A
c
A
P
P
E
L
L
A
in concert...
ADMISSION IS
FREE !
Acappella
TUESDA Y,
November 4 th
7:00 p.m.
A&M United
Methodist Church
417 University
(adjacent to Texas A&M,
Northgate)
846-8731
W The Battalion
ORLD
Monday • November 3, 199
Iraqi citizens fear results of l
a possible standoff with U.N.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Signs of
nervousness peak through the
calm in Iraq’s capital, where some
residents worry that a standoff
with the United Nations will wors
en food shortages or lead to a mil
itary confrontation.
Iraq’s currency, the dinar, is jit
tery, and its leadership shows no
signs of backing down from a
threat to expel American arms in
spectors trying to determine
whether Iraq has followed U.N. or
ders to destroy its weapons of
mass destruction.
Fakhria Aboud, a 58-year-old
mother of eight, said she fears a
missile strike on Baghdad like
strikes of the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
“I am trying to build up a stock for
my family in case something hap
pens,” she said, pushing a cart full of
vegetables and groceries down a
street. “We have filled all the contain
ers at the house with heating oil, and
it is time to stock up on food.”
Delshad Ahmad, a Kurdish store
owner, also was worried the crisis
would escalate.
“I have just gotten myself to
gether and made some money to
buy a car,” said Ahmad, 36. “I really
hate to see things deteriorating be
cause such a situation will affect my
life savings the way it did in 1991.”
Sanctions imposed by the Unit
ed Nations after Iraq’s 1990 invasion
of neighboring Kuwait, which led to
the Gulf War, prevent Iraq from ex
porting oil — its major source of in
come. The sanctions have devastat
ed the economy, and will not be
“The only thing that he
(Saddam Hussein) seems to
understand is action, and
that’s what’s going to have
to happen.”
DICK GEPHARDT
HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER
lifted until U.N. inspectors certify
Iraq has destroyed its major
weapons systems.
The government makes food
available at below-market prices
through a U.N. oil-for-food pro
gram, which permits Iraq limited
oil sales to buy food and medicine.
Some items were scaled back last
week, but Eric Fait, a spokesman
for the U.N. program, expressejP
hope Sunday that distribution'
would continue. .
U.N. officials object to Iraq’s de “ v
mand that all Americans on th
U.N. weapons inspection team ii
Iraq leave the country by Wednes “y
day. The outraged chief inspecto ^
last week suspended field work. : a V 1
The United States has not ruled or
military action to try to end the crisir
and the top four congressional lead at |]
ers, appearing before Americans Sun °' vl
day on NBC’s “Meet the Press, :att |
seemed to endorse that option. ■ ^
“The only thing that he (Sad‘
dam Hussein) seems to under in
stand is action, and that’s what , ™ c |
going to have to happen,” Hous 1
Democratic Leader Dick Gephard ;! l
said. He, Senate Majority Leaded
Trent Lott, Senate Democratic
Leader Tom Daschle and Hous
Speaker Newt Gingrich, said the P rf
agree the Iraqi president must b ex P^
made to back down.
Baghdad, however, does not ap
pear ready to do so.
The U.N. teams were to resum M
inspections Monday, though thre^un
of 10 American inspectors have lef^N
Baghdad and two arriving inspec'M
tors were refused entry Sunday. M ll
Loyalties of Irish president questioned
President-elect Mary McAleese's Catholic background raises concern
ROSTREVOR, North
ern Ireland (AP) — Ire
land’s president-elect re
turned to her hometown
in this troubled province
Sunday, greeted warmly
by Catholics but with
suspicion by some
Protestants who ques
tion her loyalties.
Mary McAleese offered
handshakes and hugs on
the crowded main street
of this mostly Catholic
seaside village, 40 miles
south of Belfast. She was
applauded at Mass and
welcomed at The Old Kil-
lowen Inn, where her fa
ther tends bar.
“This is a special place
with special people. I hope
to get back as often as pos
sible,” said McAleese, a Ro
man Catholic.
The 46-year-old lawyer
and university vice-chan
cellor won a record 58 per
cent of the vote across the
Irish Republic on Thursday
to become the first person
from the British-ruled
province elected to the
largely symbolic post.
However, elsewhere in
this predominantly pro-
British province, her elec
tion as the neighboring
state’s president provoked
concern, even anger.
“She ought to make
her move to Dublin per
manent,” fisherman John
McAfee of Kilkeel, a most
ly Protestant village near
Rostrevor, said.
The province is torn
between the many
Catholics who want
Northern Ireland to unite
with the Republic of Ire
land and the many
Protestants who seek con
tinued ties with Britain.
Though not a resident
of the Irish Republic,
McAleese was eligible to
seek office because the re
public’s constitution
claims the province as
part of the country.
It’s that territorial
claim that causes many
Protestant leaders to
look with suspicion on
Irish leaders.
In fact, in ongoing
peace talks aimed at de
ciding the future of North
ern Ireland, Protestants
have made an end to the
territorial claim their cen
tral demand.
McAleese’s predeces
sor, Mary Robinson,
proved adept at striking a
neutral tone during her
frequent visits north.
McAleese, by contrast,
comes into her post
closely identified with
Catholic ambitions, de
spite promises that she’ll
be sensitive toward pro-
British interests.
Her detractors say she’s
too close to the IRA-allied
Sinn Fein party, a claim
that she has denied.
The Irish Republican
Army recently declared a
truce in its decades-long
fight to drive the British
move that allowed tb
Sinn Fein to join tfr
peace talks.
Even John Alderdice,
moderate Protestan
leader who has shown ;
willingness to compro
mise, says McAleese was 11
poor choice for president'
“Mary McAleese ha
devoted her efforts t(
building bridges withii ,
the Catholic nationalisil
community, not across
the community tc
Protestants,” he said, ly]
McAleese, who’s mar
ried with three teen-ag(
children, will move t<
Dublin when she’s inau ovl
gurated Nov. 11. And aUe|
least in Rostrevor, she wil
be missed.
“I’m probably the bifigerl
loser from this election,
said Liam Farrell, he \
next-door neighbo
since 1989. “She’s beei
the best neighbor yopri|
could have.”
■istl
;bi
*pi|
OfJ
I
'fcf