THE BATTAU les risi fV war changes J.S. perception Vith most Americans gellnji? ews from television, the ramatic images of U.S. POii nd casualties in Iraq are tar; n impact on people’s percepio f the war. Jpinions on the war Military force was the right decision ■ War is going well •120 3/21 3/22 3/23 3?; JRCE: Pew Research Center "People have different op ns about the war, but ant the safe return oft )ops and we wanted fa iow we support what fa ting,” Brannersaid, Yellow ribbons adornd: int porch of the Pale® .Va., home of Pfc. tea nch. 19, among a ers missing fromasi v ambushed in southemlui Aggielife: Thursday night fever • Page 3A Opinion: A nation divided • Page 5B TUT 17 1 tlE Volume 109 • Issue 120 • 18 pages Texas A&M University www.thebatt.com Thursday, March 27, 2003 Provost search narrowed to two finalists By Brad Bennett THE BATTALION The search for executive vice president and provost is down to two finalists: College of Education Dean Jane Cdnoley and Interim Tovost David Prior. Additional outside candidates may still be onsidered for the position of second in command )f Texas A&M, said search committee chairman Dr. Herbert Richardson. Richardson said the com mittee hasn’t decided whether addi tional candi dates are needed after the two outside finalists, of Ohio State and Cutberto CONOLEY PRIOR C. Bradley Moore Garza of Cornell, dropped out. Richardson said he was surprised at their decision to withdraw. “It is too bad; they were both outstanding candidates,” Richardson said. Moore withdrew because he accepted a job at Northwestern University similar to his current job of vice president for research at Ohio State, according to an Ohio State press release. Garza is traveling until May and could not be reached for comment. Richardson said many people applied for the job, but all four finalists were candidates suggest ed by committee members at the beginning of the search because of their academic reputations. Conoley said the job hunt has not caused any friction between herself and Prior. “I discussed applying for the job beforehand with (Prior). There is no pressure,” Conoley said. See Finalists on page 2A First relief supplies delivered to Iraq lies in Tyson muggling tri in. (AP)-A federal juiylief/ in the'immigrant-smu^ ;iant Tyson Foods, aid the nation's larj managers who are immigration law with aP eening program ent in and three of its ig illegal immigrants to W y couldn't find AmericaiMi' -hour jobs. Executivestesi it encourage the hiring oil managers who did sort cies. Living! le TV+GUi 1 Veranij] /indowf I :iion Poof I By David Espo THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Army airborne forces parachuted into northern Iraq on Wednesday, seizing an airfield for a new front against Saddam Hussein. U.S. and British warplanes bombed an enemy convoy fleeing the besieged city of Basra in the south. One week into the war, the possi bility of a major battle loomed within 100 miles of Baghdad as another con voy — this one made up of elite Republican Guard forces — moved in the direction of American troops aim ing for Saddam’s seat of power. Jumping from low-flying planes into the Iraqi night, an estimated 1,000 paratroopers landed near an airstrip in Kurdish-controlled territory less than 30 miles from the Turkish border. Hundreds of miles to the south, the unchallenged bombing of Iraqi forces leaving Basra raised hopes that ground troops could soon enter the city, feared at risk for a humanitarian crisis. The military developments unfolded as the first humanitarian delivery of supplies rolled into southern Iraq, greet ed at the border by hungry children. With American and British forces massing to the south, west and now the north of Baghdad, the Iraqi regime kept much of the news from its own people. Instead, it emphasized a claim that two American cruise missiles had killed 14 civilians in Baghdad and wounded dozens more. “This war is far from over,” President Bush said in a quick trip to the Florida headquarters of U.S. Central Command, which is oversee ing the war. Swirling sandstorms hampered American units for a second day. The bombing campaign was crimped as well, but Baghdad television was knocked off the air for several hours, and explosions were heard, as well, near the oil-rich city of Kirkuk in the north. Lt. Col. Thomas Collins, spokesman for the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, con firmed that paratroopers were on the ground, many of them elite Rangers. 0>t:WAyJOW MAt* t WfcfUOM «AV Forces encounter stronger opposition The Alroigtfi i*t iruip t£xc*«. If* ’l*? o»ccv«r» cf cl tfi* cn'oet munn hnqhaxtft* ^ tti* PmlUyOU to M ttvenct m tr* txaf! % An Keflvrnei’4 ocr«r.tH>ci heevy - rxw*tJ«« vmwri ! A. qU*'*" O: JTihI tvM ummu'/ rcmi-K® Um UZ. Navy two irw> Pe> «8rt»r to >:«*<» W “I can only tell you yes, they’ve gone in. They’re on the ground,” he said. Other officials said tanks, other vehicles and supplies would be airlift ed in behind them. American commanders had hoped to move a large force into northern Iraq from Turkey. But the Turkish par liament refused to allow that, and the parachute drop was the beginning of an alternative plan. U.S. and British warplanes, as well as ground units, hit the column leav ing Basra. A British military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the column included as many as 120 tanks and other armored vehicles. Iraqi officials said 30 civilians were injured, some badly, when two American missiles landed in a resi dential Baghdad neighborhood. Associated Press Television News video showed bodies wrapped in plas tic sheeting in the back of a pickup truck and streets that had flooded after water pipes ruptured. Flames rose above burning buildings, mixing with smoke from fires Iraqis have lit to try to obscure targets for American com bat pilots. 1 American military officials issued a statement saying that civilian damage was “possible” after an aerial attack aimed at nine Iraqi surface-to-surface missiles. “The missiles and launchers were placed within a civilian residen tial area,” it said JP BEATO III • THE BATTALION Beverly Boggs, an educational human resource devel opment Ph.D student, watches her 9-year-old daughter at the pro-war rally held at the Sul Ross stature in front of the Academic Building Wednesday night. Boggs attended the rally to support the troops and her brother, Sgt. David Smith, who is stationed in Afghanistan. Students rally for troops, Bush By Esther Robards-Forbes THE BATTALION With American forces continuing their advance toward Baghdad, stu dents gathered at the Academic Plaza Wednesday night to show their support for the troops and for President George W. Bush. “Throughout our country’s histo ry, every member of the armed forces and every president of the United States has sworn the same oath: that they would defend the United States from all enemies both foreign and domestic. We are here tonight to give profound thanks to all who have kept this oath, no matter the cost,” said organizer Becky Jacobs, a senior political science major. A crowd of more than 100 stu dents and community members waved flags, sang patriotic songs and burned red, white and blue candles. “Right now there are troops — Americans and Iraqis — fighting for their lives. Should we feel guilty for the circumstances we were blessed with? My opinion is no, but because we were blessed, we have a respon sibility,” said Zac Coventry, student body president and a senior agricul tural development major. Americans have a responsibility to support the troops and Bush through prayer, Coventry said. While speakers acknowledged the right of antiwar demonstrators to protest the war, they pointed out that the armed forces protect that right. Organizers said that the rally would give a voice to supporters of the war who are often overshadowed See Rally on page 2A University releases revised emergency procedures Storms cause complications By Melissa Sullivan THE BATTALION >dge • [eaic Off* By Lauren Smith THE BATTALION Following inquiries from ? parents and students about Texas A&M’s emergency pre- j paredness after the heightened : terror alert, the University has 1 updated its emergency proce dures and made them readily 1 accessible on the Web. The Texas A&M University Emergency Protocol Quick Reference Guide, located online at http://finance.tamu.edu/ehsd, consists of 13 pages covering issues such as what to do in a bomb threat or a severe weather episode, where to go if a chem ical or radiation spill occurs and what to do upon receipt of a suspicious-looking letter or package. The complete version of the emergency plan is about 60 pages. “The plan is quite detailed, covering all the bases, and is accessible on the Web, making it very straightforward and readily available to any student or parent concerned,” said Bob Wiatt, director of the University Police Department. Although a University emer gency plan has existed for near ly a decade, it lacked informa tion intended for anyone who is not a member of an emergency crew, such as students, staff and faculty, said Chris Meyer, direc tor of the Environmental Health & Safety department. The plan went through a lengthy review cycle in the fall and underwent revisions so that it would be accessible to the general population, Meyer said. The new plan addresses some terrorist-related issues not pres ent in the previous document, he said. According to the section of the emergency protocol entitled “Suspicious Letter/Package/Substance,” any package or letter should be treat- Texas A&M Enter m Protocol Available at: httpff/finance.tamu.edu/ehsd Includes directions for students, staff and faculty in event of: bomb threat chemical spill pasleaks ^ radiation spin or release suspicious letter 1 package i substance Ruben DeLuna • THE BATTALION Source: FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT ed with suspicion and must be handled without shaking or bumping. It is also important to avoid opening, smelling or tast ing the package. If a bomb threat occurs, the receiver of the call should immediately hang up and dial #91 (trace/trap procedure) before calling 911, according to the protocol. See Revised on page 2A More than 950 Bryan residents were without power for up to an hour and a half Tuesday night after a line of strong thunderstorms pushed through the Bryan-College Station area, said Bob Wheeler, Bryan Utilities spokesman. “One of the outages was caused when a tree fell on top of a power line,” he said. “All crews dispatched immediately, and now everything is back to normal.” Wheeler said no other major problems were reported in Bryan. Tuesday night’s storms caused only two hous es in College Station to lose power, said Augie Palmisano, College Station Utility dispatch opera tions superintendent. “There were only four or five people affected,” he said. Although few residents lost power in College Station, the fierce storm and lightning it produced sparked a fire at the Doux Chene Apartment, off Harvey Mitchell Parkway. No injuries were reported from the fire. Bart Humphreys, public information officer for the College Station Fire Department, said there See Storms on page 2A Regents to vote on tuition raise By Brad Bennett THE BATTALION The Texas A&M Board of Regents will vote Thursday on a proposed tuition increase. Two separate agenda items propose possible increases— one for tuition and fees and the other for new field trip fees. A public forum for students to voice their opinions about the proposed tuition increases will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Memorial Student Center 292. The votes will take place in an open meeting at 2:15 p.m., also in MSC 292. No student input will be heard during this meeting. Also on the agenda are items proposing the establishment of four new education centers at A&M: Center for Biological Clocks Research, Center for Atmospheric Chemistry and the Environment, Center for the Study of Health Disparities and the Technology Commercialization Center.