new]
'All
se
t beyorj
foretfei
t of tori
/ herst:
he judj
ayingiii|
)ny.
she sufl
-'t woul
was iii I
i jlidg; I
OUld iKil
ed moi;
.we tottl
'sloel tii;|
JSt tW j
oel «t: : I
i blank; I
.es
Sports: Tiger dominates • Page 3
Opinion: Factions of abortion hurt each other • Page 5
THF RATTAT TO
Iume 108 • Issue 153 • 6 pages
108 Years Serving Texas A&M University
www.thebatt.com
Wednesday, June 19, 2002
Suicide bomber kills 19 bus passengers
e
ence
Mk
ie first
al
>
>ersanc|
ie Wes:
li tow; I
Saler
¥
ES’
A N K
lot
ned
ans
\e fenci
; up ft
ok aw)
aelto
ire law)
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel
rill seize and hold Palestinian
lands until 'terror attacks
^gainst its civilians end, the gov-
jrnment said early Wednesday,
Jesponding to a suicide bombing
|hat killed 19 bus passengers
md wounded 55 others.
Shortly after the new policy
ras announced, large numbers
bf Israeli tanks and troops
:ntered the West Bank city of
iablus from all directions, and
mack helicopters flew overhead,
dtnesses said. Israeli tanks had
tarlier rolled into Jenin and its
refugee camp. There were no
immediate reports of casualties
fn either action.
Tuesday’s blast by a
’alestinian who exploded a nail-
itudded bomb was the deadliest
[in Jerusalem in six years and the
fOth suicide attack since the
current round of violence erupt
ed nearly two years ago.
The Israeli government
answered with a policy state
ment, saying it was changing
its response to “murderous acts
of terror.”
The statement, announced
after late-night consultations
between Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon and his top Cabinet
ministers, said Israel will cap
ture Palestinian Authority ter
ritory. “These areas will be
held by Israel as long as terror
continues. ...Additional acts of
terror will lead to taking of
additional areas.”
The White House said it had
no immediate comment on
Israel’s decision. And it wasn’t
known what impact, if any, it
would have on a planned major
Mideast policy address later this
week by President Bush. He was
expected to propose establishing
a “provisional” Palestinian state
in part of the West Bank and
Gaza without deciding on its
final borders — and while nei
ther side has embraced the idea,
there is some hope that a
renewed and forceful U.S. diplo
matic drive might help end 21
months of carnage and despair.
On March 29, following an
earlier series of Palestinian sui
cide bombings, Israel launched
its largest military mission in
two decades, taking control of
Palestinian towns and refugee
camps. Thousands of terror sus
pects were arrested and quanti
ties of explosives and weapons
seized, but the six-week opera
tion won Israel only a brief
respite in the bombing attacks.
Wednesday’s statement, unlike
earlier comments on military
actions, did not characterize its
planned incursions as short-term.
Hours after Tuesday’s blast,
an angry Sharon strode past a
row of victims in body bags and
peered into the bombed-out bus,
vowing to retaliate.
Two students were among
the dead and four were among
dozens wounded in the attack.
Sharon questioned Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat’s ability to
run such an independent state,
saying, “It is interesting to know
what kind of Palestinian state
they mean.”
Although Sharon has made
clear he wants Arafat out of
power, he apparently isn’t ready
to drive him into exile.
The Palestinian Authority
condemned the attack. But the
Palestinian leadership has not
appeared ready to act decisively
against radical groups, as Israel
has demanded.
In Ramallah, Palestinians
anticipating an army invasion
and extended curfew began
hoarding food.
“The Israeli response usually
is against the Palestinian people,
the Palestinian president and the
Palestinian Authority,” said
Labor Minister Ghassan Khatib.
“It will not be any surprise if
they decide to invade Ramallah
again or impose a new siege on
the president.”
In Washington, the White
House said Bush condemned the
bombing “in the strongest possi
ble terms,” but aides wouldn’t say
if it would delay his policy state
ment, expected Wednesday.
Bush has been formulating
his approach to Mideast peace
for weeks, during which he has
met with Sharon and Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak.
Tanks enter Jenin
Israel launched an incursion into
the West Bank town of Jenin,
following a suicide bombing on
a bus in Jerusalem.
SOURCES: Associated Press; ESRI
Melon trouble
BRIAN RUFF • THE BATTALION
A Wiggins Produce watermelon truck traveling north on
Harvey Mitchell Parkway collided with a car headed east-
bound on Villa Maria on Tuesday. The weight of the water
melons swung the truck around when it attempted to avoid
a collision. The southbound lanes of Harvey Mitchell Parkway
were closed and traffic was rerouted during clean up.
with Till
an Jo^l
ian si
on
said il
h teir: j
Regents authorize
salary increases
By Jessi Watkins
THE BATTALION
Despite a structural deficit
in its budget, the Texas A&M
administration is planning for
modest, merit-based salary
increases for faculty and staff
in the upcoming fiscal year,
beginning Sept. 1.
University officials said the
A&M Board of Regents author
ized merit increases to average
up to three percent for faculty
members and two and a-half per
cent for staff members for the
new fiscal year.
Bill Krumm, vice president
of finance, said a merit increase
is an increase in salary for work
performed beyond the basic
expectations of the job.
Assistant Provost Dan Parker
said a portion of the funding for
the salary increases will come
from the Academic Enhancement
Fee and the remainder will come
from the tuition increase of four
dollars per credit hour.
The Academic Enhancement
Fee will charge $30 more per
semester credit hour starting
with students who enroll next
fall, requiring the average stu
dent to pay $400 more in tuition
each semester.
The new enhancement fee
and other additional tuition fees
will provide some money for the
salary increase, but not all of it,
Krumm said. Part of the new
enhancement fees went to cover
last year’s deficit of more than
six million dollars.
“The new enhancement fees
produced between eight and nine
million dollars. We started with a
deficit of over six million dollars.
Enhancement fees went to deal
with the deficit,” Krumm said.
Another 10 percent of the
enhancement fee was allocated
to financial aid, he said.
The two and a half percent
merit-based staff salary increase
for staff members comes on top
of a mandatory state salary
increase for all staff last year,
Parker said.
“The state required a manda
tory four percent, or $100,
salary increase for staff, but they
only funded half of it. That is
part of the reason for the struc
tural deficit,” Parker said.
Parker also said the mandato
ry four percent increase was for
staff only, not faculty.
Dr. Karen Watson, dean of
faculties, said the faculty have
supported the merit-based salary
increases.
“The faculty have for a long
time preferred merit salary
increases and, in fact, the law in
Texas is to use merit-based
salary increases for faculty,”
Watson said.
University President Dr. Ray
M. Bowen announced the plan
for the salary increase but was
unavailable for comments
regarding the enhancement fees
and the salary increases.
ew education program
produces Texas teachers
Officials look for student input
By Courtney McDonald
THE BATTALION
A new secondary certification pro
gram offered by Texas A&M provides
undergraduates and post-baccalaureates
dth the opportunity to quickly receive
■caching certification.
“A&M is trying to recruit students to
Ipbe certified in math and science
B>ecause (those teachers) are in high
J demand across Texas,” said Jennifer
T^rrott, an undergraduate academic
iadviser and M.A.S.S. coordinator for
|the College of Science.
The Program for Accelerated
certification of Teachers (PACT) was
leveloped in response to the shortage
math and science teachers. It is
specifically geared towards math and
^science undergraduate seniors and
Biegree holders that have chosen to pur
sue secondary teaching positions.
I The colleges of agriculture and life
■ciences, education, geosciences, sci-
Mfnce, veterinary medicine and the
Region IV Educational Service Center
involved in a partnership to advance
g the program.
Discussions have also begun to
include the math department in the
Spring of 2003.
“[PACT] is a program that builds
healthy collaborations to address
teacher shortages (especially in math
and science) for Texas,” said Dr. Linda
Glessner, director of Continuing
Education, College of Education. “It
gives A&M a good reputation around
Texas that the College of Education is
prepared and well qualified to produce
great teachers.”
Components of the new program
include a TAMU-based academic
semester composed of 15 hours, a
teaching internship in a public school,
and the TExES examinations. All
classes must be completed before stu
dents may begin their internship.
In order to participate, students must
be within a year of completion of a math
or science degree or have already com
pleted their degree. A GPR of at least
2.5 for undergraduate work is required
to be admitted into the program.
“(PACT) participants do not need prior
education courses or teaching preparation
skills to apply for the program.
See Teachers on page 2
By Sarah Walch
THE BATTALION
Returning students and students
attending New Student Conferences
may anticipate more opportunities for
student input in University decisions
Zac Coventry, student body presi
dent and a senior agricultural develop
ment major said A&M provides a
unique way of allowing student input
from many aspects of the campus and
surrounding community.
There are many avenues for stu
dents to choose from that may ade
quately express their view, said
Barry Hammond, Memorial Student
Center (MSC) president and a senior
economics major.
Hammond oversees diverse organi
zations such as MSC OPAS, MSC
Wiley Lecture Series and MSC
Academic League. He said that stu
dents have the ability to give input and
become actively involved on campus.
However, he added that students do
have to give their opinion in a correct
or positive manner.
“Students do have a say in design
ing policy and reviewing the procedure
of academic and administrative deci
sions through student government
committees,” Hammond said. “(Issues
surrounding the 1999 Aggie Bonfire
collapse) have definitely brought more
attention to the risk management pro
cedures that students are following.
Students’ greatest freedom right now
is in assisting administrative plan
ning,” he said.
University President Dr. Ray M.
Bowen delivered his announcement
concerning the future of Bonfire 2002
See Input on page 2
Saudi Arabia makes al-Qaida arrests
JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) —
Saudi Arabia announced its first al-
Qaida-related arrests since Sept. 11 and
said Tuesday it was holding 11 Saudis,
an Iraqi and a Sudanese man behind a
plot to shoot down a U.S. military
plane taking off from a Saudi air base.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials announced
another Saudi, described as an al-Qaida
operative, was in custody in Morocco.
They said Abu Zubair al-Haili helped
evacuate al-Qaida members from
Afghanistan after Sept. 11, officials said.
The arrests in Saudi Arabia were
made public through the official Saudi
Press Agency, which linked the sus
pects to Osama bin Laden’s terror net
work and said they were planning to
use explosives and missiles in other
attacks in the kingdom.
The agency provided only sketchy
details on when or where the s,uspects
were arrested. But it was the first time
since the terrorist attacks on the United
States — carried out by 15 Saudis and
four other Arabs — that the U.S. ally
has announced arrests linked to bin
Laden, the Saudi exile whose first
cause was the overthrow of this
Muslim kingdom.
The alleged plotters “were plan
ning to carry out terrorist attacks
against vital and important installa
tions in the kingdom, by using explo
sives and two (surface-to-air) SA-7
missiles, smuggled into the kingdom
and hidden in different places around
the country,” the agency said.
Among those in custody was a
Sudanese man identified by U.S. offi
cials as Abu Huzifa, a suspected al-
Qaida cell leader.