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10
Wednesday, January 22, 2003
m
THE BATTALK
Three journalists kidnapped by
Colombian attackers in Panama
SutbJiiscHtent </'c»u'4£nfttt>nr stif’Jritur tihr
Jk'v ,
Summer in
Paris.20.0^'
By Juan Zamorano
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
thp AMERICAN
UNIVERSITY
of PARIS
Two 5-week
Summer Sessions:
I. June 2-July 8, 2003
II. July 12-Aug. 1 4,
1
ri.,,4 J.
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I. June 2-June 25, 2003
II. July 12-Aug. 1,
2003
u^ u:
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Tel: (33) 1 40 62 06 14
Fax: (33) 1 40 62 07 17
or in the U.S.: (303) 757-6333
.summer^aup.edu www.aup.edii
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learn mere at our Informationals
January 21 a 22
7:00PJi.inzaclinil04A
sec.tamu.edu
Three foreign journalists,
including the reporter who
interviewed U.S. Taliban sus
pect John Walker Lindh, were
kidnapped Tuesday by
Colombian attackers, police
said.
The three, believed to be
part of a camera crew, disap
peared Sunday near in Pay a, a
remote Indian village of 500
people just north of the
Colombian border.
Tuesday night, police
searchers found the bodies of
three people who police said
had been killed in the attack,
but it was unclear whether
those killed were the missing
journalists because authorities
were also looking for three
Indians from Paya believed to
have been killed during the
attack.
Panama’s National Police
issued a statement Tuesday
identifying the three journalists
as Mark Wedeven, Megan A.
Smaker and Robert Y. Pelton.
Pelton is an American who
lives in the Los Angeles area.
The two others are believed to
be an American and a
Canadian. Their hometowns
and media affiliations were not
made public.
Panamanian authorities
called Pelton “a war corre
spondent with great experi
ence.”
Reached by telephone at
their home, Felton’s wife,
Linda, said her husband is a
freelance jour-
nalist and the
author of ‘The
World’s Most
Dangerous
Places,’ a
guide book
that warns
travelers of the
dangers
around the
globe.
Pelton cov
ered the war in
Afghanistan
last year for -
CNN and
made headlines
world with his
Lindh.
Felton’s wife
Vm waiting for
the next step.
I’m waiting for
them to he home
safe
— Linda Pelton
wife of kidnapped journalist
around the
interview of
area near Paya, but that they
were not sure where the
abducted journalists had been
taken.
“They could be in
Colombia,” Bares said.
A Panamanian who served
as the trio’s guide, Victor
Manuel Alcazar, was wounded
in the attack and
escaped from the
paramilitaries. He
was interviewed
by the newspaper
La Prensa in the
equally remote
Panamanian bor
der town of Boca
de Cupe.
Alcazar told
the paper the for
eigners had hired
him to guide
them through the
jungle in Darien
province, on the
r>
said she had
not been contacted by any one
claiming responsibility for
Felton’s kidnapping.
“I’m waiting for the next
step,” she said. “I’m waiting
for them to be home safe.”
Panamanian National Police
spokesman Carlos Bares said
authorities were scouring the
border. Their group had passed
by Paya when they ran into a
column of 50 to 60 paramili
tary fighters.
Local media reports said the
group was intercepted by mem
bers of the right-wing United
Self-Defense Forces of
Colombia, but Alcazar would
n’t confirm that report.
Alcazar said one group took
the foreigners prisoner, while
another group split off and
asked Alcazar to show theit
way back to Paya. Alacaz
the paramilitaries took
with them as they atta;
Pucuro, about 12 miles
Paya, but that he later escaj
Military sources specul;
the paramilitaries wantei
attack the Indian village fa
alleged cooperation withIti
Colombian guerrillas.
Authorities reported
area’s only phone was on
service and attempts to cor:
Alcazar were unsuccei:
Tuesday.
Police also said &
Panamanian Indians werel
napped from Paya during
attack and may have h
killed. That report couldnc
confirmed however.
Authorities searching b
Paya found another haE
which had been attacked,!
recovered the body of one-
killed there.
Panama rushed squad:
police to the Paya region
lowing Sunday’s attack.!!
is no permanent police pcs
Paya, nor is there a high
linking it to the rest of
country.
The border area has h
the site of frequent incur:
by Colombian paramilitr
and left-wing Colombianga
rillas in recent years.
NEWS IN BRIEF
A&M Chancellor Graves
recovering from surgery,
working from home
Graves
Texas A&M Chancellor Howard D.
underwent surgery to remove cancerous
nodules from his lungs on Jan. 17.
Graves is recovering from the surgery,
known as a thoractomy, and will undergo
the same procedure to remove nodules on
his other lung after a recovery period,
according to a press release.
The release also said Graves will remain in the
hospital for anywhere from three days to a
week. Recovery at home will take several
weeks.
Deputy Chancellor Jerry Gaston will assume
some of the chancellor's responsibilities, while
Graves will continue to work at home via tele
phone, e-mail, and fax.
A&M Communications Director Bob Wright
said Graves has no plans to retire soon.
In January 2001, Graves was diagnosed
with a rare form of sarcoma in his abdomen.
In September of the same year, doctors dis
covered the cancer had spread to his lungs.
Military
Continued from page 1
in contrast to the Gulf War, whet
media was denied access to thefo
lines, Chu said the Pentagon w
allow a select number of journal!:
accompany forces sent into comte
there is a war in Iraq, and their rep:
will not be censored.
“(In a war) something will
wrong, but if we allow unfettr
access the public can judge whs
happening and reach their own con.
sions,” Chu said.
The contr
ful as a foe
issue at Tex
a truly divei
Racial ins
the Aggie c
activities th<
are certain
University is
Yet, there
or racist: th
firmed their
tion should
to increase
However,
A&M Englisl
more alarrr
involved in
point is mal
ed.
Statemen
are little me
name of di
more to cr
organizers c
culturalism 1
must be a
science, anc
distasteful c
A&M Pres
to lure mor
welcoming
presented a
ty should re
intolerance
ism must b<
TF
Editor in
Managing I
Opinion 1
News i
Emerging
ElR
Looking for something
Advanced
Leaders
Retreat
to do this spring?
AjR
I ^
Attend the Emerging or Advanced Leaders
Retreat, February 14 and 15, and develop
the skills necessary for successful
leadership!
Leaders
Retreat
To apply for either retreat, or to receive additional information, visit
http://studentactivities.tamu.edu and select “Seminars and
Workshops,” or call the Department of Student Activities at 862-6721
Attack
The Battai
less and inclu
reserves the ri
ted in person
mailed to: 01^
77843-11 1 1. F
Continued from page
"We choose to
watch out for
our friends when
we go out."
JL
An
Kelly Morton and Renee Vander eialien
Class of 2004
The Choice Is Up To You.
http:// studentlife.tamu.edu/ade
developing software techi
gies that help military plaf
coordinate and gather infer
tion, their San Diego-ba
company said.
Pouliot is survived by
wife and daughters, ages 12i
14, a Tapestry spokesmans:
“We are stunned by:
senseless act of violence wt
has taken a great man ■
friend from our family,":
Mark Young, Tapestry
president.
A Kuwaiti security offi
agreed the shooting was a'
rorist act. The government'
quick to denounce the affi
and tried to portray it as an
lated incident.
The deputy prime mini
and foreign minister, Sis
Sabah AI Ahmed A1 Sabah.*
condolences to Secretary
State Colin Powell, expressjte
Kuwait’s “strong condeffp
tion of such criminal acts®
target the historic relations*
strong ties between the
friendly nations.”
Kuwaiti Parliament Spe*
Jassem al-Kharafi said
shooting was “an act of am*
vidual that doesn’t represent
opinion of the Kuwaiti peop
Kuwait, critical to any'
war against neighboring'
generally welcomes Amerit
out of lingering gratitude
the U.S.-led coalition
expelled Iraqi invaders in
1991 Gulf War.
It is the only Persian 1
country where large number
American ground troops
training for desert warfare*
possible attack on Iraq.
The pro-American atfj
among many of Kuwait)'
million citizens is unusual®
in the Muslim world, A
anti-U.S. sentiment andopp
tion to war in Iraq run high
recent events prove the entf
is not immune to attacks,sf
linked to al-Qaida.
A U.S. Marine was k
and a second wounded Oc
when two Kuwaiti M
extremists, who were '
killed, opened fire on soil
taking a break from training
Ghetto
suppor
When is tl
Any reaso
the ghetto t
did not shos
wrongs, or;
one at all.
It didn't hi
a way for a
ing at the o
Outrage
increases ra
feelings tha
As a mino
Walton to |
future desp
the ones wl
Apolog
ghetto
The opir
response tc
sentative o*
the black s‘
believe thai