nation reduce payments on
its $106 billion foreign debt.
“We are serious and will continue
to be serious" about making pay
ments on the debt, Salinas said in a
New Year’s speech to armed forces
chiefs delived Monday.
“We prefer firm negotiation to
confrontation,” he said. “But let me
emphasize that for me. the interests
of Mexico are more important than
the interests of the creditors."
He said Mexico has made an enor
mous sacrifice to correct its deficien
cies, and now it’s up to the creditors
to do their part.
Since he took power on Dec. 1, Sa
linas has maintained that the priority
is no longer to keep paying, but to
surt growing again. ’
Mexico faces total payments this
year of about $16 billion. Salinas
maintains that Mexico cannot con
tinue to make such high payments if
it wants to grow because it needs the
money to invest.
Venezuelan President-elect Carlos
Andres Perez, who will be inaugu
rated Feb. 2, is due to arrive Tues
day for a one-day visit. His meeting
with Salinas comes in the wake of
Venezuelan president Jaime Lusin-
chi's decision to suspend debt princi
pal payments.
Salinas said 1989 will be a year of
“transition between a period of
unstable inflation and one of low in
flation, transition between stagna
tion and sustained recovery, tran
sition towards a “better standard of
living for all Mexicans.
“The rhythm of transition will de
pend on the conditions of debt rene
gotiation." Salinas said. “We have to
take excessive debt service charges
off the backs of Mexicans.”
Salinas called for unity in the
forthcoming “battle of the debt," so
that "foreign pressures will 4 not
weaken us and we can negotiate with
strength, authority and firmness.”
The government, which has made
frequent calls for unity in the face of
debt negotiations, has faced unrest
from labor and strong criticism of
government programs by opposition
parties.
Labor sectors are angry over an
economic pact that gave workers an
eight percent raise. A previous pact
reduced inflation from 159 percent
in 1987 to 50 percent in 1988, but
workers say they are continuing to
fall behind.
Private sector industrialists have
said it will be impossible to avoid a
general rise in costs and prices, but
thev hope to hold it to between 10
and 18 percent. The government is
already raising some taxes and plan
ning to charge more for electricity,
telephones and gas.
the part of the U.S. — and even
fioaung ideas in op-ed pieces by peo
ple who are not part of the (Reagan)
administration . — extremely se
riously.”
Shortly before the April 15, 1986,
strike on Tripoli and Benghazi, Gad
hafi threatened a campaign of sub
version in the United States Earlier
that year, he defied U.S. forces to
cross his “Kne of death” in the Gulf
of Sidra off Libya.
But since the U.S. State Depart
ment alleged in September that Li
bya was on the verge of making
chemical weapons, Gadhafi has por-
"i
traved himself as the victim of U.S.
aggression.
In a November interview on
French TV, Gadhafi stood in the
rubble of his headquarters destroyed
in the 1986 raid and said he was
“making an appeal to all our allies to
expect full American aggression.”
After the United States said it was
talking with allies about a possible
raid on the factorv, Gadhafi called
Dec. 24 for the release of hostages,
particularly 4wo French girls held in
Lebanon by a Libyan-backed Pales
tinian group for a year.
Dukakis bows out
of governor’s race ,
BOSTON (AP) — Michael S. Du
kakis announced Tuesday that he
would not seek an unprecedented
fourth term as governor of Massa
chusetts in 1990, but he did not rule
out another run for the presidency
in 1992.
The unexpected announcement
broke a political logjam in Massachu
setts politics and touched off imme
diate speculation about the new
landscape in the Democratic Party
both here and in Washington
“This will be my last term as
ernor of Massachusetts," Du&akis,
55, told a crowded news conference.
“I’ve loved this office, and 1 still do.”
Dukakis, who was the unsuccess
ful standard-bearer for the Demo
cratic Party in the Nov. 8 election,
also touched off speculation that he
may seek a rematch against Presi
dent-elect George Bush without the
political hindrances that he learned
can plague a sitting governor.
‘T his decision is one that has
nothing to do with national office,”
Dukakis insisted.
He acknowledged he has not
ruled out another attempt to win the
White House and said he had discov
ered that “it is very difficult to run
for the presidency as an incumbent
governor, \
“I’ve learned — occasionally pain
fully —- never to say ‘never’ in poli
tics,” he said when asked whether he
intends to run for president in 1992.
In 1988, Dukakis tried to become
the first sitting governor since
Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 to win
the White House.
His status as governor was gener
ally seen as a strength during the
long primary season out quickly be
came a liability in the general elec
tion as the Bush team Kept him on
the defensive about his record on
crime and other issues.
Asked for a hint to his future, the
governor would say only, “Public
policy and public service is what I’m
all about, it’s what I love."
Political analyst William Schnei
der of the American Enterprise In
stitute, a a Democratic think tank in
Washington, said Dukakis' decision
was consistent with another run for
the White House. 4
“But it is regarded with some dis
may, among Democrats, because the
conventional wisdom is that he was a
poor candidate who ran a poor cam
paign," Schneider said. “He’s got to
change that perception, to let people
know that he has changed, that he
learned something."
Elaine Kamarck, a .Democratic
Party activist living in New York
City, said there is an undercurrent
of anger within the party.
“There is some feeling this could
have been a Democratic year and he
blew it," she said. “If he runs again, I
don’t know how he copes with that."
Dukakis said the campaign had
little impact on his decision not to
seek a fourth term.
If he completes his current term,
he would pass Revolutionary War
patriot John Hancock as the longest
serving governor in state history.
Hancock, famous for his bold signa
ture on the Declaration of Indepen
dence, held the office 11 years, al
though not continuously. Dukakis
has served 10 years non-contin-
uously.
• Dukakis said he would mi^s the
governorship, but had no regrets.
“There’s a certain sadness. I’ve loved
this job.*
The governor kept his decision a
secret until meeting with his Cabinet
and senior staff Tuesday morning. '
Dukakis now faces a restive Legis
lature concerned over a shortfall of
at least $636 million in the state's
$11.6 billion budget. The state
House and Senate convene the 1989
session Wednesday with members
bracing for a battle over taxes.
Dukakis said he intended to spend
the rest of his term fulfilling his re
sponsibilities, wrapping up his pro-
mams and working to maxe certain
he Is succeeded by a “progressive”
Democrat. But he declined to specif
ically endorse Lt. Gov. Evelyn Mur
phy, who was standing nearby.
Human rights summit
gets OK from Shultz
/
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secre
tary of State George P. Shultz, im
pressed with die wholesale release of
Soviet political prisoners and rising
emigration figures, has recom
mended that President Reagan ac
cept a Soviet proposal to hold a hu
man rights conference in Moscow in
1991, ^,U.S. official said Tuesday.
If Reagan takes Shultz's advice,
the stage also will be set for a qpw
round of East-West negotiauons tp
reduce conventional troops, tanks
and artillery in Europe.
The surt of talks between the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
and the Warsaw Pact had been wait
ing completion of a 35-nation review
in Vienna of human rights in the So
viet Union and in Eastern Europe.
Apparently, the Reagan adminis
tration has found enough progress
in the Soviet record to dose the con
ference in Vienna and move on.
“It’s not a perfect scorecard, but
they’ve done a lot,” said the U.S. of
ficial. who spoke on condition of an
onymity. “Thev've come amazingtv
far."
He said Reagaq had not uken a
decision yet, although it seemed im
minent.
Shultz is due to see Soviet Foreign
Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze in
Paris^ on Sunday. They will be at
tending a conference on the spread
of chemical weapons.
The State Department last Friday
credited the Soviets with “significant
progress" in its treatment of political
prisoners and Jewish refuseniks
The Soviets have released more
than 600 political prisoners in the
last two years, inducing all the mon
itors of the 1973 Helsinki
agreement, which held out the
promise of, an improvement in the
numan rights situation, PhyHis Oak
ley, the Mate Department spokes
man, said Friday.
All prisoners charged with violat
ing political or religious constraints
are noyv free, and less than a dozen
of 120 cases of Soviet citizens denied
permission to join family members
abroad remain unresolved, Oakley
said.
She said jamming of U.S.-spon
sored radio broadcasts has ceased
and that Soviet President Mikhail S.
Gorbachev in his speech Dec. 7 to
the U.N. General Assembly pledged
that laws bearing on human rights
would be changed.
Meanwhile, the National Confer
ence on Soviet Jewry reported on
Monday that 5,652 Jews left the So^
viet Union in December, the highest
monthly total since December 1979.
The exodus for 1988 totaled
19,287, the highest for any year
since 1980 when 2 I 1,471 Jews left.
Jewish emigration is one of the
yardsticks used by the United States
to measure Soviet performance on
human rights. The Soviets recently
turned over to the Sute Department
a list of about 50 refuseniks, mostly
from the Leningrad area, to be given
exit permits.
This was one of the moves that
E rompted Shultz to recommend
f.S. approval of a human rights'
conference in Moscow.
Another problem that appears to
be easing concerns the imprison
ment of some 30 Soviet citiaens on
criminal charges. In at least some
cases, the State Department suspects
political motives.