The Battalion
Navy decision
hits home
Texans feel the effects
of canceled project
See Page 3
Vol. 90 No. 70 CSPS 045360 6 Pages
College Station, Texas
Wednesday, January 9, 1990
Mideast crisis debated
Congress urged to support
use of military
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi
dent Bush said Tuesday that Sad
dam Hussein must be offered no
face-saving inducements to get out
of Kuwait, as he lobbied a divided
Congress to back up his threat to go
to war.
“I know that pressures are now
building to provide Saddam some
means of saving face, or to accept a
withdrawal that is less than uncondi
tional,” Bush said in a speech broad
cast internationally. “The danger in
this course should be clear to all.”
On Capitol Hill, where Bush en
joyed broad support among Repub
licans, Democrats chose sides on the
war-and-peace issue. During a Sen
ate Foreign Relations Committee
hearing, Chairman Claiborne Pell,
D-R.I., said Bush’s policy of sanc
tions and diplomacy was already
working.
“Before we ask Americans to die
for the liberation of Kuwait, I want
to be sure we have tried every possi
ble alternative,” he said. “So far, this
has not been the case.”
House Armed Services Commit
tee Chairman Les Aspin, D-Wis.,
force in Iraq
said he would vote in favor of autho
rizing the use of force when the issue
comes before the House, and would
urge colleagues to do the same.
“If all else fails, war is a reasonable
option,” he said at a news confer
ence. He said the risks of future
Iraqi aggressiqn and control of oil
would justify the loss of 500 to 1,000
American lives, which Aspin esti
mated would result from a phased
U.S. air and ground attack.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon said
25,000 additional U.S. troops had
arrived in the Persian Gulf region,
raising the total to more than
360,000. Spokesman Pete Williams
said more than 245,000 troops from
allied nations also are in the area,
making the allied air, sea and
ground total greater than Iraq’s esti
mated 540,000 troops, mostly
ground forces.
Bush said the Jan. 15 date spelled
out in a United Nations resolution
for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait is
“a deadline for Saddam Hussein to
choose.”
Texas A&M military analyst
gives outlook on Gulf crisis
By JULIE MYERS
Of The Battalion Staff
It would take months, not
weeks to win a war with Iraq, says
a military analyst at Texas A&M.
Two or three weeks would be
needed to establish air control
and support to move troops over
land, says Dr. Art Blair, deputy
director of the Mosher Institute
for Defense Studies. Blair is a re
tired army officer and former
West Point professor.
Even with air support, moving
over land would be slow and dan
gerous because of the effect of
dust and sand on equipment, and
mines which might be planted in
the desert, Blair says.
Blair hesitates to predict
whether there will be war in the
Persian Gulf, but says there is no
question the United Nations
forces would win.
“So much depends on the ob
jective,” Blair says. “If the objec
tive is to isolate the country, then
we need to know how long it takes
to starve a country reluctant to
give up. But if the objectives are
to destroy their will, ability to con
tinue fighting and occupy Iraq,
that will be a long, tedious and
nasty job.”.
Blair cautions against moving
hastily to force Iraq from Kuwait.
“We have more time than
money or lives, and good military
commanders know this,” he says.
“We (the military) have a reputa
tion for wanting to be in a war,
but in reality, military officers are
the most ardent pacifists because
they know the costs of conflict
firsthand.”
Politicians, not military person
nel, will pressure the armed
forces to act hastily.
Blair says the constitutional
conflict between Congress and
President Bush is a bigger issue
than war itself.
Bush could find himself in a di
lemma if Congress decides not to
See Mosher /Page 4
Possibility of Gulf war
prompts local meeting
By JAYME BLASCHKE
Of The Battalion Staff
Bryan-College Station residents
have the chance tonight to enter into
international debate about the Per
sian Gulf Crisis and the potential for
war between the United States and
Iraq.
A town meeting is scheduled for 7
p.m. in the Unitarian Fellowship
Hall on Wellborn Road in College
Station.
Irwin Tang, one of the organizers
of the event, said the gulf crisis
needs to be addressed by the local
community.
“We have people from our com
munity over there, and we have tax
dollars over there being spent,” said
Tang, junior political science major
at Texas A&M.
He said most of the debate has
been, national in scope, often ignor
ing local interests. He feels a town
meeting can help remedy that situa
tion.
Josh Busby, another organizer,
emphasized that the meeting will fo
cus on a peaceful solution to the
problem.
“All of us are at. an age where we
could be drafted if a draft were en
acted,” Busby said. “He (the Presi
dent) can’t just rush into war without
the support of the American people.
He can’t avoid asking us if we want
our children coming back in body
bags.”
Busby said he hopes the meeting
will pave the way for future local in
volvement.
“We can establish a framework
with this meeting, so in case war does
break out, we have the foundation
for an active, informed community,”
Busby said. “I don’t see this as being
a one-time deal.”
Tang said the response so far has
been positive. He said six speakers
are scheduled, ranging from Dr.
Larry Yarak, an expert on Middle
Eastern affairs, to Floyd Wells, a dis
abled Vietnam veteran.
“We’re going to have open dis
cussion with an open microphone, so
everyone can express their feelings
on the matter,” Tang said. “We’re
really hoping for an attendance of
around 200 people. That would be
wonderful.”
Busby said College Station Mayor
Larry Ringer, College Station city
council members, U.S. Rep. Joe Bar
ton, State Senator Jim Turner and
local attorney Jim James were in
vited to the meeting.
“Out of this discussion should
come a greater understanding of
what we want — a commitment to a
peaceful settlement,” Busby said.
Bad weather
hinders paving
of A&M roads
By KATHERINE COFFEY
Of The Battalion Staff
Texas A&M physical plant crews
have been working to repair poorly
paved campus roads, but weather
conditions have kept them from fin
ishing before the spring semester be-
gins.
Tom Williams, parking, transit
and traffic department director, says
previous street concrete repairs con
structed a few years ago have failed,
but the physical plant is working as
fast as possible to repave the roads.
Joe Sugg, director of the A&M
physical plant, says the failures in
the pavements have caused the
roads to collapse.
The roads being constructed on
campus include Ross Street, Ireland
Street and Throckmorton Road.
Williams says Throckmorton
Road, near the Rudder Complex
Center, is temporarily blocked to
make utility connections to the new
parking garage.
“We wanted to get this done
sooner but the rain during the holi
day has held us back,” Sugg says.
But Sugg says even though Col
lege Station had so much rain, there
was not as much cold weather as last
year to cause damages on campus.
Williams says a lot of construction
takes place during holidays, includ
ing Christmas break, Spring Break,
after the spring semester and the
month before fall starts.
“We take advantage of students
being gone to clean up parking
areas,” he says. “Our peak work is
cleaning, painting and construction
when students are gone.
“When school starts there will be
temporary closures of roads, but
parking will not be affected except
some access to staff lots, ” Williams
says. “But there should not be any
See Roads/Page 4
PHELAN H. EBENHACK/The Battalion
Head football coach R.C. Slocum and the rest of the football
team celebrate after singing the Aggie War Hymn with the Ag
gie Band after whipping Brigham Young University in the Holi
day Bowl on Dec. 29. A&M surprised the Cougars before a sold-
out crowd in Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. Many BYU
fans had complained that A&M was not a worthy opponent.
Teen’s suicide
shocks students
RICHARDSON (AP) — A 16-
year-old high school student shot
himself in the head Tuesday in front
of his horrified classmates, but edu
cators said the youth’s death was not
symptomatic of a larger problem in
this Dallas suburb.
Counselors helped Richardson
High School students and faculty
cope with the death of Jeremy Wade
Delle of Richardson. He had re
turned to an English class with a
.357-caliber Magnum revolver and
pulled its trigger before about 24
students.
“He said, ‘This is what I came
back to do,’ stuck the gun in his
mouth and pulled the trigger,” said
student Jason Fiveash, who wit
nessed the incident. “He seemed like
kind of a bitter person, or maybe
that’s just to me, but he obviously
had some kind of a problem.”
The shooting occurred shortly be
fore 10 a.m., said Susan Dacus Wil
son, a spokeswoman for the Rich
ardson Independent School District.
Authorities found a suicide note, but
did not immediately divulge its con
tents.
Delle, a sophomore, was pro
nounced dead at the scene. Nobody
else was wounded, Wilson said.
“I just sat there in disbelief,” Fi
veash said. “The initial shock is over
with, I think, but it’s still kind of a
frightening experience.”
Richardson Police Sgt. Ray Pen
nington said the boy had been in the
classroom but left for a brief period,
telling his teacher he needed to go
retrieve a medical slip from his
locker. He then returned with the
handgun and shot himself, Penning
ton said.
Wilson said the school and the dis
trict then enacted crisis emergency
plans, which included calling in ad
ditional counselors and psycholo
gists.
“Support personnel came from
throughout the district to the school
to provide counseling support, psy
chological support, those kinds of
things ...,” Wilson said.
A counselor said the death did not
indicate a problem in the district.
Science dean stepping down
By BRIDGET HARROW
Of The Battalion Staff
Texas A&M College of Science
Dean Dr. John Fackler will resign
later this year to continue research
and do more teaching after serving
eight years as head of the college.
Fackler, dean since January 1983,
said he believes little of his efforts
are presently being directed toward
things he was educated to do and en
joys, which are teaching and re
search.
“I came to A&M with the intent of
staying in administration for about
five years and then returning to my
research and teaching,” Fackler said.
“I like to understand the scientific
world, and I have been able to do
that to a lesser degree each year as
more and more of my efforts are
consumed by administrative-type
decisions,” he said.
Fackler will continue to serve as
dean until the University hires a suc
cessor. If the position is not filled by
Jan. 1, 1992, an interim dean will be
appointed.
Dr. E. Dean Gage, provost and
vice president for academic affairs,
said a committee has been formed to
conduct a nationwide search for a
replacement.
Before coming to A&M, Fackler
served as a faculty member at Case
Institute of Technology and Case
Western Reserve University for 20
years, including five years as head of
the chemistry department.
Fackler said he would like to teach
both graduate and undergraduate
students again.
“I enjoy teaching undergraduate
courses,” he said. “For most of my
career I have taught at least one ma
jor undergraduate course each year.
I enjoy the excitement of teaching
young people who are still enthusias
tic about learning.”
The College of Science has made
substantial progress since Fackler as
sumed the job eight years ago.
The number of distinguished pro
fessors in the college has grown
from five to 13, including a Nobel
John P. Fackler
laureate. The college’s research bud
get has increased by nearly 60 per
cent.
An endowed chair in physics and
a new endowed professorship in
See Fackler/Page 4
Iraq officials deny
defection of pilots
DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia
(AP) — The Saudi defense min
ister on Tuesday denied that six
pilots manning Iraqi helicopters
defected to Saudi Arabia. The
Pentagon also issued a disclaimer,
but there were persistent indica
tions some aircraft crossed the
border.
One Saudi source reported
Monday that four Iraqi planes
were about to land in Saudi Ara
bia. Another Saudi source and
two separate U.S. military
spokesmen later reported six he
licopters crossed from Kuwait.
Iraq strongly denied reports of
the defections, saying there had
been no Iraqi air maneuvers any
time Monday.
The Saudi Press Agency said
Defense Minister Prince Sultan
bin Abdel-Aziz “categorically
denied that any Iraqi aircraft took
refuge in the kingdom of Saudi
Arabia.”
“Most regrettably this report is
fabricated and totally baseless
and no pilots defected,” the de
fense minister was quoted as tell
ing reporters at a military grad
uation ceremony in Riyadh.
The Pentagon, which had been
the first to officially confirm the
defections Monday, released a
statement Tuesday night denying
any knowledge of them.
“Neither the United States nor
the Saudis can confirm yester
day’s reports that Iraqi helicopt
ers defected into Saudi Arabia,”
Army Maj. Mike Dobie said.
“Neither the U.S. nor the Sau
dis have any Iraqi helicopters in
custody.”
Residence
halls open
Texas A&M’s residence halls open
today for students returning to
school. Any questions about resi
dence life should be directed to the
Housing Office at 845-4744.
Pavilion open
for registration
Texas A&M students still trying to
organize their spring schedules can
go by the Pavilion beginning today
for lists of new courses and course
changes in the spring curriculum
catalog.
The lists are posted on a billboard
near the west entrance of the Pavil
ion.
The course changes list will in
clude new information about profes
sors, room numbers or times. Stu
dent Senate members will update
both lists again the first day of
classes.