Page 10 The Battalion Thursday, January 17, 1991 Storm try to keep prices stable. The United States seized the first opportunity for a nighttime attack after time ran out on a United Na tions deadline for Iraq to relinquish 1 Kuwait or face war. The deadline expired at midnight Tuesday EST —Wednesday morning in Baghdad. Saddam, whose armies overran Kuwait in a lighting strike 5 , /2 months ago, haa defied economic sanctions, threats of force and diplo matic appeals, declaring the oil-rich emirate to be irrevocably part of Iraq. “Our goal is not the conquest of Iraq,” Bush said in an address broad cast nationwide Wednesday night, after allied warplanes thundered off to seek out their targets. “It is the lib eration of Kuwait.” In the Iraqi capital, air raid sirens wailed as wave after wave of war planes filled the starlit sky, and red- and-green tracer fire erupted. “This feels like we’re in the center of hell,” said CNN’s Bernard Shaw in Bagh dad. Television carried sound reports from Iraq via satellite, but telephone service was cut. American Tele- E hone & Telegraph Co. said it had >st communication with Iraq. At the United Nations, U.S. Am bassador Thomas R. Pickering promised that Iraq could avoid fur ther punishment by beginning a complete, unconditional withdrawal from Kuwait. The pledge came in a private meeting with the Security Council, according to a text of his statement obtained early today by The Associated Press. In the United States, anti-war pro tests, which had grown in intensity in the days leading up to the fighting, Continued from page 1 TURKEY Mosul Mediterranean Sea SYRIA IRAN Baghdad 1 IRAQ* Ammi JORDAI Basra EGYPT v KUWAIT SAUDI ARABIA Riyadh TIMM DOOLEN/The Battalion involved. But Powell said Iraqi com mand and control centers were prime targets of the first wave of air craft. Only the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait partici pated in the initial attacks, Cheney said, although 28 nations are part of the multinational force confronting Iraq. French military forces did not take part in the first assault, but a dozen French planes took part in the later attacks. France’s defense min ister said four French planes were hit by fire, but that all returned safely to Saudi Arabia. redoubled in numbers and passion with the outbreak of war. Club swinging police dispersed hundreds of demonstrators near the White House. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, briefing reporters in Washington, would provide no casualty reports from the initial attack. But he said the operation “appears to have gone very, very well.” Gen. Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the al lied offensive met “no air resistance” from Iraq’s air force. Powell and Cheney declined to discuss specifics of the operation — even to confirm the types of aircraft Vandiver Continued from page 1 activities,” he said. Vandiver said Iraqi President Sad dam Hussein might decide to sur render. “Hussein could win by losing,” Vandiver said. “By shaking his fists at the big guys and thumbing his nose at the West, he’s shown the Arab world he has moxie. If his ulti mate goal is to be an Arab leader, he could surrender and still fulfill his goals.” He said lessons learned from the Vietnam conflict aided in the plan ning of this war. “We learned a lesson from Viet nam,” Vandiver said. “Don’t do a halfway job. Do it quick and give it everything you got. i tns is a total commitment.” A total commitment to war ini tially sent oil prices soaring to $40 a barrel on world financial markets af ter the announcement. Ted Poth at Piper Chevron said he expected $2 a gallon for gasoline at his station by this morning. He al ready has talked to his distributor who said it will increase by at least 75 cents. “I didn’t think at first it would go that high, but now, it might do it,” Poth said. “It’s crazy. Business has been flowing in steady since the an nouncement. It’s panic buying.” Aggieland Mobil said it also had seen a steady stream of customers since the attack was announced. H&M Texaco on Texas Avenue had lines this evening and Diamond Shamrock on Harvey Road had cars three deep waiting at the pumps. According to news reports Wednesday, Mobil, Chevron, Con oco and Unocal froze gasoline prices. Other companies are ex pected to follow suit. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, R-Conn., warned oil companies the American public will not tolerate oil companies’ profi teering from the war with Iraq. Wednesday, President George Bush authorized the sale of $1 bil lion barrels of oil a day on the open market from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves. fitness Center Redining Turbo Bikes Contept 2 Rowers Lifetydes 1/10 Mile Indoor Tro hi Uyxj^IjiCL !Z7au OKT Spring Rush 1991 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 16 Fraternity Life Seminar 7:00 225 MSC 17 Casino Night 8:00 Phi Tau House Phizes Bidded Off 18 Road Trip to Andrew "Dice" Clay Rides Leave @3:30 Invite Only, R.S.V.P. 19 OKT/AZ Pizza Party Mazzio's Pizza 5:00 20 21 Phi Tau Pool Tourney 7-10 Alfred T. Hombacks 22 23 Invite Only Dinner w/KT Phi Kappa Tau 418 College Main 268-7423