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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 1991)
What's Up Page 3 Club Ukraine Page 2 ifllpr Page 5 A&M vs. FSU FSU's Bowden brings unique coaching style to Cotton Bowl. The Battalion College Station, Texas ‘Serving Texas A&M since 1893’ 8 Pages Wednesday, December 11, 1991 ates calls Soviet Union situation 'dangerously unstable WASHINGTON (AP) - The Soviet nion faces chaos this winter as the former ommunist empire spins apart and Presi- ient Mikhail Gorbachev is reduced to little nore than a figurehead, CIA Director Robert Gates said Tuesday. The situation is dangerously unstable,” jates told the House Armed Services Com mittee, even as U.S. Ambassador Robert itrauss raised doubts about whether a new ommonwealth of Russia, Ukraine and yelorussia can survive. Gates later met with the lawmakers be- lind closed doors and told them that Gor- >achev ”is losing out” and may have to step lown, according to the panel's ranking Re- ublican, Rep. William Dickinson of Alaba- ”He will have to either resign or be a fig urehead only, because he doesn't have any force behind him,” Dickinson said. Another source, speaking on condition of anonymity, agreed, saying Gates por trayed Gorbachev as in control only of the country's foreign relations. "He's not going to rise from ashes this time,” said the offi cial. During open testimony to the committee. Gates referred to the disintegrating super power as the "arsenal that used to be a country.” He said the system controlling 30,000 nuclear weapons is being severely tested. "Severe economic conditions, including substantial shortages of food and fuel in some areas, the disintegration of the armed forces, and ongoing ethnic conflict will combine this winter to produce the most significant disorder in the former USSR since the Bolsheviks consolidated power,” Gates testified. Discipline and cohesion in the formerly powerful Red Army are disintegrating. Gates said. Shortages of food, fuel and housing for troops are undermining morale and reliability of the forces is "dubious," he added. Speaking to reporters in Chicago, Presi dent Bush said the United States is carefully following developments in the Soviet Union. "There's a lot at stake for the American people ... to make sure problems that affect us and the rest of the world are properly handled," Bush said. White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwa- ter said Bush has not spoken by phone with Gorbachev. Gates told the Armed Services Commit tee that of immediate concern is control of the Soviet nuclear arsenal. A highly disci plined command system has been main tained until now. Gates said. "But the center is evaporating before our eyes," he said. "Those who designed the control system never anticipated this." See Soviet/Page 4 Robert Gates es now now I'M olleagues welcome Anderson Former hostage fills 'empty chair' NEW YORK (AP) - Terry An- erson came home Tuesday, clear ing a path through cheering, banting colleagues as he entered ssociated Press headquarters af- |er 6 1/2 years captivity to take what his boss called "the empty thair at AP's table." Anderson hopped from a imousine in front of the AP build ing and into the arms of Deputy International Editor Nick Tatro, is predecessor as chief Middle ast correspondent. He also em- raced reporter Richard Pyle, with horn he worked in Japan and the iddle East. "I'm overwhelmed," choked yle, who wore a bracelet with Anderson's name until his release last week. "I just don't know' what o say." h "Is 'wonderful' a good word?" asked another AP veteran, Pulitzer Prize winner Saul Pett. ■'So many people have come and gone from this building, and some never came back. This has to be he warmest day we've ever had." Anderson landed at Kennedy irport after recuperating for sev- ral days at a military hospital in Germany following his release in ebanon last Wednesday. He ad mitted to having developed "somewhat of a fear of crowds." ! "This is my homecoming," he , told reporters at the airport, where /.he was introduced by AP Presi- : dent Louis D. Boccardi and re ceived a key to the city from May or David Dinkins. "This is where my people are." j Since Anderson was taken hostage, Boccardi has often re ferred to Anderson's "empty chair" at AP. Last week, he issued this statement: "At long, long last, the empty chair at AP's table is pnce again occupied. Terry Ander son has been set free." I One of Anderson's people was Jim Watson, an editor on the AP's International Desk who super- ised Anderson on the desk two See AP/Page 8 RICHARD S. JAMES/The Battalion Taking aim Jake Szczepanski, a junior marketing major White Coliseum Tuesday afternoon in a from Dallas, shoots baskets outside G. Rollie promotion for Aggie Basketball. j\|G UPD lists safety measures for semester break By Troy D. Hall The Battalion Texas A&M University Police are advising faculty, staff and students to use good com mon sense by coordinating necessary security precautions to protect University and person al property from vandalism and robbery. Lt. Bert Kretzschmar of the University Crime Prevention Unit said the Christmas break provides more opportunity for vandals and robbers because less people are around to report suspicious activity. But he said faculty, staff and students can minimize this activity by taking preventive measures to secure their offices and residence hall rooms before leaving for the holidays. Cpl. Betty LeMay encourages anyone com ing to campus during the break to alert the University police dispatcher of their pres ence. "Use good common sense when walking on campus, especially at night,"'She said. "Let someone know w'here you are, how long you will be there and be aware of your sur roundings by trusting your instincts." Kretzschmar and LeMay said it is impor tant that University patrons call University police if they need assistance or see any sus picious behavior. The University police will remain on pa trol seven days a week, 24-hours a day dur ing the break, but LeMay said they still de pend on people on campus. "We depend on the people around cam pus to help patrol campus, because we can't be everywhere all the time." Because of the extended break. University police have compiled a list of safety and secu rity measures to prevent extensive vandalism or robbery. * Lock all doors and windows in dorms and offices on campus, especially ground- floor windows. Thieves burglarizing resi dence halls frequently enter through un blocked windows. * Computers, audio-video equipment and anything of value should be follow Operation Identification procedures. University proper ty should have the department name. Univer sity inventory number and mail stop number See Holiday /Page 4 A&M official indicted Associate deputy chancellor faces financial mismanagement charges A Randall County grand jury Tuesday indicted the Texas A&M University System Associate Deputy Chancellor for Academic Program Planning, Ed Roach and two other current and former West Texas State officials on charges of misapplication of fidu ciary property. Randall County Criminal Dis trict Attorney Randy Sherrod said Roach, formerly West Texas State University's president; Clarence Thompson, former vice president for finance and administrative ser vices; and Gary Barnes, WTSU controller were indicted in 47th state District Court on a charge of misapplication of fiduciary prop erty more than $10,000. The indictments reopen a chap ter in the school's history plagued by allegations of financial mis management, including a state au dit's revelation in Oct. 1990 that the school might have used state funds to cover up shortfalls in the athletic program. The school was forced to dis band its football program this year due to lack of finances. Roach served as West Texas State president for 6 1/2 years be fore stepping down Jan. 1. Dr. Ed Davis, executive deputy chancellor of the Texas A&M Uni versity System, said Monday in a press release that the Chancellor's office was aware of the ongoing investigation, but was unaware of the specifics of the indictments. "I want to emphasize that ac tion has already been taken to im plement appropriate control and oversight to ensure that all funds are adequately protected and ac counted for," Davis said in the re lease. "The West Texas State Uni versity management is held to the same standards of integrity and fiduciary responsibility set forth for all institutions and agencies which are members of The Texas A&M University System. "I am confident that President Barry Thompson, who joined West Texas State after the start of the in vestigation, and Tom Kale, the university's chief financial officer, are committed to upholding those high standards," he said in the re lease. "The State Auditor complet ed an audit this past summer, and we received high marks for having restored fiscal controls at WTSU." At the heart of Tuesday's in dictments is the investment of funds donated to the school by Dallas businessman T. Boone Pick ens, who served as West Texas State's board chairman in the late 1980s. In July, the grand jury began in vestigating the findings of a sec ond state auditor's report released in April. The audit said apparent mis management while Roach was president cost West Texas State the chance to increase a $1.5 mil lion endowment from Pickens and See Pickens/Page 4 Thieves target apartments during Christmas holidays By Troy D. Hall The Battalion Texas A&M students living in apartments and houses are prime targets of thieves when they leave for home during the Christmas holidays. But Lt. Bert Kretzschmar of the A&M University Police Crime Prevention Unit said many times students don't take the proper measures to assure they will not become a victim of such crime. "Thieves will enter anywhere they can get in," he said. He said making it look like someone is still there is the key to de terring thieves from entering apartments or houses. But coordinat ing security with roommates and neighbors is equally important. See UPD /Page 3