O TE^kT1^? O 1 O- Associated Press Nebraskan Z X ^1 W> V W »3 MmmJ XSbVO V Edited by Brandon Loomis Monday, April 23,1990 Pro-Iranian kidnappers free American hostage DAMASCUS, Syria - Pro-Iranian kidnappers freed American hostage Robert Polhill in Beirut on Sunday after nearly 39 months of captivity. He was the first American hostage to be released in nearly 3 1/2 years. The White House said a U.S. plane would take Polhill to West Germany for debriefing and a medical exam before he returns to the United Slates. Spokesman Marlin Fit/.watcr thanked Iran and Syria for their roles in the release. “I’m very happy and grateful to all the people who spent time on my case,” Polhill said in a Syrian TV interview. But he added: “I’m still deeply concerned about my two friends and others who are still held in the conditions I was held in.” Seventeen Western hostages re main in Lebanon, including seven Americans. Polhill, 55, of New York was freed near the seaside Summerland Hotel in Moslem west Beirut at 5:15 p.m. (11:15 a m. F.DT) and driven imme diately to Damascus. He was to be handed over to U.S. Ambassador Edward Djerejian at the Foreign Ministry, Syrian sources said. Terms of the release, which fol lowed a series of communiques from the Shiite Moslem kidnappers, were not known. Polhill's mother, Ruth Polhill of Fishkill, N.Y., was overjoyed at the -4 4 I’m still deeply con cerned about my two friends and others who are still held in the conditions I was held in. Polhill released hostage -1 f release and said she hoped to see her son when he returns to the United States. “Maybe I’ll have control of my self by that time,’’ she told CNN. Guards outside the Summerland who witnessed the release said Polhd! appeared thin and hunched as he stepped out of a car that screeched to a halt in a street about 50 yards from the hotel. He was immediately picked up by a three-car Syrian convoy and driven off at high speed. The Syrian TV footage showed Polhill being driven through Beirut, sitting in the back of a car and pul l ing heavily on a cigarette. He appeared drawn al ter h is long ordeal and sm i led wanly several limes. Polhill, a professor of business studies and accounting at Beirut University College, was one of three American educators held by the pro Iranian Islamic Jihad for the Libera tion of Palestine since Jan. 24. 1987. The other two arc Alann Steen, a native of Boston who turned 51 on Sunday, and Jesse Turner, 42, of Boise, Idaho. The three were kidnapped from the Beirut University College cam pus by gunmen disguised as police officers. The last American hostage to be freed was David Jacobsen, former director of the American University Hospital in Beirut. He was kidnapped in Beirut May 28, 1985, was released Nov. 2, 1986. He had been held by another Shiile faction, Islamic Jihad, or Islamic Holy War. Indian-born U.S. resident Mithe leshwar Singh was released Oct.3, 1988. Polhill’s Lebanese wile, Feryal, went to Damascus Irom Beirut alter the kidnappers said Wednesday that they would release one hostage. It was not known whether they had been reunited. In Libya on Sunday, Col. Moam mar Gadhafi called for the release of hostages in an appeal to Moslems around the world, the official Libyan news agency JANA said in a dispatch about an hour after the reported re lease. • u u “1 urge, once again, all those w ho are holding hostages to release them in fulfillment and application of the tolerant Islamic principles,” the agency quoted Gadhafi as saying. In Islamorada, Fla., where Presi dent Bush is vacationing, Fit/waler said the United States called on “all parlies’’ to free the remaining hos tage^ worn mat a nostagc would he freed first surfaced Wednesday, when the kidnappers announced they would release one of the three hostages in 4* hours. But on Thursday, the captors in definitely postponed the release alter President Bush refused to send John Kelly, assistant secretary of state for Near Past affairs, to Damascus as the kidnappers had demanded. Hours before Sunday’s reported release, the captors released a third statement, saying they would Iree one of the American educators w ithin 24 hours. The communique cited ‘energetic mediation” by Iran and Syria, Tehran’s main Arab ally, to prevent the prom ised release from collapsing. The longest held Western hostage is Terry Anderson, chief Middle East correspondent for The Associated Press, w ho was kidnapped March 16 1986. On Saturday, an Iranian newspa per close to Iran’s president said the first release could lead to another release by another pro-Iranian group. It did not identify the group. Soviet official denies total blockade VILNIUS, U.S.S.R. - A top Com munist official from Moscow said Sunday the Lithuanian independence movement is leading the republic to catastrophe, and denied the Kremlin has imposed a total economic block ade. The Sajudis independence move ment, whose leaders dominate Lithu ania’s government, declared its de termination to stand by the March 11 declaration of independence. In neighboring Latvia, meanwhile, the drive for independence received a show of support in a rally attended by 8,086 of the 16,000 newly elected members of city councils, regional bodies and the republic’s parliament, a journalistreported. Only 307 people attended a nearby meeting of a group opposing Latvian independence. The streets of Vilnius, the Lithu anian capital, were calm, with people walking rather than using cars as they coped w ith stringent gasoline ration ing that permits about 7 gallons per month for private cars. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia ail arc trying to restore the independence they lost in 1940 when they were occupied and forcibly annexed to the Soviet Union. Lithuania has declared i independence, Estonia has dropped enforcement of the Soviet Constitution, and Latvia is expected to declare its freedom from the Soviet Union on May 3. Lithuanian Deputy Premier Romualdas O/olas charged Saturday that the Kremlin was implementing a full economic embargo, hailing all rail and truck traffic to the liny repub lic. Lithuanian officials also said numerous shipments of food, metals, wood, chemicals and parts had not arrived as scheduled, and payments to Lithuanian businesses have been halted. O/olas told reporters that Lithu aman ports have already stopped loading grxxls for exports. On Sunday, the Lithuanian gov ernment sent a telegram to Soviet Premier Nikolai Ryzhkov saying that the Soviet cut-off of fuel and raw materials would choke Lithuanian processing and manufacturing of grxxls meant for export and the Soviet mar ket. The government telegram Ssaid production of oil and gas products, chemicals, plastics, compressors, automobile brake systems, television i screens, and other components would soon have to be halted. The republic depends entirely on Soviet resources at subsidized prices. Andrei Girenko, a secretary of the Soviet Communist Party Central Committee, said Sunday that Lithu ania’s declaration of independence March 11 meant a loss of preferred prices and favorable trade conditions. “This would sharply, catastrophi cally affect the republic’s affairs and the living standards of its people,' he said during a visit to Vilnius. He denied Moscow had imposed a total economic boycott, saying that only oil and natural gas were affected. “This is only a small part of the products that are supplied,” he said. “Plans for a total blockade don’t exist.” The Soviet decision to cut off all of Lithuania's oil supply and nearly all of its natural gas is expected to put 70 percent of the republic’s work force out of work. Girenko was in vilmus to attend a meeting of the minority Communist Party faction that remains loyal to Moscow. The faction counts 37,000 of the 200,000 Lithuanian Commu nists as its members. He said he still believes common sense will prevail in the war of w ills between the Kremlin and Vilnius, but reiterated the Soviet demand that Lithuania must back off of its decla ration of independence and follow the new Soviet secession law . Activists reject this, saying the new law is designed to make it impossible for any republic to leave the Soviet Union. The Sajudis independence move ment also was meeting Sunday. It accused the Kremlin of attempting to use economic means to turn Lithuani ans against the drive for independ ence. “The Soviet Union seeks to deal a blow to the daily existence of every person, hoping that we shall be over powered by our material interests,” the declaration said. Vilnius residents strolled in a warm spring sunshine to the Roman Catho lic cathedral Sunday to pray for their republic, and said they would endure shortages and other forms of pres sure. “1 prayed that my children grow up not like I grew up, so they are not afraid to say whether or not they beJieve,” said Dalia Scselgiene, leav ing the cathedral with her two small children. In Latvia, the l),()(X) elated offi cials meeting in Riga’s Daugava Sta dium adopted an appeal for the par liament to consider restoring the in dependence of Latvia ‘ without delay in its first session,” journalist Boris Kolesnikov reported. Dole and Foley unhappy with Gorbachev’s actions 'WASHINGTON - Many law makers arc having second thoughts about Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev because of his stance on Lithuania and may block trade agreements that Moscow wants, two congressional leaders said Sunday. Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan.,and House Majority Leader Thomas Foley, D-Wash., said the United States shouldn’t do any economic favors for Gorbachev as long as he continues to punish the breakaway Baltic republic. Dole said there is disillusion ment with Gorbachev, who has espoused the Soviet policies of perestroika and glasnosl, because of his tactics on Lithuania. Moscow reportedly has shut off oil and gas supplies and intercepted food to Lithuania in an attempt to force Lithuanian officials to re scind a declaration of independ ence. . “I think right now a lot of us have pul him on hold ... now he is backtracking on Lithuania,” Dole said. ”And a lot of us arc having second thoughts.” . President Bush has been tread ing cautiously on the Lithuania Issue, but he has indicated he may try to make Gorbachev pay an economic price for cracking dow n on Lithu ania. Marlin Fiizwatcr, Bush’s spokes man, has said the president will announce what he plans to do about Lithuania this week alter meeting with members of Congress. Both Dole and Foley, appearing on ABC-TV’s “This Week With David Brinkley,” said strains over Lithuania shouldn’t derail the U.S. Soviet arms control summit set lor next month. ‘ ‘The summit ought to continue at this point,” Foley said. Added Dole: “If it’s in our interest, la’s proceed.” The congressional leaders said, however, that Congress might stop trade agreements that Gorbachev wants to help pump up his coun try’s sagging economy. “Anything that benefits the Soviet Union, we ought to slow walk it,” Dole said. Both men said it would be virtu ally impossible for the United States to provide dirat aid to Lithuania. Any shipments of oil would be slopped by the Soviet navy in the Baltic Sea, and an airlift would be difficult to carry out. *per t,000 people Andy Manhart/Daily Nebraskan Blacks found more likely to suffer assault, robbery WASHINGTON - Blacks are more likely lhan whites to be victims of rape or aggravated assault and are more lhan twice as likely to be rob bery victims, according to a federal study released Sunday. The rate of such violent crimes occurring against black Americans age 12 or older was 44 per 1,000 compared with 34 per 1,000 whites in the same age group, according to data collected by the Justice Department’s National Crime Survey between 1979 and 19X6. I here were 13 robberies per 1,000 blacks during the seven-year period, compared with live robberies per I/XX) w/hitcs, the study said. The rate ol aggravated assaults was 14 per 1,000 blacks and 9 per 1 ,(XX) whites. Whiles were more likely to be victims of simple assault w ith a rate of 19 per I ,(XX) com pared to 16 simple assaults per 1 ,(XX) blacks. Blacks were more likely to be physically attacked or threatened w ith violence lhan whites during the com mission of a crime, the study said. Among victims of aggravated as sault, 48 percent were black, while 41 percent were white. In addition, blacks were more likely to be attacked by someone holding a kmle, gun or some other weapon. The statistics gathered from the survey showed that 4H percent of black victims of violent crimes reported lacing an armed attacker, compared with 33 percent of the white victims -------- of those crimes. The injury rate for black victimsof aggravated assault also was higher than whites. Twcnty-lour percent of black victims, compared with 16 percent of whiles, sustained serious injuries such as knife wounds, bullet wounds or broken bones. Whites were more likely to be attacked anti in jured during robberies than blacks. Thirty-four percent of while robbery victims were injured, compared w ith 28 percent ol blacks. But blac ks w ere more likely to be severely injured. Sixty-one percent of black victims who were imuicd received medical treatment, compared w ith 46 percent ol injured white vic tims. The overnight hospilali/ation rate for injured black victims was 8 per cent, compared w ith 4 percent among whites. The data was collected from the nationwide survey of 50.000 house holds conducted every six months by the deparufient. Members of each household arc asked if they have been victims of crimes during the previous six months. The survey docs not include mur der statistics. But the report contained FBI crime statistics lor 1986 showing that the murder rate among blacks was 31.2 per 1(X),(XX) com pared with 5.4 per 100,(XX) whites. The rate among black males was 52.3 per 1(X),(XM)compared with /.9 per 100,000 white men. Netfraskan f O tor Amy Edwards Photo Chief Dave Hansan . . „ 472-1766 Professional Adviser Don Walton ThA FOitoi Ryan St saves 473-7301 braska Union 34&i40ffo*cf^ M4 0ac' '* Published by the UNI Publications Board . Ne weekly during^ummer se^sions^" Nt Mon9 3 mr an<1 5 P m Monday through Friday The public also •> confac, pZ Hem, $72 2500 St ,LinSnSNE sasa^cule88^3"0®5 ,0 Ih® Dai,y Nebraskan. Nebraska Union 34, 1400 R ' Au u°a^0^iclass P°sla9e Pa'b at Lmcoin. NE L—________ ALL MATERIAL COPYRIOHT 1990 DAILY NEBRASKAN_