U.S., Iraq negotiate Commanders agree on release of prisoners of war SAFWAN, Iraq (AP) — Allied and aqi military commanders cleared lie way Sunday for a permanent nice in the Per- iian Gulf War, caching ijreement on the telease of prison- trs and taking iieps to avoid fur- [ker skirmishes. 1 am very py to tell you we agreed on ill matters,” the Desert Storm Schwarzkopf (ommander, Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, said after a two-hour meeting in a heavily guarded tent at Safwan air base in southern Iraq. Schwarzkopf said Iraqi military officers “came to discuss and cooper ate with a positive attitude.” If such dealings continue, the commander told reporters, “We are well on our way to a lasting peace.” The Iraqi commanders also turned over information on the loca tion of hundreds of thousands of mines Iraq planted in Kuwait and Persian Gulf waters. For their part, the allies promised to withdraw their forces from the Iraqi territory they hold once a for mal cease-fire is signed. Schwarzkopf refused to predict when that may happen, and he said a second meeting with the Iraqi com manders was possible. The general did not mention other demands the allies have made — demands that could conceivably delay a permanent cease-fire and the long-awaited day when the United States begins withdrawing its 530,000 soldiers. The United Nations spelled out those requirements Saturday night. Before a formal cease-fire can be adopted, the world body’s Security Council said in a new resolution, Iraq must also rescind its annexation of Kuwait and accept liability for war damages in the emirate. In addition, the Security Council reaffirmed earlier anti-Baghdad measures, including one that im posed worldwide trade sanctions on Iraq. The latest resolution backs Presi dent Bush’s position that allied troops remain in Iraq until the cease fire he declared Thursday becomes permanent. As the complicated endgame to the war continued, there were new reports of civil unrest in Iraq. Washington repeatedly has urged Iraqis to overthrow Saddam Hus- See Truce/Page 9 Leader: ground rules for media preserve element of surprise By Mike Luman The Battalion Coalition leaders did not ma nipulate the media or plant infor mation to mislead Iraqi troops during the ground war, the U.S. Army’s chief of public affairs said Friday at Texas A&M. Brig. Gen. Charles William Mc Clain Jr., Class of ’62, said coali tion leaders never attempted to raise false expectations of future allied troop movements. A CNN report Thursday claimed allied leaders led CNN reporters to believe an amphib ious assault on Kuwait was immi nent. Iraqi troops gathered on Ku waiti beaches, waiting for an at tack that never came, CNN re ported. McClain said military leaders already had planned to station U.S. Marines off the Kuwaiti shore, and CNN’s reports were not going to change that. “As far as saying, ‘Let’s plant information and see what hap- See Media/Page 9 (above)About 250 people were on hand to con nect the ends of the 31-mile ribbon around Biyan-College Station Saturday. (right)College Station Mayor Larry Ringer (left), Sen. Jim Turner FREDRICK D. JOEThe Battalion (center) and Cindy Tate (left), wife of Bryan Mayor Marvin Tate, celebrate at the point where the ends of the ribbon meet. It also was con nected to a seven-mile ribbon around campus. A&M, B-CS set world record with 38 miles of yellow ribbon By Karen Praslicka port about another town wrapped in The Battalion ribbon. Ansbach said he saw no reason More than 60 Texas A&M stu- not to connect the campus and city dents tied seven miles of yellow rib- ribbons. bon around campus Saturday to The yellow ribbon was not a politi- support American troops, but not cal statement but a way to support much remains of the students’ ef- the men and women who risked fort. their lives in the Persian Gulf and The ribbon around campus con- welcome them home, he said, netted at the intersection of George A&M student Jim Harlan agreed. Bush Drive and FM 2818 with 31 “Even though the war is over, they miles of ribbon around Bryan-Col- need to know we still support them,” lege Station, put in place by mem- Harlan said. bers of the Bryan-College Station Ansbach said the students partici- area. Dating in the project made it success- Most of the ribbon around A&M lul. was removed Sunday, while the rib- “It felt like every single person out bon around the twin cities didn’t last there was strong and sincere in their through Saturday. But the 38 miles support.” he said, of ribbon established a new world re- While st udents tied ribbon to cord. signs and trees around campus, peo- The ribbon tied around B-CS will pie driving by honked car horns and be listed in the next edition of the gave the Aggie “thumbs up” sign. Guiness Book of World Records. A&M student Matt Wade said the John Ansbach, chairman of Stu- ribbon was not a “trivialization of, dent Government’s External Affairs war.” Committee, said he got the idea a He said troops might never see month ago when he saw a news re- yellow ribbons tied to telephone poles or car antennas, but this event is something troops probably will hear about. Andy Keetch, another student participating in the event, said it is important for troops to know they have this kind of support. Local radio station KORA or dered the ribbon with Texas seals from a Texas surveying company. It was funded bv the Student Senate and local merchants. Disk jockey Roger W.W.W. Gar rett said the ribbon was intended to make a statement of support for the troops and what they have done. Ansbach said individuals and campus organizations were involved in the project. “The students were willing to go out and do something,” Ansbach said. “Whether you’re involved or not, this kind of issue just crosses all boundaries.” Ansbach said the event would not have been possible without the stu dents and the committee. “It’s something I won’t forget for a long time,” Ansbach said. Medical loan program aids rural counties By Mack Harrison The Battalion Texas A&M medical students could benefit from a little-known new loan program designed to revive statewide rural health care. The Outstanding Rural Scholar Recognition and Forgiveness Loan Program is intended to provide ru ral counties with health care workers. The program matches funds from an agency in the rural community with state aid. Ty Newton, coordinator for stu dent affairs for A&M’s College of Medicine, says no one from the Uni versity has applied for the program and few qualified people even know about it. “The state didn’t send the infor mation to the medical schools, but to the communities,” Newton says. “They mailed the information to the communities that would qualify, so they would put the word out.” Students in the program must find a community-based sponsor to pay half of their educational ex penses. In return, students agree to re turn to the community to practice af ter completing their education, says Mack Adams, assistant commis- See Rural/Page 5 Inside 3 student' 4 Car,oonS of year 7 Lehmann fk World column and Nation Focus Almost but not quite A&M men's, women's basketball bitten by Cougars. page 7 Bonfire committee initiates tree-planting program By Katherine Coffey The Battalion Bonfire crews started a new tradition Saturday by planting 365 trees on land where they have cut since 1983. Bonfire redpot Johan Osth, a Texas A&M junior building construction major, said students who work on bonfire plan to make the tree-planting program an annual event, and possibly bi-annual. The idea was initiated by the Bonfire Committee and coordinated with the Texas Environmental Action Coalition (TEAC), A&M Forestry Club and Texas Municipal Power Agency (TMPA). “The idea came from the Bonfire Committee because of environmen tal reasons,” Osth said. “We feel it is something that had to be done.” Headstack redpot Jim McTasney, a junior electrical engineering major, also thinks the issue is important. “We’re not eco-terrorists,” McTasney said. “We are concerned with the environmental issue.” About 80 bonfire workers, members of TEAC, the Forestry Club and TMPA showed up at the mining site in Carlos, about 30 miles out of Col lege Station. TMPA Land Department Manager Hubert Nelson said trees used for bonfires would have been bulldozed anyway because of mining processes. Nelson, Class of ’62, said TMPA allows students to cut trees just before the mining process and then clears the land, pushing other trees into a mining pit. Nelson said TMPA has about 40,000 acres of land, but only about 12,500 acres have been disturbed by mining. “Aggies don’t clear hardly any of the area, but they cut in little clearing groups, which is better for the ecosystem,” he said. See Bonfire/Page 4 RICHARD S. JAMES/The Battalion Jim Nance (left) and Jason Loveless (right) plant a tree near the bonfire cut site Saturday morning. Groups participating in Satur day’s planting included the TEAC, TMPA and Forestry Club. Forester says tree cutting helps growth, wildlife By Katherine Coffey The Battalion Though tree planting at the bonfire cut site will not stir much opposi tion, one Texas A&M forest management graduate student believes tree cutting also provides some benefits. “The way the bonfire crew cuts trees is good for the ecosystem because they create small areas for open space, which allow more tree species to grow,” Darren Gabriel says. “It also helps the same species grow more healthy.” Gabriel, who helped plant trees Saturday in Carlos, spent a year col lecting facts about the different perspectives on bonfire. Bonfire has been one of the main targets of environmental groups at A&M in recent years, and Gabriel decided he should look into the issue. “As a forester, I decided I needed to look into what bonfire was doing,” he says. “I thought this needed to be researched.” Cutting trees is beneficial for the land until it is mined, says Gabriel, who does tree planting and research for the forestry department. After each area is cut, it takes months before the land is mined, he says. During this time, trees and animals benefit from the cut areas, says Ga- See Trees/Page 5