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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 1989)
TKeBattalion )l. 89 No.25 USPS 045360 14 Pages WEATHER TOMORROW’S FORECAST: Partly sunny. HIGH: 78 LOW: 62 College Station, Texas Thursday, October 5,1989 Aides say army rebels held Noriega in coup Attackman John D. McTasnoy (number 16) tries to get around defenseman Blair Allison Photo by Fredrick D. Joe during a lacrosse inter-squad scrimmage on Wednesday. PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) — Rebel officers trying to depose Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega captured him and held him for hours but re leased him after loyal forces warned the rebels would “face the conse quences” if he was harmed, a No riega aide said Wednesday. Later, thousands of people, many of them public employees, demon strated in front of the building to show him support. Noriega leaned out a second-story window, hanging onto a grating, as he smiled and waved. Lt. Col. Arnulfo Castrejon, direc tor for the Defense Forces Security and Defense Committee, told re porters that while being held Tues day, Noriega “had tried to calm his captors . . . trying to avoid blood shed.” Lower-ranking officers attempt ing the coup were defeated after loyal forces surrounded Defense Forces headquarters and counterat tacked. “The surrender came when the loyal officers took command of the combat units and gave the rebels a last chance to release the com mander and members of his staff or face the consequences,” Castrejon said. “The general was a hostage for four hours.” Later Castrejon said Noriega was held five hours. It was not clear if Noriega was held when the final as sault was made by loyal troops. “He was confident that elite forces and the special forces and rest of the officers and soldiers of the Defense Forces were going to solve the prob lem immediately, as it happened,” Castrejon added. Castrejon did not say who coordi nated the rescue and counterattack operation. U.S. officials, speaking on condi tion of anonymity in Washington, said earlier Wednesday they were mystified by the decision to let No riega go. If things had goqe right for the Congress criticizes Bush for failing to help in coup WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush administration said Wednesday it was not asked and did not promise to aid in Tues day’s failed coup against Panama nian leader Manuel Antonio No riega but reserves the right to use military force on its “own timeta ble.” Amid sharp criticism from Congress that the United States should have stepped in to help topple Noriega, officials said the administration was in the dark Tuesday about what was happen ing in Panama, with no details about the coup’s chances of suc cess. There were suggestions, though, that a clear effort to re store democracy might have brought U.S. help to the rebels. U.S. officials, asking not to be identified, said the rebels had No riega in custody for four to five hours but then let him go, an ac count substantially confirmed by Noriega aides in Panama. In the Senate, Jesse Helms, R- N.C., proposed an amendment to an anti-drug bill to authorize Bush to use U.S. troops to force fully remove Noriega from power and bring him to trial in the United States on the drug charges already pending against him. The move was seen as sym bolic, since Bush already has such powers. Noriega blamed the uprising on the United States, saying, “The proof is that American troops closed access routes to the barracks, just as they closed the Pan-American Highway.” Marlin Fitzwater said Wednes day, “We did move forces in a po sition to secure the causeway and the bridge of the Americas as a means of protecting U.S. citizens who were on the base. Those are the major access routes to our base.” Defense Secretary Dick Che ney told reporters on Capitol Hill that it was not clear at the time that Noriega was being held, but the Bush administration now be lieves that was the case. “Clearly they were not of the mind to turn him over to us,” Cheney said. Cheney said, “It was not a pro democracy group that had taken over the PDF. It was more of a power struggle within the PDF it self.” rebels, “Noriega would have been at night court in Miami listening to a judge telling him he was being de tained without bail,” one U.S. official said wistfully. In Panama City, neighbors said they saw Noriega enter Defense Forces headquarters with members of his staff Tuesday morning, and that the shooting began about 10 minutes later. They spoke on condi tion of anonymity. During the fighting Castrejon made a TV announcement saying Noriega was in an undisclosed loca tion and was in radio contact with his troops. ebanese terrorist ientenced to 30 years br 1985 hijacking Search for missing crew continues in Gulf gas pipeline, boat explosion Hazardous material experts check for chemical leaks in water WASHINGTON (AP) — A Leb anese hijacker convicted of comman- Beering a jetliner in Beirut in 1985 Vith two Americans aboard was sen tenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison. Fawaz Younis, grabbed by FBI agents aboard a yacht in 1987 and Irought to the United States to stand |rial, told U.S. District Court Judge Aubrey Robinson that “I am not a nember” of any terrorist group. Younis said the two Americans on |he Jordanian airliner were “treated i friends” by the hijackers during a 0-hour ordeal over the Mediterra- hean Sea that ended with the 70 pas sengers and crew members being freed. The hijackers then blew up phe aircraft. The judge ordered Younis to erve 30 years for hostage taking, 20 fears for aircraft piracy and five fears for conspiring to take hos- ages, following his March 14 convic- iion by a jury on three of six criminal [charges. The sentences are to run [concurrently. After the sentencing, Younis’s at- Itorney, Frank Carter, promised to appeal the case on “20 different is sues.” He said that the question of U.S. jurisdiction is a critical one and that “I don’t think it (the hijacking) had anything to do with Americans whatsoever.” Assistant U.S. attorney Ramsey Johnson urged Robinson to impose a sentence of life imprisonment, but the judge said he wouldn’t because no one was killed in the hijacking. Jordanian sky marshals aboard the plane were beaten, but there was tes timony at Younis’s trial that he or dered the violence stopped. But the judge said a lengthy sen tence must be imposed because time “will never wipe out in the minds” of the passengers and crew the “terror” they experienced. U.S. Attorney Jay Stephens called the sentence “substantial” and “fair,” adding that it “vindicates the vic tims” and sends a “clear message” to anyone “who would engage in acts of international terrorism.” Having spent the last two years in custody, Younis will be eligible for parole in eight years, Stephens said. SABINE PASS (AP) —Two haz ardous waste material experts boarded a fishing boat that struck a gas pipeline and exploded in the Gulf of Mexico to check for any missing crew members and danger ous chemicals, officials said Wednes day. Members of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Atlantic Area Strike Team boarded the “North Umberland” about 6:15 p.m. to “check for traces of anhydrous ammonia, which the fishing vessel used as a refrigerator.” “We haven’t heard from them, so we don’t know if they have found any bodies,” Lt. Cmdr. Mark Simp son said. “They’re going to be work ing until dark.” Meanwhile, Coast Guard officials suspended their search for eight people missing after the boat ex ploded just before dark Tuesday. Three people were killed and three others injured in the accident. Two Coast Guard cutters were out to keep other vessels away from the “North Umberland.” Mike Benson, spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington, said the agency was sending a team to investi gate. The five-member team was ex pected to arrive in nearby Port Ar thur late Wednesday. A small fire continued to burn 18 hours after the 160-foot “North Um berland” apparently hit the 16-inch natural gas pipeline, triggering a spectacular blaze that sent flames hundreds of feet into the air, Lt. Scott LaRochelle said. The main blaze burned itself out Wednesday morning, after the pipe line was turned off. The hazardous material experts from Mobile, Ala., have equipment to test the air and water in the area. LaRochelle said anhydrous ammo nia is used on board fishing boats to preserve a catch. Texas Parks and Wildlife Depart ment personnel were inspecting beaches because prevailing currents would send survivors or victims to ward the shore, the Coast Guard said. Two victims and three survivors were spotted by private helicopters Tuesday night. A third was found just after noon Wednesday. The three injured survivors re mained hospitalized in nearby Beau mont. Lori Kerr, a spokesman at Baptist Hospital, said names of the victims were not being released immedi ately. She identified one as a 53-year- old man from Sulphur, La., with burns over 68 percent of his body. His condition was listed as critical. The other two, both in good con dition, were identified as a 28-year- old from Cameron, La., suffering burns to his face and arms, and a 31- year-old from Lake Charles, La., suffering from shock. The Cameron, La.-based “pogy boat” caught pogy or menhaden, in edible fish used for poultry feed and fertilizer, said Barney White, spokes man for Houston-based Zapada Heynie Corp., which owns the boat. The explosion was offshore from the tiny seaside village of Sabine Pass. Marcos’ controversial reign, death strikes close to students jEPA sues four Texas cities for toxins in public sewage treatment systems WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal [lawsuits have been filed against four [Texas cities — San Antonio, Beau- jnioru, El Paso and Nacogdoches — [accusing them of failing to control [toxic industrial discharges into pub- jlic sewage treatment systems, the lJustice Department said Wednesday. San Antonio and Nacogdoches, [however, settled their cases with the Yell practice Thursday night yell practice [times for out-of-town football games will be changed from 7:30 pm. to 7:15 p.m. beginning to- night. The time change will be per- nanent. Environmental Protection Agency with a consent agreement and will pay fines of $225,000 and $60,000 respectively, for past violations. In addition, the EPA has pro posed penalties against Brownsville, $125,000; Galveston, $125,000; and Mineral Wells, $125,000. EPA said federal administrative penalties had also been decided for Amarillo, $25,000; McAllen, $65,000; and Waxahachie, $20,000. Beaumont City Manager Ray Ri ley called the lawsuit naming his city “totally unwarranted” and “totally inappropriate.” Riley said he believes Beaumont was sued because of a “technical de ficiency” several years ago .in imple menting a pollution control grant. He said the city had not assigned a specific person to conduct some test ing, although the procedures were being done by several employees. “There was no pollution, merely a technical deficiency in procedures,” Riley said. “We cannot understand why they would go to the extreme limits of filing a lawsuit.” In El Paso, Mayor Suzie Azar ac knowledged the city is out of compli ance but has been acting in “due dil igence” since early this year to put in place by early 1990 a formal permit ting, inspection and enforcement program. “We do hope we can come to a consent decree and resolve the prob lem and pay the fine and move on with getting a pretreatment pro gram in place,” Azar said, adding that the city has been warned the fine could range from $557,000 to $2.3 million. By Cindy McMillian Of The Battalion Staff The death of Ferdinand Marcos, exiled former president of the Philippines, was a distant event to many Americans, but struck closer to home for some Filipino students. Marcos, who ruled the Philippines for more than 20 years before being ousted in February 1986, died Sept. 28 in Honolulu without going to trial for U.S. criminal charges that he plundered his country's treasury. Though his family and Philippine opposition leaders urged Philippine President Corazon Aquino to allow him to be buried in his homeland, Aquino refused and the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington prohibited any aircraft from flying his remains out of the United States for the Philippines. Emmanuel Fernando, advisor to the Philippine Students Association, said he wished Marcos would have help>ed the Philippine government in locating the money missing from its treasury before his death. “I don’t have any particularly deep sorrow about his death, just that he died before this matter about his hidden wealth was resolved,” Fernando said. “The government hasn't found where the money is, and now it might never be solved.” Fernando lived in the Philippines when Marcos first took p>ower as president in 1964, and was also there when martial law was declared. Fernando said he couldn’t speak for the students, but he did not think Marcos was a good president. “I don’t think he did a good job,” he said. “I be lieve things are better now that Marcos is not there.” Cherith Letargo, president of PSA, spent 24 years in the Philippines under Marcos and was educated under his martial law. She said that even when mar tial law was ended in the 1980s, the people had no rights and were still under his control. “I would say the majority of our students feel happy about his death because of what he did to the country,” she said. “His death might quell his sup porters so the new government can move on.” Ariel Malicse, public relations officer for PSA, said that Marcos’ death might make him something of a hero or martyr. Marcos’ influence will fade eventually, Malicse said, but people who support him will still speak his beliefs for now. His supporters in the government, including Vice President Salvador Laurel, might try to take advan tage of the situation to further Marcos’ beliefs, Ma licse said. Laurel w-as supposed to run for president after Marcos was exiled, he said, but Aquino had more popular support. Aquino’s government has survived six armed attempts to overthrow it. Both students said that Aquino should not allow 7 Marcos to be buried in the Philippines because it might lead to unrest. “It will cause instability,” Malicse said. “Most of the country still considers Marcos a criminal.”