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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 29, 1989)
The Battalion WORLD & NATION 9 Wednesday, March 29,1989 Meese testifies at North trial; tells of official’s ‘nightmares’ WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Attorney Gen eral Edwin Meese III testified at Oliver North’s trial Tuesday that the specter of impeachment hung over the White House in the 72 hours after aides discov ered a planned diversion of Iran arms sale money to the Nicaraguan Contras. In two hours of testimony, Meese said he told then-President Reagan about the diversion the day after North confirmed that the plan, outlined in a memo, had become a fact. “Your worst nightmare had come true?” North lawyer Brendan Sullivan asked. “Yes, it was,” Meese replied. “You knew that spelled trouble?” “Yes, I did.” The nightmares that Sullivan referred to was the revelation that two activities in which North was deeply involved had been intertwined: the adminis tration’s secret sale of weapons to Iran and the fact that money from the arms sales — with the knowl edge of U.S. officials — secretly was going to the re bels fighting the Nicaraguan government at a time such aid was forbidden by law. “Merging of those two factors could cause top pling of the president himself?” asked Sullivan. “Yes.” Meese replied. The memo, which had survived massive shred ding efforts by North, his secretary and an aide, was found on Nov. 22, 1986 by Meese aides William Bradford Reynolds in North’s office. The next day, a Sunday, Meese met with North and others at the Justice Department. Meese said that in the Sunday meeting, North ap peared surprised that Meese had obtained the memo which outlined the arms sales profit-diversion plan. “I believe he asked where we had gotten the memo,” Meese said. He testified also that North assured him then that the plan was Israel’s and U.S. involvement was “none.” And he said North told him he had con tacted Contra leader Adolfo Calero and suggested Calero open three accounts in Switzerland to get the money from the Israelis. In truth, North co-defendants Richard Secord and Albert Hakim had arranged to receive the Iran money in private Swiss accounts they established and controlled, investigators found. Meese said he talked to the president on Monday and they talked of the impact the public disclosure might have. U.S. officials accept offer for repayment by Iraqis Families of men killed on Stark get $27 million WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. of ficials said Tuesday that Iraq’s agreement to pay $27.35 million to the families of the 37 sailors killed in the attack on the USS Stark is a satis factory and fair settlement but it is unclear when the payments will be made. The agreement, formally an nounced by the State Department, represents about 92 percent of the $29.6 million the United States had requested for the families of those who died in Iraq’s unprovoked mis sile attack on the Stark in 1987. Bush administration officials pri vately described the agreement as “satisfactory” and a “fair set tlement.” The sources, speaking on condition they not be identified, also said it remained unclear when Iraq would hand over the money. They said Iraqi officials had offered the Mexican treasurer praises debt-reduction plan settlement, in a take-it-or-leave-it manner. The officials said Americans who were in Baghdad to settle the matter were called in to see Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz on Monday “and told that this was what (Iraqi) Presi dent (Saddam) Hussein had de cided.” “There were no negotiations,” one source continued. “They just an nounced this was what they were prepared to pay. “It was apparent to our delegation that this was going to be the best they could do,” said another official. “They didn’t dicker.” The sources said they could not explain how Iraq settled on the fig ure. “The government of Iraq has agreed to pay over $27 million as full compensation for (the) deaths,” State Department spokesman Mar garet Tutwiler announced Tuesday. “The agreement was reached in Baghdad (Monday) following dis cussions between the foreign min istry of Iraq and a United States del egation,” she added. A victim compensation payment by Iraq has been described by U.S. government officials as the most im- portant step the Mideast country can take to maintain good relations and follow through after its public apol ogy- Iraq has acknowledged that one of its warplanes fired on the Stark on May 17, 1987, in what it said was a case of mistaken identity. The Iraqis said the fighter thought it was at tacking an oil tanker bound for Iran. The United States has accepted that explanation by Iraq. Administration sources said the United States still plans to press Iraq on two other claims — a request for $82.9 million to cover repairing the ship, and a request for compensation for sailors who were injured but sur vived the attack. a •kin 71 MEXICO CITY (AP) — Treasury Secretary Pedro Aspe said talks with creditor banks on the latest U.S. plan to ease the debt of the developing world has helped define Mexico’s options for ma naging its massive Foreign debt. “The road ahead is clearer and the options are better defined,” he said late Monday after re turning from a two-week trip to the United States, Japan, France and the Netherlands. He said the trip was aimed at evaluating the potential of the Brady plan — U.S. Treasury Sec retary Nicolas Brady’s ideas for reducing the debt burden of developing nations. Latin Ameri can countries, which owe an estimated $410 bil lion, are some of the hardest hit by the debt crisis. Mexico’s foreign debt, $107.4 billion, accord ing to the World Bank, is the second-largest in the developing world after Brazil’s. Aspe plans to leave Monday for Washington for further talks with U.S. officials, creditor banks and international lending agencies. “The Mexican government will continue to ex plore, concert and negotiate continuously until it Adueves, a SAdsfACtovy agreement,” Aspe said in a statement issued late Monday. The debt is part of a domestic crisis of serious proportions in Mexico, where economic austerity measures have grown increasingly unpopular. Business and labor leaders warned Tuesday they cannot take any more belt-tightening. “The workers’ movement is in desperate straits. We cannot stand it any longer,” the dep uty general secretary of the powerful Mexican Labor Federation, Alfonso Calderon said in a statement Monday. Mexico’s economic crisis has brought triple digit inflation followed by recession, drained for eign currency reserves, cut workers’ buying power by more than half in the last six years, and increased unemployment. Businesses “will not be able to withstand an other six years of sacrifice, and Mexicans will re sist living in an ailing economy,” Luis Carcoba Garcia, chairman of the Federation of Industrial Chambers, warned in an intereview published Tuesday by the newspaper El Universal. Mexican officials say domestic growth has stag nated because resources have been poured into keeping up on debt payments. This year Mexico expects to spend $16 billion of its anticipated for eign income of $21 billion on the debt, with $9 billion going to interest alone. Carcoba said the government should provide “for greater support for industrial expansion in order to urgently generate more employment.” About 40 percent of the Mexican workforce is now jobless or underemployed. With a popula tion growth of 2 percent a year, Mexico needs at least 1 million new jobs every year just to keep up with young people entering the workplace. Mexico incurred much of its debt during a borrowing spree in the oil boom of the late 1970s and the early 1980s. When oil prices crashed in 1982, so did the Mexican economy. The Brady plan represents a new direction in U.S. policy, which has long prescribed new loans to enable Third World debtors to keep up their payments. The Brady plan instead envisions re ducing debt, something Mexico has advocated for years. Aspe said his trip was designed to “pin down” and “evaluate” to “what extent the Brady plan can be adapted to satisfactorily resolve the Mexi can problem.” He gave no details. Sources say Texas Air plans to consider offers for Eastern NEW YORK (AP) — Texas Air Corp. directors met Tuesday and were expected to consider offers to buy strike-crippled Eastern Airlines, sources said. Peter V. Ueberroth, whose term as baseball commissioner ends Satur day, may offer $300 million to $500 million during the meeting that ends Wednesday, said baseball and airline industry sources. Takeover specialist Carl C. Icahn hoped union conces sions would persuade Eastern cred itors to let him take control. Sources said substantive dis cussions in the regularly scheduled meetings probably wouldn’t get un der way until Wednesday. Texas Air spokesman Art Kent in Houston said the company wouldn’t comment on whether a meeting was being held. “There are a lot of those rumors going around,” Kent said. Indications of Ueberroth’s inter est came as Icahn, owner and chair man of Trans World Airlines Inc., resumed talks with Eastern’s unions about a possible takeover. Icahn hoped to win concessions, said Brian Freeman, an investment banker with close ties to the Machin ists union. The union struck March 4, and support from pilots has virtually grounded the Miami-based airline. A federal judge in Miami scheduled a hearing Thursday on Eastern’s ef forts to force its rebellious pilots back to work. ler u» ntaiiif itemr: oaltj i as sii leyatt its, boob could lartsoi Amei ?cara( is.Ikt r il tfai lergifl wart ols inj ‘rate iitet Viefl from rman ion is E o o 0 v-. 0 Q) a (D i- (D c +- ts c 0 to 0 c 0 D c D U c <Tfie Wizard: Of Oz i—■ < to o 0) -C o CO 5 5 o C¥L It's All In Your Mind !!! March 30 - April 2, 1989 The oldest and one of the largest Science Fiction/Fantasy Conventions in the Southwest United States. MiUOR GUESTS : Writer Guest George R. R. Martin producer of Beauty And The Beast (CBS ) Special Guest Octavia Butler Hugo Award winner in 1984 and 1985 Media Guest Richard Arnold official STAR TREK archivist Artist Guest Real Musgrave official Texas Renaissance Festival Artist Toastmaster. Kerry O'Quinn editor of STARLOG magazine Comic Book Guest Chris Claremont i writer for the X-Men Produced Bu MSC Cevheid Variable lH:«aO\ \l. GUESTS : Carole Nelson Douglas, Brad Foster, Danny & Jude Gillies, Steve Gould, Kurt Busiek, Lillian Stewart Carl, Ardath Mayhar, Laura Mixon, Katherine Eliska Kimbriel, Barbara Bartholomew, Sam Douglas, Rory Harper, Warren Norwood, Doug Potter, Lewis Shiner, Howard Waldrop, C. Dean Andersson (Asa Drake), Gregor Punchtaz, Nina Romberg, Vicki Ann Heydron, Joe Lansdale. FATiVTS ; Art Show, Panels, Dealers' Room, Quest, Video Room, Masquerade Guest Reception & Ball, Party Room, Gaming, Warren Norwood Charity Auction, Game Shows, Readings, Lazer Tag, Hall Costume Contest, Autograph Sessions ... and much, much more !!! MOVIFS ; All movie prices are included in convention passes. Star Trek FV and Blade Runner (midnight movies) can be seen without convention passes for one dollar each. tsk FiVTKY FFFS : Full Convention One Day Pass Children (4-12 years) $ 6.00 $3.00 Adults Students $ 15.00 $ 12.00 $ 8.00 $ 6.00 Children under 4 years old are free Dealer's Room $ 50.00 per table Quest $ 5.00 per person Art Show $ 5.00 per artist TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE AT THE MSC BOX OFFICE AND AT ALL TICKETRON OUTLETS 3 10 Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan Star Trek III Star Trek IV: The Search For Spock The Voyage Home