xt7hx34mpp1m https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7hx34mpp1m/data/mets.xml The Kentucky Kernel Kentucky -- Lexington The Kentucky Kernel 1991-01-17 Earlier Titles: Idea of University of Kentucky, The State College Cadet newspapers  English   Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. The Kentucky Kernel  The Kentucky Kernel, January 17, 1991 text The Kentucky Kernel, January 17, 1991 1991 1991-01-17 2020 true xt7hx34mpp1m section xt7hx34mpp1m  

U . S . attacks Iraq

By EDITH M. LEDEHER
Associated Press

CENTRAL SAUDI ARABIA ——
The United States and its allies
hurled a mighty air armada against
Iraq last night to crush that Arab na-
tion’s military power and drive it
from conquered Kuwait.

“The liberation of Kuwait has be-
gun,” President Bush declared in
Washington.

Wave after wave of warplanes, in
hundreds of sorties on a starlit
night, streaked nonh from Saudi
Arabian bases to punish Iraq for its
five-month defiance of the rest of
the world.

In Baghdad, reporters said bomb
explosions shook the ground of the

Iraqi capital. An oil refinery 10
miles away was in flames. and
flashes of light brightened the night
sky, apparent anti-aircraft fire, they
said.

“Operation Desert Shield” be-
came “Operation Desert Storm”
around 12:50 am. (4:50 pm. EST)
as F-ISE fighter-bombers took off
from the largest US air base in cen-
tral Saudi Arabia “This is history in
the making," said Col. Ray Davies,
the base's chief maintenance offi-
cer.

The air offensive, aimed at troops
and other strategic sites in both Iraq
and Kuwait. included U.S. Air
Force planes, British Tornado fight-
er-bombers, 150 Saudi Arabian F-
15s and Tomados, and aircraft of

Kuwait's exiled military, allied offi-
cials said.

First reports indicated Iraqi resis-
tance was limited, U.S. defense offi-
cials said. Early word on U.S. casu-
alties was “very, very encouraging,”
said Defense Secretary Dick Che-
ney. Bush, on U.S. national televi-
sion, said no ground assault was
launched immediately against the
dug-in Iraqi army in Kuwait.

There was no immediate word
from Iraq on damage and casualties
there or in Kuwait. Nor was there
any immediate sign of an Iraqi mis-
sile attack on Israel, as Baghdad had
threatened.

Rumors flew through the Persian
Gulf that Iraq launched Scud
ground-to—ground missiles against

Saudi Arabia, but Cheney called
those reports false. An Israeli mili-
tary official said allied warplanes
struck Scud missile launch sites in
western Iraq.

The furious assault was the cli-
max to a crisis that built over more
than five months, as Iraq's Presi-
dent Saddam Hussein, whose forces
stormed Kuwait in a lightning inva-
sion Aug. 2, rejected world condem-
nation and dismissed UN. econom-
ic sanctions designed to force him
out of the occupied emirate.

Bush told the American people in
his 9 pm. EST address, “We will
not fail.”

“All reasonable efforts" to re-
solve the Persian Gulf by diplomacy
and economic sanctions had failed

and Iraq's President Saddam Husse-
in “met every overture of peace
with contempt," said the somber
president

“The world could wait no long-
Hussein called President Bush a
“hypocritical criminal” yesterday
and vowed to crush “the satanic in-
tentions of the White House."

“The 17th of January the hypo-
crites struck," Saddam said in a
Baghdad radio message, monitored
in Nicosia. “The great showdown
has begun."

Saddam, addressing “The glori-
ous sons of our nation," said the
battle was one of “justice against
vice. of the believers against the in-
fidels.“

Cl'

Less than three hours after the
U.S. jets were launched, reporters in
Dhahran. Saudi Arabia, a staging
base for the U.S. force. said air raid
sirens sounded an alert of a possible
Iraqi missile attack. The “all-clear"
later sounded with no word of an at-
tack.

The American warplanes took off
in pairs, disappearing in red dots
that winked out as they gained alti-
tude. The aircraft were heavily load—
ed with bombs and underwing fuel
tanks for the long trip north — 200
miles to Kuwait, 600 to Baghdad.

“We've been waiting here for five
months now. Now we finally got to
do what we were sent here to do,“

See GULF. Page 3

 

Stunned student body
gathers to hear news

Kentucky Kernel stall

Groups of somber students sat
transfixed in front of television sets
last night as they watched their
country go to war.

“I'm scared,” said Mandy Taylor.
a resident adviser at Patterson Hall,
reflecting the feelings of most stu—
dents. “I wish we knew really what
was going on and why we're there
Why are hundreds of thousands
of people fighting and dying?

“Nobody‘s gung-ho. Everybody's

The same questions and reactions
were being shared across UK last
night as news slowly spread of
America's largest military offensive

UK TODAY

A vigil will be held
outside Sen.
Hopkins' office, lo-
cated at Vine and
Mill streets, at 5
pm. and will last
until 6:30. Call 263-
1973 for more
information.

Bush, Bak-
er started
steps to
war.

Story.
Page 4.

since the Vietnam War.

Shortly after 7 pm. EST, Ameri-
can cruise missiles were launched in
an air attack on Baghdad. News cor-
respondence from Iraq was severed
within 20 minutes of the beginning
of the attack.

But by 8 pm. more than 20 stu-
dents had gathered in front of the
wide-screen TV in the basement of
the Student Center. Some hugged.
Some cried.

“I have friends over there right
now." said Kimberly Hudson, wip-
ing tears off her face. “I just got out
of class. I was supposed to go to
class. I didn't go," said Hudson, a
management sophomore.

Others anticipated the onset of
war, but were stunned by its sud-
denness.

“I'm shocked. I knew it would
happen, but I didn’t think it would
happen this quickly," said Marcus
Jones, a political science senior. “I
think right now we’ve done some-
thing irrational — just as irrational
as Saddam Hussein did in the first
place."

“It doesn't seem exactly real right
now,” said Jeff Blankenship, a land-
scape architecture sophomore. “The
fust shocking pictures will bring me
down to reality. I’m scared for (the
soldiers). The world's gone mad,

By CA. DUANE BONIFER
Associate Editor

For Abdullah Mohannad, the U.S.
decision to attack Iraq probably was
a relief.

Mohamed, who is from Kuwait,
spoke to the Kernel Tuesday on his
concerts about Saddam Hussein.

Mohamed, who has been work-
ing on his doctrxate in political sci-
ence at UK for almost thee yeas,
said his family was in Kuwait when
Iraqi forces invaded last August.
They recently escaped to United
Arab Emirates.

“I am under very tremendous

not that it hasn't been before."

“It’s a combination of emotions
— relief, fear, anguish — mixed
emotions but not a feeling of joy,”
said David Wachtel, a sociology in-
structor at Lexington Community
College. ”I hope and pray this gets
resolved quickly."

Others were more certain about
the necessity of war.

“I think we should have went in
at 12:01 and blown Saddam Husse-
in away," said Michelle Blevins, a
psychology junior. “And we did
what we said we were going to do."

Although UK is thousands of
miles away from the war, some stu-
dents feel close ties to the soldiers
— bonds formed through family,
friends and letters written to, and re-
ceived from, soldiers.

Soon after military forces were
sent to the gulf, Patterson Hall Di-
rector Gina Lang started a letter-
writing campaign to soldiers sta-
tioned in Saudi Arabia.

Patterson Hall RAs Taylor and
Kim Shafer both received responses
from soldiers in Operation Desert
Shield. They said many other wom-
en in the residence hall had also re-
ceived responses — many from sol-
diers now fighting in Operation

See REACTION, Page 3

pressure, and I am kind of between
two fues: the first fire is the inva-
sion of my country and the second
fire is the invasion of war," he said.

The first two days after the inva-
sion of Kuwait, Mohanmd said he
spoke with his family. The stories
they told him about his country
were “humble."

Mohannad said that once Saddam
“feels that his regime will be top-
pled and overthrown, he will be
willing to compromise."

But Mohamed added that “you
cainothavepeeoeaslongasHusse
in is in power."

Mdianned‘s family wanted him

Kentucky Kernel

University of brawl-NW. Kentucky Independent since 1971

DOUG FULKERSOWKemeI Start

UK student Kimberly Hudson. who has friends stationed in the gulf.
cries as she watches war coverage on TV in the Student Center.

Kuwaiti student says attack welcome

that anyone suspected by the Iraqi
army of belonging to the Kuwaiti
resistance was tenured and brought
in front of his mother, and then shot
in the head.

”This is their way to show the
people that they are willing to take
terrorist actions against the people."

The Iraqi army also forced Ku-
waitis to join pro-Iraqi demonstra-
tions or be shot on the spot. Mohan-
nad's family told him.

"They take anybody who has
been working in the military or the
policesndtakehimtothejailand
torture him. If they are lucky, they
will leave him there. If not. they

INSIDE: MORE WAR COVERAGE

will take him in front of his mother
and shoot him,“ he added.

Once the war ts over. Mohannad
said the United States should en—
courage democracy movements
throughout the Arab world.

“The United States should deal
with the people for long-term inter-
ests not short-term interests," he
said. “They should encourage the
democratic movements."

Once democracy movement
starts, Mohannad said that the com-
munication and power between the
Arab people "will be so strong that
we will be able to eliminate all
kinds of future aggression."

Thursday, January 17, 1991

UK officials
urging calm

By GREGORY A. HALL
Senior Staff Writer

Nearly to a tee, disappointed UK
administrators reacted last night to
the beginning of the Persian Gulf
War, calling for cairn and reason to
preva in the coming days as the
campus reacts to the crisrs.

Classes wrll continue today as
scheduled, said Vice Chancellor for
Administratton Jack Blanton.

“There IS no textbook that says
what to do when something like this
happens," said acting Dean of Stu-
dents Davrd Stockham. “But I think
it goes back to bawics. We have to
rely on people to be as much help as
they can right now."

Stockharn and Dean of Under-
graduate Studies Lou Swift are
sponsoring a forum today in Student
Center room 206 from noon until
1:30 to discuss the Middle East cri-
srs.

Swift said he had no idea that
toady‘s forum would be so timely.

“We knew there would be a crisis
in the Middle East, but I never
dreamed

He said plans for the forum have
not changed, and there Will be three
rules for speaking: “civrltty. con-
ciscness and concern for the other
guy's point of view."

“That‘s what a universny ts all
about," Swift said. “Universities
cannot survive unless we‘re able to
do that” ,

The rest of the administration re-
sponded sirmlarly, implortng UK
students to react sensibly.

“One of the things we need to
press ts tolerance of others and
their points of view," said Vice
Chancellor for Student Affairs
James Kuder. “I hope we have
learned from past expenences and
things we shouldn't do.“

In the I970s there was a not. in
which one building was burned, on
the campus over the Cambodian
War.

Blanton said there is no chance
for another riot “because it‘s a dif-
ferent generation of students with
different laws applicable to the
draft I don‘t anticipate that that's
going to result in the disorder that

See CAMPUS, Page 3

 

 .1!

.5

| 2 - “hunky Kernel, Thursday. January 17, 1901

U.S. attack against Iraq was unavoidable, former diplomat says

Air strength
will cripple
Saddam’s
military forces

By DALE GREER
Associate Editor

Editor's Note: The interview for
this story was conducted before the
U .S . attack on Iraq.

AUKexpertonIraqsaidthatan
Allied attack against Iraq's military
forces became increasingly una-
voidable because of the failure of
economic sanctions to wear down
the Iraqi military.

John Stempel, associate director
of the Patterson School of Diploma-
cy and a specialist on Iraq. said
Desert Shield forces will probably
launch an aerial strike on Iraqi mili-
tary targets by Saturday. using air-
craft based in Saudi Arabia and on
naval vessels in the Persian Gulf.

“Kuwait is still being ground into
the dust,“ Stempel said. “Execu-
tions were still taking place (T ues-
day). It's time to get in there and
put a stop to that.”

Targets for the allied raid will in-
clude military command and con-
trol centers as well as communica-
tions networks. Stempel said.

If Iraq President Saddam Hussein
is killed in the initial strike, Stem-
pel said there is a good chance that
the Iraqi war machine may pull out
of Kuwait.

“Whoever comes to power (in
Iraq) will not persist in the Kuwait
adventure.” Stempel said. “He'll
probably be another thug in all
probability. but he'll understand
there's a real problem here."

Stempel said. however, that Al-

 

 

 

 

lied forces may be in battle for
three to six weeks if Saddam re-
mains in power following the strike.

“Saddam won’t back down." said
Stempel, who spent 24 years in the
U.S. foreign service. “He’s between
Iraq and a hard place. It’s a
problem of (saving) face. He‘s got
himself into a bind and he can't get
out of it except by fighting.

“I'm convinced that Saddam still
thinks he can break up the Allied
coalition. He will not be ready to
throw in the towel until it’s too late.
He’s probably going to be dead
meat."

Other targets in the initial raid
will include missile sites. air bases.
poison gas plants and Iraq’s nuclear
reactor. Direct attacks on lraqi
ground troops will probably not be
included in the initial strike. which
will last one or two days. Stempel
said.

Jim VGOT/Stdl Artist

Allied forces will hit Iraq’s sur-
face-to-surface missiles during the
raid partly to keep Israel out of the
conflict. Stempel said. Saddam has
vowed to launch missiles at Israel
if desert Shield forces assault his
positions. Likewise. Israel has said
it will launch a counter-offensive
against Iraq, posing the danger of
turning the conflict into another
Arab-Israeli war.

Stempel said, however, that
many Arab nations have already
“tacitly approved” of an Israeli
counter-attack, reducing the threat
of Arab nations joining against Is-
rael.

If Saddam survives the Desert
Storm strike. Stempel said a brief
allied cease-fire may follow.

The cease-fire would “suggest
that the Iraqi military might want
to think better about it and get out
of Kuwait” before the allies start
bombing them. Stempel said. It

would also provide an opportunity
for a coup d’etat.

‘Thaearealotofmilitxywho
would like to kill Saddam." Stem-
pelsaid."I‘hatisoneofthe hopes
we have to get out of this without a
massive war."

If Saddam does not surrender
Kuwait following the initial Allied
strike. Stempel said he expects the
allies to literally bomb Iraqi troops
out of the emirate.

“We’ll start in with a fairly sus-
tained, very destructive bombing
campaign on the Kuwait southern
border with the avowed purpose of
destroying the Iraqi army and
getting them to move north.” Stem-
pel said.

“Ground troops may never have
to move in if the Iraqi army leaves
(Kuwait) in the process of being
soundly beaten" from the air. he
said

Saddam‘s response to Allied at-
tacks will probably include air raid
counter-strikes and deployment of
chemical and biological weapons,
Stempel said

Several factors, however. chal-
lenge Saddam’s war effort.

For example. the number of Al-
lied attack aircraft greatly outnum-
ber Iraq's, whose pilots are poorly
trained, Stempel said.

Stuart Kaufman. a UK assistant
political science professor. said the
performance of Iraqi aircraft also
poses a problem for Hussein.

Kaufman, an expert on war strat-
egy. said the majority of Iraqi
fighter aircraft are older Soviet-
made MiG-21's and 23’s. Kauf-
man said the planes are far less ma-
neuverable than the American-
made F-15’s based in Saudi Ara-
bia.

“In general, (the Iraqi aircraft)
would be sitting ducks.” Kaufman
said

Saddam's use of chemical weap-
ons could have the effect of inten-

sifying Allied assaults on Iraq.
Stempel. however. ruled out the
possibility that Allied forces will
counter with nuclear or chemical
weapom because of the adverse
world opinionthatwould tiring.
Kaufman said Iraq‘s use of chem-
ical weapons would be a limited
threat because Allied forces are
well equipped with protective gear.
Another problem Saddam must
deal with is the loyalty of his

troops

‘ t‘s going to be the $64,(X)0
question." Stempel said. “Some of
his troops are probably loyal.
even fanatical. But the vast majori-
ty. like conscripts, aren't going to
stand heavy shelling.”

Stempel also said the Iraqi army
is still feeling the effects of the
eight-year-long Iran-Iraq war.

“This is an outfit that‘s got it's
butt kicked around the gulf pretty
thoroughly by the Iranians until
they ran out of ammunition," Stem-
pel said.

Saddam's most threatening weap-
on, however. could be a world-wide
terrorism campaign, which Stempel
expects to begin after the first Al-
lied offensive.

The targets will be “highly sym-
bolic,“ Stempel said. and could in-
clude such structures as American
embassies and army bases. some of
which are in Kentucky.

Allied casualties from a war with
Iraq could range from the hundreds
to 15.000. depending on how Sad-
dam responds to U.S. tactics. Stem—
pel said.

Likewise, Allied tactics will also
effect the casualty rate.

“If the Allied forces decide to go
in early with land forces, it's going
to increase our casualties," Stempel
said.

He added, however, that he ex-
pects Allied forces to use heavy aer-
ial bombardment to drive Iraqi forc-
es out of Kuwait. keeping Allied

casualties relatively low.

The results of war will leave the
Middle East in a state of ttirmoil.
Stempel said. and many Arab na-
tiorts may become increasingly mil-
i . l

Stempel is unsure how the war
will effect Iraq.

“Iraq will be, at a minimum, se-
verely chastised.” Stempel said.
“At a maximum. it may cease to
exist except as a nunp 20 miles in
either direction of Baghdad

“More likely. the Iraqis will get
beat, they will change govem-
ments...and acknowledge that the
Kuwaiti adventure was a mistake.
They will go back to rebuilding.”

Saddam's fate. however, may be
more severe.

“If he has to pull out of Kuwait.”
Stempel said, “...there’ll be three
guys with weapons there ready to
grease him. He won’t survive.”

STEMPEL: “I'm convinced that
Saddam still thinks he can break
up the Allied coalition. He will
not be ready to throw in the tow-
el until it’s too late. He's proba-
bly going to be dead meat."

Americans will read military—approved coverage of the war

Tight control
of journalists,
UK experts say

By GREGORY A. HALL
Senior Staff Writer

In the prelude to the Persian Gulf
War, a network focused its cameras
on the little town of Clay County.
Ala.

The small, almost-ghost town was
decimated by the call-up of troops
from its area. It provided an emo-
tional vignette summing up for the
network Americans' feelings as the
Ian. 15 deadline approached.

Now that war has begun, network
cameras aim for the gripping com-
bat footage.

But war coverage first will pass
through the vice of U.S. military
scrutiny before it is seen and read
by the U.S. public. according to
three UK media experts.

“President Bush (and the mili-
tary) do not want scenes of dead
American soldiers on the nightly
news," political science professor
Bruce Williams said.

Williams teaches a class on media
and politics. If coverage of this war
follows others, Williams said the
media will “rally around the flag."

“The American media have never
been very critical of American mili-
tary action at the beginning of a
war." Williams said.

If the crisis is prolonged. public
support of the war probably will
drop, Williams said.

Some of the coverage "in the be-
ginning will be raw. virtually uned-
ited,” said UK School of Journalism
Director David Dick. a former war
correspondent for CBS News.

Dick added that television cover-
age will be “massive and fast. Then
it‘ll settle down and become more
edited."

But who will be doing the edit-
ing?

College of Communications Dean
Douglas Boyd said there is a greater
concern for television censaship
now tlnn there was in 1970. Televi-
sion “could be milittily helpful” to
the Iraqis. especially with the prom-
inence of the global cable news
charmel. CNN.

When the crisis erupted in Au-
gust. Bush and Iraq President Sad-
chm Missein were “talkinI to each

 

 

 

BOYD: “I think you'll get a lot of
reporting from the front, but you
may not get a lot of pictures from
the from."

other, not through diplomatic chan—
nels, but through CNN," Boyd said.

The Iraqi Embassy watched
American news coverage and send
ciphered messages to Baghdad, he
said.

All three expect U.S. military to
censor media coverage.

Dick said if reporters were being
lied to, they may say something
like: The Department of Defense
says about 5(1) Americans are dead.
but many say the number is around
1,000.

“It's not the joumalist‘s job to
concentrate on morale." Dick said.

He said if reports are censored.
coverage will say censored by the
U.S. government, “and they don't
like that."

Dick said that most of the jour-
nalists in the pool are the networks‘

sian Gulf since the Iraqis invaded
Kuwait on Aug. 2.

Despite the media presence. Boyd
does not expect to see lots of com-
bat footage on American television.

“I think you'll get a lot of report-
ing from the front, but you may not
get a lot of pictures from the front."
Boyd said, expecting more reports
from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Reporting of this war will consist
of “pool coverage,” where all the
media go to the front together in a
military escort.

“While pack journalism has a bad
name. if you're not with the pack,
or the heard. you‘re probably not
getting the story,” Dick said.

He said it would be “very. very
difficult to break out of the pack."

Boyd said reporters rely on the
military for “logistical support,"
like flak jackets. food and guidance
to the action.

Many analysts are drawing com-
parisons of the coverage of this war
to the way in which the Vietnam
War was covered.

But Williams and Boyd said in
many ways the comparison is in-
valid.

Williams said recollections of
Vietnam coverage carry a “myth
that it was kind of heroic journalism
criticizing American policy about
Vietnam.”

Boyd added that the technological
advancements since Vietnam
change the scenario.

“When Vietnam started. satellite
communication was in place, but it
was exceedingly expensive." Boyd
said. Because of that most of
the coverage was on film."

It was fed by satellite to the Unit-
ed States. processed, edited and fi-

 

“The American media have never been very critical
of American military action at the beginning of a

99

war.

Bruce Williams,

political science professor.

’

“crafty" reporters, and they will try
tofigureawaytogetthebodybags
on camera.

Regardless. the military will exer-
cise “very strict control over the
kind of footage we see on television
every night," Williams said.

CNN and the major networks
have been keeping vigil in die Per-

nally shown on the air. Boyd said.

“We didn't have a lot of coverage
in Vietnam that was action-
orienwd.” Boyd said. “It is quite
possible to show the war live."

Dick said television will provide
as much live coverage as poss'ble.
He md Williams believe that there
will be blanket coverage oftl. war.

 

 

But Boyd said it will not be wall-
to-wall coverage. "Now, the net-
works have the feeling that they
must provide some relief.” he said.
“Then is only so much news they
aregoingtobeabletoreportfrom
the front"

About the other side of the story
-—whatthelraqissay-—Boydand
Williams differ. -

 

 

 

 

Boyd said American media will
not have pictures from the Iraqis'
point of view.

But Williams said the Iraqis will
offer “extensive amounts of foot-
age" of destruction and death in
Iraq caused by the American troops.

Williams said the media are par-
tially to blame for the failed diplo-
macy of sanctions American policy

is not committed to long-tenn ef-
forts like sanctions. he said. Neither
is the media.

“Economic sanctions don‘t make
good pictures." Williams said.
“Press coverage gravitates towmd
the dramatic."

Tanks and planes stalking the des-
sert make for “very visually mt-
ing stuff.” he said. .

 

 

  

~11]; 151m TION IN THE G ULF ~———-———-—-

 

 

 

 

TWO PRAYERS FOR PEACE

 

 

Bush wanted
gulf conflict,

By JOETTA LYNN SACK
Staff Writer

“didn’t try to prevent it.”
About 200 people at the Stu-

forrner CIA agent Phillip Agee.

sponsored the event, and Russ
McFarland read the speech by

about eight years before his
passport was revoked recently
by the state department for “na-
tional security reasons."

He currently lives in Madrid,
Spain.

The speech, written before the
second United Nations resolu-
tion that set the Jan. 15 deadline
for Iraq to leave Kuwait, said
that because of U.S. economic
conditions, “the U.S. would
sooner or later have to produce
the necessary crisis,” and the
president would have to hire out
the armed forces.

According to Agee, the “evi-
dence is mounting that Bush and
his entourage wanted the crisis
and didn’th to preventit.”

In his speech, Agee accused
Bush and the CIA of knowing of
the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait four
days before it happened on Aug.
2

He said that the Bush adminis-
tration encouraged the attack by
giving no warning that the Unit-
ed States would protest

 

CIA agent says

According to the text of a for-
mer CIA agent’s speech, “evi-
dence is mounting" that Presi-
dent Bush wanted the current
crisis in the Persian Gulf to oc-
cur to bolster the economy and

dent Center listened to a reading
last night of the speech, “Produc—
ing the Proper Crisis,” written by

Socially Concerned Students

Agee, who was a CIA agent for

 

 

Bren Sullivan, a sociology graduate student, quietly ponders the
gulf conflict. (Top) Russ McFarland reads the speech of a former
CIA agent criticizing U.S. motives for involvement in the Persian

Gulf Crisis.

Agee maintained that the Unit-
ed States became involved in the
war to divert attention from the
domestic economic situations,
such as the savings and loan scan-
dal.

The crisis also allowed Bush to
refrain from making cuts in the
military budget, which was 26
percent of the total budget.

Part of the speech was devoted
to calling for a restructuring of the
federal government, including a
new constitution.

This proposal met with ap-

 

 

PHOYOS BY STEVE IeFARLAW Staff

plause from the audience.

In his speech, Agee also com-
pared the Persian Gulf situation to
the Korean War, which he said
was deliberately prolonged to help
the country's economic situation
at that time.

“The Korean War continued for
three years longer than it had to,”
according to Agee. He also said
that in the “late ‘405 and ’503, the
CIA organized sabotage against
every country in Eastern Europe,
including the Soviet Union.”

 

 

Reaction

Continued from page 1

Desert Storm.

“They’re concerned," Shafer said
from the Patterson front desk early
last night. “Earlier I had a lot of
girls on my floor watching TV in
my room."

Just then, a resident walked in,
saying casually “what’s going on?"

Taylor looked up from the TV
and said: “We've bombed Iraq.
War’s started." The girl froze in si-
lence for more than a minute. A
young man mshed up the steps. He
and another girl, standing in front of
the desk, embraced. Both started to
cry.

“I’m scared too," Shafer said. “I
know someone has to stop Hussein,
and America’s the only one (that)
can do it.

“Hopefully, there will be no lives
lost, very few, if necessary," she
said.

At Keeneland Hall, more than 25
students watched the events unfold

on television in the front lobby.
During the next 15 minutes, more
than 20 more joined. They watched
in silence.

One of those watching, Clark
Wells, has a brother on a Navy air-
craft carrier in the gulf.

“I was in class and this girl goes
‘ .. we just bombed Iraq’ and class
let out,” said Wells, a biology soph-
omore. “Yeah, I'm won'ied.”

Others reacted more pragmatical-
Iy to the announcement of war.

At the SuperAmerica gas station
on South Limestone Street, students
lined their cars up for gas, fearing
further increases in gas prices.

“For two or three hours in a row
it was constant," said Roger Ban-
field, the store’s assistant manager.

That business-like reaction, how-
ever, was the exception.

Keeneland Hall resident Chris
McCombs has been in UK‘s Army
ROTC for the last three years. Be-
fore that, he was on active duty.

Last night, McCombs was think-
ing about his friend of almost five
years, Jeff Bruns, an Army chap-
lain, who now is in Saudi Arabia.

McCombs said that if he could

 

Gulf

Continued from page 1

Col. Davies said.

In Washington, a senior military
official said the initial U.S. attack
also included “a wave of cruise misc
siles,” possibly from U.S. battle-
ships in the Persian Gulf. The mis-
siles apparently were launched to

force Iraqi anti-aircraft defenses to
turn on their radars and be spotted
and destroyed by the attackers.

In Baghdad, ABC and CNN re-
porters said there were “flashes in
the sky." Explosions and machine-
gun fire could be heard in the back-
ground of their reports. “The night
sky filled with a hail of bullets from
anti-aircraft guns," CNN‘s John
Hollirnan said.

Almost two hours later, reporters
said bombs were still falling.

talk to his friend right now, "I’d
definitely tell him I was praying for
hitn, and I definitely hope to see
him again some day."

Information for this article was
gathered by Kernel staff writers
Jenn Allen, Nick Comer, Julie Es-
selman, Michael Huff, Meredith Lit-
tIe. Erin McCarl, Victoria Martin
and Tim Wiesenhahn.

SGA resolution
supports troops

By MARY MADDEN
Assistant News Editor

Concern for U.S. troops in the
Persian Gulf — especially for stu-
dents involved — was the focus of
Student Government Association
committee meetings last night

When the campus relations com-
mittee met, members decided to
write a resolution supporting U.S.
troops involved in the attack. SGA
Senator at Large and committee
chairman Allen Putrnan, President
Sean Lohman and Vice President
Sarah Coursey, along with several
other senators on the committee
drafted “a resolution relating to the
conflict in the Middle East."

The resolution reads as follows:
“Whereas the conflict in the Persian
Gulf has created diverse and con-
flicting opinions, and whereas the
University of Kentucky Student
Government Association should re-
main open to assist all organiza—
tions and to promote the exchange
of ideas and opinions regarding this
matter, and whereas regardless of
our own personal opinions, we, as
students, should be united in hope
of a prompt and successful resolu-
tion to the conflict, be it resolved by
the UK SGA Senate that we support
our fellow students and all service-
men and women serving in the U.S.
in the Middle East, be it resolved
that we encourage the student body
to remain united in hope for a safe
and expedient return.”

A bill sponsored by SGA Arts
and Sciences Senator John Middle—
ton, to be presented before the ap-
propriations and revenue commit-
tee, was instead brought before the
senate review committee for imme-
diate consideration.

The senate review committee,
consisting of the entire SGA senate.
unanimously passed legislation call-
ing for the purchase of ribbons to
be placed around the campus in
support of U.S. soldiers. Some sen-
ators planned to purchase the rib-
bons last night and place them
around the campus as soon as possi-

ble.

Speaking to the senators before
committee meetings, Lohman said,
“I don't want to divide the student
body on it (the gulf issue) or any-
thing like that.

“I think that the senate needs to
keep itself open to both sides of it in
case one organization comes to you
and wants to get money for a rally
—— another organization comes to
you and wants to distribute a
pamphlet on the complete other
side.

“I think that we, as a group, need
to keep ourselves open to both
sides."

Lohman emphasized that if sena-
tors want to take a stand, they
should feel free to proclaim person-
al Opinions.

“Take a stand on it if you wish,”
said Lohman, who came under fire
recently because SGA had neither
stated an official opinion nor debat-
ed the crisis —— and U.S. interven-
tion — in the gulf.

In their personal opinions. Loh-
man and Coursey called the US. at-
tack “a last resort."

”I don’t agree with initially tlflln‘l
over to the Middle East D, but
that’s past now — the fact is that
we are there. and that we have no
choice, I believe, but to continue
with our business over there. Th