State & Local
Page 2
The Battalion
Thursday, February 24,
Thursdi
U.S. emphasizing cooperation over
force in keeping the Somali peace
By Eloise Flint
The Battalion
Oakley
The present mission in Somalia is to en
force cooperation rather than coercion, said
Robert Oakley, U.S. ambas
sador to Somalia.
Oakley said if Somalians
aren't willing to assume re
sponsibility in their own coun
try then the-'international com
munity should take care of oth
er problems.
"We will stay to work hard
er because we don't want to
lose what has been done and
don't want the idea of United
Nations peacekeeping killed," he said. "The
problem now is spontaneous acts of violence
and armed robbery because there are no jobs."
The crisis in Somalia began when they en
tered into a civil war and couldn't stop the
fighting on their own, Oakley said.
"They were depriving each other of food,
fields weren't being cultivated and clinics and
hospitals were being closed," Oakley said.
"Close to 300,000 Somalis died, and whole
towns were wiped out."
Oakley said President Bush had a strong hu
manitarian streak in him.
"We weren't willing to take on Bosnia because
it looked open ended," Oakley said. "Somalia
was a smaller problem and the mission was sim
ple: protection for humanitarian operations."
Oakley arrived in Somalia Dec. 7, 1992 and
had the first meeting with Somalian leaders Dec.
9 to assure the Somalians that the United States
was there to help put the country back together.
Oakley said the goal was to stop disease and
hunger, not to interfere, and the United States
was welcomed by Somalian leaders.
Local town councils began emerging and old
military leaders were replaced, he said.
"We made it clear that the barrel of a gun
wasn't the ticket to political success," Oakley
said.
Oakley said General Mohamed Farrah Aidid
believed he had earned the right to play a domi
nant role in any future government in Somalia,
but the United States saw him as a troublemaker.
Because Aidid was seen as an obstructionist
and was pushed to the side, Oakley said Aidid
began replacing weapons in Somalia.
Aidid began an anti-United Nations propa
ganda campaign with his radio station. When
the United States threatened to take the radio
station away from him, Aidid saw it as an at
tack on him. Somalians then began mass
demonstrations and Oakley said the whole
United Nations effort spiraled down.
Oakley said it then degenerated to a state of
war with thousands of Somalians killed by the
peacekeeping forces.
On Oct. 5, President Clinton called for a full
scale review of the policy.
Oakley said after the announcement, Aidid
portrayed himself as a victim of the United Na
tions, and he unilaterally declared a cease fire
that holds to this day.
Oakley said Aidid now wants peace with the
United States, but he isn't concerned with the
remaining countries of the United Nations.
"Aidid wants to win the United States rather
than have them as an enemy," Oakley said.
Throwing it all away
/
Blake Crigg^TH[ Btfl.
Wilson Waldrop, a senior computer science engi- in the Calculator Toss in order to win the Hewlet
neering major from Lake Jackson, takes careful aim Packard 48GX calculator.
Corps to host Military Weekend
Representatives from ten of the nation's leading military colleges will be on
the Texas A&M campus today through Saturday during Texas A&M's Military
Weekend.
The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets is hosting the event, which will include
representatives from The Citadel, New Mexico Military Institute, U.S. Air
Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy, North Georgia College, Norwich Uni
versity, Virginia Military Institute,Virginia Tech and the U.S. Merchant Marine
Academy.
Participants will discuss issues of concern to students, faculty and staff, in
cluding honor codes, military training,vs. hazing and the increased role of
women in the military at traditional all-male schools.
Events include conferences, a military review, an Aggie Band concert, a barbe
cue and an Aggie baseball game.
Work program to benefit welfare recipients
The Associated Press
AUSTIN — Amy Collum goes to work
Monday to help other people — while
helping herself.
As one of the first members of the
Texas VISTA Health Corps, she'll work in
the Amarillo area to help improve health
care for needy women and children. At
the end of a year, she'll get $4,725 so she
can go back to college and pursue her
dream of working with computers.
"I want to get off welfare, and I want
to make it on my own. Going to college
will make it better for myself and my
kids/' said Collum, 27, who has two chil
dren.
Collum is among 105 volunteers
sworn in Wednesday by Gov. Ann
Richards. The governor also issued an ex
ecutive order establishing the state com
ponent of President Clinton's national
service program, and accepted $480,000 in
federal funds for it.
Texas' volunteers are the first VISTA
workers eligible for the education money
— which was proposed by Clinton during
his 1992 campaign and approved last*
by Congress — according to the Corprl
tion for National and Community Semi
created to bring together federal dome;
volunteer organizations.
The aid comes either in the foriMl
scholarship or loan forgiveness.
Seventy-one members of Texas'
were sworn in last week. Eli Segal,an:
sistant to Clinton and head of theCoi
ration for National and Community^
vice, said at Wednesday's ceremonytM
it's the largest number of volunteers
one project in VISTA's 30-year histor),
Da
mi.
^Pi
l a
tion.
Hec
ery, sa
teachir
animal
"Th
ga saic
can ha
and le<
A&ctV
Cente
from t
Lo
Office of the Vice President for Research and Associate Provost for Graduate Studies,
the Office of Graduate Studies, and the Black Graduate Students 1 Association.
Graduate Tuition,
Fee, Book &
Research Awards
Applications are now being accepted
scholarship awards to be used for
graduate tuition & fees, books
and graduate research. If you’re
classified as a G7 or G8 and
enrolled at Texas A&M,
you’re eligible to apply.
For information or an
application, stop by the
Office of Graduate Studies
in Rm 125 Teague Building
or call 845-3631
Deadline is February 28th.
The Aggie Players Association
presents
Mary Shelley's
Com!
| ers of N<
of Hallo
TRANKENSTEIjV
Dramatized by Tim Kelly
COPPER
MOUNTAIN
RESORT
WITH THE OTEICIAH EIGHTHS 9
TEXAS AGGIE SNGW SKI GEUB
SFMJMG BMEAKs MARCH 11-18
$440 INCLUDES:
5 NIGHTS IN LUXURIOUS CONDOS
4 DAY LIFT TICKET (5TH DAY OPTIONAL)
ROUND TRIP TRANSPORTATION
NASTAR RACE
HUMKY NOW TO MESEMVE YGUM. SPACE
JAN. 25
FEB. 8
FEB. 22
MAR. 8
MAR. 29
MEETlINtGSs
146 KOLDUS
146 KOLDUS
MT. AGGIE
146 KOLDUS
146 KOLDUS
MMRMCQM: ENFCDo CAILILs
JON
MICHELLE
MARK
DOUG
696-7717
778-3323
268-8252
696-7717
ALL MEETINGS AT 7:00 PM
KOLDUS - STUDENT SERVICES BLDG.
ACROSS FROM MSC
Forging a
commer
ance of 1
heme.
At th
Reunified Germany y/-;
aloud, tl
Jressed
Iain's na
The r
Featuring:
Dr. Hildegard Boucsein,
Permanent Under-Secretary
for Federal and European Affairs with the Berlin Senali
A discussion on the tension caused by German ReunificatioA
Thursday, FVb, 24, 4:00 PM
302 KuddtT Towct
February 24-26, March 2-5 Rudder Forum at 8:00
Students & Senior Citizens: $5.00
General Public: $7.00 Groups of 10 or more: $4.00
Ik
Tickets available at the MSC Box Office, 845-1234
A
Sponsored by the MSC L.T. Jordan
Institute for International Awareness
V-A- Persons with disabilities please call 845-1515 to inform us of your special needs.
We request notification three (3) working days prior to the event lo enable us to assist you to the best of oar ibilfe
- - - ' '
CONTACT LENSES
ONLY QUALITY NAME BRANDS
(Bausch & Lomb, Ciba, Sola/Barnes-Hind)
Disposable Contact Lenses Available
$
79
00
For Standard Clear or Tinted
FLEXIBLE WEAR Soft Contact Lenses
(Can be worn as daily or extended wear)
L
+ FREE SPARE PAIR
SAME DAY DELIVERY ON MOST LENSES.
ASK ABOUT OUR
“BUY MORE PAY LESS” PRICING
Call 846-0377 for Appointment
*Eye exam and follow up visits not included
CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D., P.C.
DOCTOR of OPTOMETRY
505 University Dr. East,
Suite 101
College Station, TX 77840
4 Blks. East of Texas Ave. &
University Dr. Intersection
The Battalion
JULI PHILLIPS, Editor in chief
MICHAEL PLUMER, Managing editor KYLE BURNETT, Aggielifeeditof
BELINDA BLANCARTE, Night News editor DENA DIZDAR, Aggielife editor j
HEATHER WINCH, Night News editor SEAN FRERKING, Sports editor
TONI GARRARD CLAY, Opinion editor WILLIAM HARRISON, Photo editof
JENNIFER SMITH, City editor ANAS BEN-MUSA, Special SectionsetfM
Staff Members
City desk — Lisa Elliott, Juli Rhoden, Kim McGuire, Eloise Flint, )an Higginbotham, Geneen Pipher, JamesBerK*.
Angela Neaves, Mary Kujawa, Karen Broyles, Melissa Jacobs, Stephanie Dube and Joseph Greenslade
News desk - Rob Clark, Andreana Coleman, Josef Elchanan, Mark Evans and Drew Wasson ’H
Photographers - Amy Browning, Chad Cooper, Robert Dunkin, Mary Macmanus, Jennie Mayer, Stewart 1
Milne, Tim Moog, Gus Morgan, Nick Rodnicki, Amanda Sonley and Blake Griggs
Aggielife - Margaret Claughton, Jennifer Gressett, Paul Neale, Traci Travis and Claudia Zavaleta
Sports writers — Mark Smith, Drew Diener, Nick Georgandis , Jose de Jesus Ortiz and Kristine Ramirez j
Opinion desk - Jay Robbins, Lynn Booher, Roy Clay, Erin Hill, Michael Landauer, Jenny Magee, Melissa
Megliola, Frank Stanford, Jackie Stokes, Robert Vasquez and Dave Winder
Graphic Artist - Pey Wan Choong
Cartoonists — Boomer Cardinale, Chau Hoang, George Nasr, Kalvin Nguyen and Gerardo Quezada
Clerks- Eleanor Colvin, Wren Eversberg, Jennifer Kerber, Tomiko Miller and Brooke Perkins
The Battalion (USPS 045-360) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring senrf
and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods*
Texas A&M University. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77840.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M Univzt#
College Station, TX 77843.
News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division^
Student Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. Editorial offices are in 013 Reed McDon*
Building. Newsroom phone number is 845-3313. Fax: 845-2647.
Advertising: For campus, local and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For classified advertising,W
845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday ihroti
Friday. Fax: 845-2678.
Subscriptions: Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per full year. To chi?
by VISA or MasterCard, call 845-2611.