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/olume 109 • Issue 118 • 10 pages
Texas A&M University
www.thebatt.com
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
War escalates as troops
push further into Iraq
Drive to Baghdad slowed by sandstorm, resistance
Larry S. Talley • KRT CAMPUS
A Tomahawk land attack missle is launched from the guided missle cruiser USS
Anzio Sunday in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
By David Espo
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Aiming for Saddam Hussein’s seat
of power, U.S.-led warplanes and hel
icopters attacked Republican Guard
units defending Baghdad on Monday
while ground troops advanced to
within 50 miles of the Iraqi capital.
President Bush put a $75 billion price
tag on a down payment for the war.
The helicopter assault marked the
first known engagement between
forces in central Iraq, and many of the
American craft were hit by Iraqi
groundfire. One went down behind
enemy lines — the cause was
unknown — and the Pentagon said
the two-person crew had been taken
prisoner.
Five days into Operation Iraqi
Freedom, resistance prevented
American and British forces from
securing the southern cities of Basra
and An Nasiriyah and thwarted
efforts to extinguish burning oil
wells.
“These things are never easy,”
conceded British Prime Minister
Tony Blair, on the day his country
suffered its first combat casualty of
the war. “There will be some difficult
times ahead but (the war) is going to
plan despite the tragedies.”
Saddam sought to rally his own
country in a televised appearance.
“Be patient, brothers, because God’s
victory will be ours soon,” he said,
appearing in full military garb and
seeming more composed than in a
taped appearance broadcast last
week.
Despite Saddam’s defiant pose, a
military barracks in the northern part
of the country was bombed, and
Baghdad fell under renewed air attack
by day and by night. Iraqis set up
mortar positions south of the city and
piled sandbags around government
buildings and other strategic loca
tions, in evident anticipation of a bat
tle to come.
“Coalition forces are closing in on
Baghdad,” Maj. Gen. Stanley
McChrystal told reporters at the
Pentagon.
U.S. officials said they believe
Iraq is more likely to use chemical or
biological weapons against coalition
troops the closer they get to Baghdad.
The Iraqi Republican Guard controls
the bulk of Iraq’s chemical weaponry,
most of which can be fired from
artillery guns or short-range rocket
launchers, according to U.S. officials.
U.S. Apache helicopters attacked
Saddam’s Republican Guard forces
arrayed around Baghdad while an
official, speaking on condition of
anonymity, said a “large portion” of
the day’s bombing runs — there were
more than 1,500 sorties over Iraq —
were dedicated to hitting the same
units.
The Apaches encountered heavy
groundfire during their assault on the
Medina armored division, but the hel
icopters managed to kill about 10
Iraqi tanks before cutting off their
attack.
The Pentagon says 80 percent of
its bombs and missiles are precision-
guided, but Iraq claimed that 58 civil
ians had been killed Sunday and 469
injured. It did not give any figures for
military deaths.
Heavy fighting continued Monday
in An Nasiriyah, which is important
because of its bridges across the
Euphrates which could be used by
See Fighting on page 2
Crowd gathers in support of American troops
03
By Hedish Connor
THE BATTALION
Students and residents of the Bryan-
College Station area gathered in the
Academic Plaza Monday to express their
support for troops in Iraq.
The “Patriots for America,” organized
by sophomores Justin Decker and Lindsey
[Arms, planned the event after hearing stu
dents say that they wanted a rally showing
support for U.S. troops. The rally was part
ly in response to antiwar rallies held on
[campus.
The protesters were not necessarily sup-
jportive of the war or President George W.
Bush. Instead, the emphasis was on the
troops, Decker said.
The Patriots passed out yellow ribbons
to students and had poster boards that stu
dents could write on to send to troops
based in Kuwait.
Protesters also held American flags and
spoke with students who stopped by the
free speech area, while children sang patri
otic tunes.
Decker said because of the rise in the
number of antiwar protests, he wanted to
give students an opportunity to show their
support of the troops even if they do not
agree with the war.
Lindsey Arms, a political science major
and co-organizer of the rally, said the rally
intended to send a message of support. She
said the recent war protests around the
country give the wrong idea of patriotism.
“I feel it’s great to show freedom of
speech, but I know of some (protests)
around the country that are less patriotic,
like jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge
and smashing in windows,” Arms said. “I
feel there is a more peaceful way.”
Michelle Aucoin, a resident of College
Station, said she is not in favor of war, but
was at the rally because she supports
removing Saddam Hussein and his regime.
“People have been disrespectful to our
troops,” she said, “and I wanted to neutralize
that effort that has been highly publicized.”
JOHN C. Livas • THE BATTALION
College Station resident Mary Mickler, 8, waves a flag in support
of the U.S. troops. The patriotic rally was held in front of the
Lawrence Sullivan Ross statue in the Academic plaza on Monday.
Candidates form political bloc, pledging reform
By Rolando Garcia
THE BATTALION
n
n
In a rare development for Texas A&M student body elections, 54
Student Senate candidates, more than half of those running for the
Position, have coalesced into a political bloc and are pledging
eform of student government.
“The candidates in our group are serious about change,” said
(erri Ward, leader of the group and a student senator. “For too long
the Student Government Association) has not been representing
tudents’ views.”
The bloc has pledged its support for student body president can
didate Luke Cheatham, who Ward said shares the group’s commit
ment to change.
“We believe in Luke’s vision of action, not words,” said Ward, a
freshman marketing major.
Cheatham said the coalition of senate candidates is an indication
that many students are unhappy with student government and want
student leaders who will voice students’ views to administrators.
“The days of complacent representation are over,” said
Cheatham, a senior civil engineering major.
However, some in SGA say they are wary of blocs promising
change. Kevin Capps, a student senator, said Ward’s group does not
seem to have any specific policy goals.
“The campaign is not about cliches. Students want serious pro
posals,” said Capps, a junior history major and chair of the Student
Senate’s rules and regulations committee.
Having a bloc in the senate committed to the same goals can
make it easier to move ahead with an agenda, but can also stifle
opposing viewpoints, Capps said.
Bobby Tucker, adviser for SGA, said this is only the second time
in recent election history that candidates are running as a bloc in stu
dent body elections. Two years ago a group called Pro Traditions
won enough seats to control the senate. The bloc’s central issue was
bringing back Bonfire.
“When they realized they couldn’t do anything on (Bonfire), it
fell apart, and the year was not very productive,” Tucker said.
Candidates for Student Senate often do not realize that they have
little real power to bring about change, and can only serve as a
advocate for students to administrators. Tucker said.
Voting will take place Wednesday and Thursday at various cam
pus locations and online at vote.tamu.edu.
(/>
Maroon Party encourages
involvement in city politics
ExCEL week coming to A&M
By Molly Cain
THE BATTALION
A Texas A&M student group is attempting to
channel the enthusiasm put into student body
elections to local government, where it says stu
dent interests are underrepresented.
Aggies for Democracy, an organization aimed
at energizing the student body to actively partici
pate in local government, was created last fall to
counteract the apathy that many students have
toward issues outside of campus. According to its
mission statement, AFD, or the Maroon Party,
wants to use the large student population as a
powerful voice in College Station city affairs and
to increase student participation in local elections.
Kyle Whatley, director of the Maroon Party,
said he joined the group after realizing A&M stu
dents weren’t capitalizing on their potential to
make an impact in local politics.
“If students begin to voice their opinions and
become active in local politics, they will begin to
see their concerns addressed,” he said.
Whatley, a senior political science major, said
a key goal of the group is to make it easier for
students to participate in local elections. The
party is currently lobbying to place an early vot
ing site on campus for this year’s city elections.
“We stress early voting because they choose to
hold local elections during our finals (exam)
time,” he said. “It is sometimes difficult for stu
dents to find time to vote.”
If students vote in large numbers, local offi
cials will take notice and be more receptive to
students’ concerns, Whatley said.
Given the track record for student apathy,
Whatley says that the city has been reluctant to
grant their request of a new poll site.
Thomas Brymer, College Station city manag
er, said that having an open and active relation
ship between students and local government is
important to city officials.
“A&M students represent a unique flavor and
See Politics on page 2
By Melissa McKeon
THE BATTALION
Excellence uniting Culture,
Education and Leadership, a
multi-faceted program for first-
year students, is hosting its 16th
annual ExCEL Week this week
to raise awareness about their
project.
ExCEL, a program based in
the Department of Multicultural
Services, attempts to ease the
transition from high school and
offers a retention program pro
viding support, encouragement
and links to A&M while pre
serving a student’s cultural iden
tity.
“The students that pass
through the program have high
academic achievement and a
strong self-identity,” said
Lyndon Pryor, ExCEL student
success program director.
Several activities are sched
uled throughout the week for
students to attend.
Tables providing detailed
information about the program
will be set up at Rudder
Fountain today through
Thursday.
An ExCEL informational
will also be held Thursday at 7
p.m. in MSC 229. ExCEL team
leader applications will be avail
able for students to fill out.
Friday at the MSC
Hullaballo, bowling and games
will be held by the Department
of Multicultural Services.
“Incoming freshmen are
assigned to a team for the year
and specifically to two team
mentors,” Pryor said.
The ExCEL program begins
each year with a two-day con
ference. This year’s conference
will be the weekend of August
29-30.
At the conference, ExCEL
students meet one another as
1SCEL
week
Excellence Uniting Culture,
Education and Leadership
Provides information and activities
related to ExCEL, a guide for
first-year minority students
Monday, March 24 - Friday, March 28
ExCEL mforin.itinn.il
MSC • Thursday, 7 p.m.
Inform.ition Tables
Rudder Fountain«Monday - Thursday
Source: Department of Multicultural
Services
Ruben DeLuna
well as their team mentors.
There will be keynote speakers
and a football game for ExCEL
students and mentors to attend
together, Pryor said.
Ade Olaloko, a freshman
biomedical sciences major,
attended the conference after
returning from Fish Camp and
said students were counseled
about what to expect during
See ExCEL on page 2