U.S. launches second missile strike
Hussein’s
refusal to honor
no-fly zones was
a result of the
first assault on
Iraqi forces.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Air raid sirens
blared in the Iraqi capital for a second
day, as the United States launched a new
missile attack against the forces of a defi
ant Saddam Hussein.
Despite Saddam’s vow Tuesday to re
taliate, Iraq apparently mounted no de
fense against the 17 cruise missiles fired
► See related stories, Page 7
from warships and a submarine in the
Persian Gulf upon air defense sites in
southern Iraq.
The United States said the attack was
launched to pick off targets missed in the
first barrage Tuesday.
The opening assault with 27 cruise
missiles killed five people, and prompted
Saddam to announce he would no longer
honor the two no-fly zones that bar his
warplanes from the skies of northern and
southern Iraq.
Trucks loaded with fighters of the
Iraqi-allied Kurdistan Democratic Party
headed out of the city in long convoys,
some heading toward the city of Sulay-
maniyah, 100 miles to the southeast.
“We will attack Sulaymaniyah tonight,
God willing,” said one KDP fighter, who
refused to give his name.
Iraqi television showed men in the
northern city of Mosul, within the U.S.-
declared Kurdish safe haven, marching in
the streets in support of Saddam.
Saddam claimed Iraqi forces shot
down most of the missiles Tuesday. In
Washington, Gen. Joseph Ralston said
there was “no evidence” of successful
Iraqi counterattacks.
In addition to the missile strikes,
Clinton also declared that the southern
no-fly zone would be moved up from
the 32nd to the 33rd parallel — a line
that reaches the southern suburbs of
Baghdad and places roughly half of Iraq
inside the zones.
Iraq’s deputy prime minister insisted
Tuesday the American attack was unjus
tified, saying Saddam’s forces had with
drawn from Irbil “several hours” before
the missile strikes. He also derided U.S.
claims that Saddam had violated U.N.
Resolution 688, which prohibits the Iraqi
leader from oppressing his people.
“We did not violate U.N. resolutions,”
Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz said on
CNN. “I challenge the American admin
istration (to say) upon what basis of in
ternational law ... this aggression was
being justified.”
But U.S. and rebel leaders said Iraqi
forces had not withdrawn from Irbil be
fore the attack and fighting continued
south and east toward Sulaymaniyah.
Iraq’s ruling Revolution Command
Council urged U.N. Security Council
members to rein in the United States —
and seemed to threaten them if they
did not.
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Extended No-Fly Zone P
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SAUDI
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No-fly zone
President Clinton unleashed 27
cruise missiles at military targets
in southern Iraq Tuesday,
punishing Saddam Hussein for
attacking Kurds in a U.N.-
designated safe zone in
northern Iraq.
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33nd parallel
32nd parallel
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AP/Wm. J. Gastello
Under the
Weather
Blinn student James Rice hurries to complete the
9th hole just as the storm rolls in.
"he Battalion
today
taring it All
r o A&M students
lo appear in Play-
iy discuss their de
lion to take it all off.
Aggielife, Page 3
iposite Ends
football players
idon Mitchell and
|r Parker share the
&ihe goal — a title.
Sports, Page 9
tong Focus
ildents have placed
i much emphasis
athletics and not
ough on academics.
Opinion, Page 13
Reed focuses on
improving safety
By Laura Oliveira
The Battalion
Not many eighth grade
boys call their congressman.
But Chris Reed, speaker of
Student Senate, called his
for three years asking for a
job on Capitol Hill.
Though a bold move for a
teenage boy, Reed’s efforts
paid off after receiving a job
as a page for the U.S. House
of Representatives.
“That was probably the
best time of my life,” he said.
“I met people from all over
the country.”
His job as a page was
perhaps low on the totem
pole, but Reed’s experience
launched his passion for
politics.
Reed, a senior finance ma
jor, ran for student govern
ment positions in high school
and continued in college. His
motives for doing so are
those of a true statesman.
“I don’t like to be in a po
sition, I like what you can do
with a position,” he said. “I
really have a great deal of re
spect for those who use their
position to help others.”
Reed’s main goal for the
Senate this year is improv
ing campus safety. He said
that if students feel safe,
they will be better students.
The long-time student
senator has already taken a
step in that direction by
proposing a special ad hoc
task force that will investi
gate campus safety issues.
The Senate will consider
the proposal during its
Sept. 11 meeting.
Reed also wants to en
hance communication be
tween students and the
Senate.
“One of the main prob
lems of the Senate in the
past is that it looks like a se
lect group of people running
things,” he said. “But the
See Reed, Page 14
force to examine racial
Task
By Brandon Hausenfluck
The Battalion
A campus task force is searching for
a research consulting firm to study
racial climate at Texas A&M.
The Task Force on Racial Climate
Assessment is a group composed of ex
ecutive staff members and students
appointed by Vice President for Stu
dent Affairs J. Malon Southerland.
Southerland formed the committee
at the request of Texas A&M President
Ray Bowen to determine if there is a
problem concerning the racial climate
on campus.
The outside research firm, once
hired, will meet with students, faculty
and staff to gather information about
the University’s racial atmosphere.
The cost of the study cannot be de
termined until the firms offer bids, Scott
said. The committee will then deter
mine how the study will be funded.
Felicia Scott, task force chairper
son, has developed a proposal to sub
mit to companies who specialize in
such research.
Hiring an outside firm, Scott said,
will prevent biased opinions from
tainting the report.
“We are going to address several
problems that have been brought up
in the past,” Scott said. “We want to
bring in an outside consultant to
meet with and talk to students who
will be objective and neutral and rec
ommend a catalyst for discussion for
students across campus.”
Once the research is complete, the
committee will suggest how to improve
the racial climate at A&M. The recom
mendations will be used to make each
individual on campus feel like an inte
gral part of the University.
“We are trying to be more pro-active
in some of the things we do,” Scott
said. “We are going to use a variety of
issues
methods while doing the assessment,
then we can provide a comprehensive
long- and short-term plan.”
Leslie Briers, a senior accounting
major and a student member of the
committee, said the task force should
eliminate any intimidation felt by eth
nic minorities.
“Our long-term goal is to let every
one on campus feel they are an equal
part of the community,” Briers said.
“We want everyone to know they can
contribute to Texas A&M.”
Kevin Carreathers, director of multi
cultural services, said the task force
will answer questions raised by rumors
about racial diversity.
“We’re trying to legitimize some of
the opinions around campus,” Car
reathers said.
“If we find out something negative,
we will improve that particular area.
If we find out something positive, we
will know what areas are working.”
Construction sites detour students
Plans for Special Events Center, library expansion pose inconveniences
By Laura Oliveira
The Battalion
Texas A&M students re
ceived an unwelcome sur
prise this weekend as piles
of rubble and numerous de
tours greeted them as con
struction and demolitions
continued on campus.
Five projects are under
way this fall, including the
$47.5 million George Bush
Presidential Library Center,
which is expected to open in
November 1997. Other con
struction sites include the Li
brary Expansion Project and
the Special Events Center.
Though the construction
promises to bring needed
facilities to campus, stu
dents, parents, faculty and
staff must cope with its in
conveniences.
Students who are new
campus particularly felt the
brunt of the construction.
Erin Parker, a junior geology
major, said the construction
has made it difficult to ad
just to a new campus.
“I didn’t know exactly
were I was going because I
am a transfer student, and
with all the detours, it
makes it even more confus
ing,” she said.
Closed roads have not
been the only problem. A
lack of parking has caused
headaches as well.
Romeo Moore, a parking
service officer, said student
parking on the southside
will be a bigger problem
this year because of the
loss of Parking Area 23 be
hind the Pavilion.
“Last year, PA 23 was
available to students after
5:30 p.m., and now, with the
(Evans Library) construc
tion, it is strictly for staff
parking only,” he said. “Stu
dent cars will be towed 24-
hours-a-day.”
Though the Library Ex
pansion Project has created
parking problems, the facili
ty additions will include a
new student parking lot.
The project is 20 percent
complete and is slated for
completion in August 1998.
Other projects under
construction include the
Reed Arena, scheduled for
completion in October 1997.
The center will seat 12,000
people and will be used for
graduation ceremonies as
well as sporting events.
Nine more projects, with
a price tag of nearly $50 mil
lion, are still under design
and preparation.
But while many new
buildings are being con
structed, others are being
See Sites, Page 14
Gwendolyn Struve, The Battalion
Puryear and Law residence halls are undergoing demoli
tion which began in August.
Student Senate Speaker
Chris Reed proposed a task
force to work toward his
goal of campus safety.
Faculty Senate Speaker
Steve Oberhelman juggles
a hectic schedule with poli
cy-making responsibilities.
Oberhelman works
to change policies
By Wesley Poston
The Battalion
If you had to describe the
life of Faculty Senate Speaker
Steve Oberhelman, you could
do it in one word — busy.
Cramming in 55 hours in
a six-day work week, Ober
helman finds time to watch
his four children several
nights a week as his wife of
15 years nurses hospital
patients.
He also coaches girls fast-
pitch softball, helps out with
youth soccer and baseball
and sits on the College Sta
tion Little League Board.
Despite the hectic sched
ule, Oberhelman still has
time to head the Faculty
Senate, the faculty’s policy
making body.
His plans for the future
include a proposal for post
tenure review, which is an
evaluation process for pro
fessors who have already
been granted tenure. A vote
on the proposal, which
would outline steps for fac
ulty review and argue on be
half of tenure, is scheduled
for October.
Oberhelman is well-
versed in the work of the
faculty, having served as a
scholar at universities in the
United States and Europe.
Oberhelman, a Kansas
City native, graduated from
high school in Edina, Minn.
Working throughout col
lege, he earned enough
money to put himself
through the University of
Minnesota.
Originally planning to be
a doctor, Oberhelman’s
studies were in medicine
until, he said, he hit a per
sonal snag.
“I realized how chal
lenged I was in chemistry,
physics and mathematics,”
he said.
He did, however, enjoy
See Policies, Page 14