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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1981)
thursday, april 9, 1981 lincoln, nebraskavol. 106, no. 59 ri (Sj Middle East area important, dangerous Muskie By Patty Pryor "Today, no region of the world holds more importance or danger for the rest of the globe (than the Middle East)," former Secretary of State Edmund Muskie said Wednesday night. Muskie's speech, in the Lincoln Milton Ballroom, opened the Middle East Symposium being held at UN L to day and Friday. The Middle East was a center of crisis long before Israel achieved independence in 1948, he said, and long before any serious oil shortage threatened the United States. "The area is a mosaic of people, with diverse religions and competing ethnic factions," Muskie said. The internal unrest resulting from such diversity is compounded by "the intense interests of outsiders," he added, and the rapid progress brought on by moderniza tion. "In the Middle East, the pressures of modernization collide with ancient culture and tradition," he said. Muskie cited specific areas of inner turmoil within the Middle East, including the Persian Gulf, Iran, Turkey and Lebanon. He condemned the Soviet Union's attempts at "sub jugating the area of Afghanistan" as a move to gain con trol over the entire region. Iran and Turkey, both in the grip of domestic revolt and ravaged by inflation, are evidence of the area's con flict with the pace of development and change around them, Muskie said. Finally, he said, Lebanon, "caught up in a web of violence and civil war," is an example of the internal strife brought on by irreconcilable factions within the area itself. Such a list of trouble spots, however, should not be an invitation to discouragement or despair, Muskie said. "We must never conclude that, just because it is be yond our power to change things, we should not try to influence them," he said. It would be arrogant and futile to think that the prob lems of the Middle East can be solved quickly, Muskie said, but the West can be a powerful influence in the area's matters. The West has numerous interests to protect in the Middle East, he added, and the United States needs to becin identifying those. Among them are the "security, strength and well being of the state of Israel," Muskie said. "I have held a committment to Israel in my public life for 35 years." he said. "Israel is a strategic asset, a model of democracy in the Middle East, and a showcase for modern development in harmony with ancient culture and tradition." The U.S. role in the Middle East situation will be a test of Western devotion to the Israeli cause, he added. Other Western interests include the confinement and settlement of local disputes, Muskie said. Too .often, he said, isolated skirmishes develop into broadened conflicts, with repercussions reaching around the world. Continued on Page 6 ' ifjf I if -1 ?1 m 1 if) i ii i 'i Photo by Mark Billingsley Former Secretary of State Edmund Muskie Muskie defends Carter term By Tom Prentiss Former Secretary of State Edmund Muskie offered his cvaluationsof the Carter administration and current troubled areas of the world in a news conference Wed nesday at the Lincoln Municipal Airport. Muskie said the interpretation of the Carter years will require time. "You can't write history two months after an administration," he said. But he did say he disagreed with those who charac terize the Carter foreign policy as ineffectual. Muskie called the Carter administration "knowledgeable, decisive and tough." and he said many gains were made. He cited the Carter leadership with NATO nations in urging the modernization of nuclear weaponry in Europe and the ability to obtain European cooperation with the United States in sanctions against Iran fur its holding of American hostages. He called the sanctions a "critical element" in resolving the hostage situation last January. Retention of sanctions against Rhodesia helped lead to peace and stability so the transformation could be made to the new Zimbabwe government, he said. Muskie said he didn't believe the Carter emphasis on human rights hurt the United States abroad. He said he didn't think it was wrong to articulate the values written into the U.S. Constitution. Muskie said a "wait and see" attitude is needed for the Reagan administration before comparing it with the Carter policies. He said much of the Republican criticism against the Carter administration last November may have been just "campaign rhetoric," Muskie said the Reagan administraiton has an anti terrorist stand, which is a human rights stand. The Camp David peace accords, perhaps the corner stone of the Carter foreign policy achievements, are still an unstable situation. "The Camp David agreements are vulnerable to collapse from the very birth, and they continue to be." Muskie said. "The peace process is vulnerable every day." Muskie received $17,500 for his Wednesday night symposium speech and $1,000 for travel expenses. Croups helping to sponsor the Middle East sympo sium include the Nebraska Committee on the Human ities, the University of Nebraska Foundation and the offices of NU president and UNI. chancellor, plus the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the College of Arts and Sciences and the University Pro gram Council. Private groups making contributions were the Cooper Foundation. InterNorth Foundation. Valmont Industries. Northwestern Bell Telephone Company, the U.S. National Bank. Coopers & Lybrand. American National Bank, Mutual of Omaha and United of Omaha, Omaha National Bank, the First National Bank & Trust Company of Lincoln, Commonwealth Electric, the Lincoln oTwc of E.F. Hutton and the National Bank of Commerce. UPC rule cuts part of Chicano Awareness Days By Patti Gallagher Because of a rule prohibiting the University Program Council to sponsor events during its yearly retreat, an event co-sponsored by the Mexican American Student Association and the UPC Culture Center has been partially canceled. According to the MASA president, however, the group's event was scheduled first, and the rule was never brought to MASA's attention. Pete Urdiales said MASA planned their event, the Chicano Awareness Days, last semester for today. April 10 and 1 1 . At that time the group reserved rooms in the Ne braska Union for all three days. MASA also requested then that UPC culture center, of which Urdiales is vice chairman, co-sponsor the program to gain additional funding. In February. UPC planned its retreat for April 10.11 and 12. Retreats are held annually to teach members pro gramming skills. Urdiales said he did not know about the scheduling overlap or the rule prohibiting it until March 17. That date was a culture center meeting, where Urdiales pro posed allocations for the Chicano Awareness Das. Enforcement of the rule by several officials caused MASA to cancel a dance on Friday and to use its own funds for a Saturday marathon race. Urdiales said the lace will cost $420. $40 for park rental and $.K0 for T-shnts. and will deplete the MASA treasury. Long-time rule Saia Boatman, director ol Campus Activities and Pro grams, said the rule against allowing UPC to sponsor events during its retreat has existed a long tune, been honored by all othei student groups and been discussed frequently at UPC meetings. Urdiales. who as vice president of the culture center, also sits on the UPC executive board, said he never heard the rule discussed at a MASA meeting, a culture center meeting or a UPC executive meeting. "Anytime that I was there that we discussed the re treat," Urdiales said, "I told them the days " of the MASA event. No one ever mentioned the rule, he said, adding he attended 00 percent of the meetings. Urdiales said a breakdown in communications occured when MASA member Ben Dias stopped attending UPC culture center meetings. As the chair of the culture center Chicano special events committee, Dias was to serve as a liaison between the groups. Dias was removed from that position March 10 and Urdiales assumed his duties. But Urdiales said because UPC persons were aware of the dates for the Chicano Awareness Days and the rule, someone should have brought it to MASA's atten tion before March. Overlap realized At the March 17 culture center meeting, Jackie Caventci. a CAP adviser working on the MASA project, said she realized the scheduling overlap. She brought the problem to Boatman's attention. Boat man would not sign the expenditure because of the UPC rule. Although Urdiales said the rule is not in writing. Boat man said it has been honored in the past. Last year. Boatman sent a lettei to all UPC members stressing the importance of the retreat, and requesting removal of all conflicting activities for that weekend. The retreat is essential to the success of the council. Boatman said, because many UPC members have had no previous pfugiamimiig experience. List year's letter was prompted by a scheduling con flict for a Women's Resource Center-LTPC co-sponsored concert. The concert was rescheduled because it fell dur ing the retreat, according to Boatman. This year, an honors convocation program scheduled for April 10. and sponosored by the culture center, had to be rescheduled, she added. Boatman said that because other groups abided by the rules, MASA should likewise. Urdiales contacted Boatman after he learned she would not approve funding for Friday night and Saturday. During spring break, he contacted Daryl Swan son. union director, and Richard Armstrong, vice chancellor for student affairs. Both concurred with Boatman's decision not to grant the funds. Urdiales said he also contacted the UNL ombudsman, the student legal services lawyer and NU Regent Ed Schwartzkopf about gaining the funds, but also found no solution. He appeared before the ASUN Senate Wednesday night to present the problem, and ask for the money for the Saturday race. thursday An Ambitious Student: a 46-ycar-old grandmother re turns to college to be able to help her people . . . Page 7 Still Leaders of the Pack: New releases from The Rolling Stones and The Who confirm faith in the British rock veterans Page 14 Fantastic Four: UNL Voleyhall Coach Terry Pettit says he has signed four "excellent" recruits for next season Rage 16