The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, January 24, 1991, Image 1
NetSra&kan PartSy sunny today with a high of 30 and a south wind 10-15 mph. To night, doudy with a 40 percent chance of snow with lows in the mid teens Cloudy Friday with a 30 per cent chance of snow and highs in the low 20s. Strong board would limit NU, regent powers 8y Tabitha Hiner Senior Reporter A bill introduced Wednesday to provide powers and duties for a strengthened higher education coordinating commis sion would r.ot hurt the university, but would limit the regents’ powers, officials said. Larry Scherer, legal counsel to the Nebraska Legislature’s Education Committee, and Richard Wood, University of Ne braska vice president and general counsel, agreed that the bill, LB663, wouldn’t have a detrimen tal effect on the university. “I think the university will still be the pre mier higher institution in the state,’’ Scherer said. “Its authority to do whatever it wants to. .. will be somewhat limited.” Voters approved a constitutional amend ment in November to strengthen the existing Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. The commission now serves only as an advisory body. The implementing legislation would pro vide that the commission could approve or disapprove programs, review and submit budget requests to the Legislature for public higher education institutions, approve changes in role and mission statements and create a compre hensive statewide plan for postsecondary edu cation. Changes in role and mission statements See COMMISSION on 3 ASUN approves support of troops, lobbying, parking By Adeana Leftin Staff Reporter Thunder from the Persian Gulf had reper cussions on Wednesday’s meeting of the Association of Students of the Uni versity of Nebraska. _ A resolution support- r AC£| i&J ing U.S. use of force in the gulf failed to receive the votes needed for con sideration on emergency status. General Studies Sen. Andrew Sigerson, who authored the resolution,originally submitted it at the Jan. 15 ASUN meeting, but said he didn't bring it up then because of the emo tional strain caused by the beginning of the war that night. “I think it’s an issue that deserves discus sion on campus,” Sigerson said. “It’s the war See ASUN on 3 Charlie CofbTh of Lincoln waves a flag in support of troops in the Middle East during a rally at the State Capitol building Wednesday evening. Corbin said attendance at the rally, estimated at 1,400, was excellent. 1,400 rally in support of flag, troops By Alan Phelps Staff Reporter Fourteen hundred flag-waving patri ots formed a sea of red, white and blue on the steps of the State Capitol Wednesday evening in a show of support for America’s troops in the Persian Gulf. “This is outstanding,” said Jim Willett, one of the organizers of the rally. “This is way more than the 200 or 300 people we expected.” Flags of all sizes were lofted by people of all ages as several speakers, including Gov. Ben Nelson, took the podium to the cheers of the crowd. Business suits mixed with camouflage outfits while the group listened to the speakers, sang patriotic songs and chanted “U-S-A ” Signs and banners with wonts like “Thank You, Troops,” and “Support Your Troops” mingled with the flags. At the base of one large banner proclaiming “Beta Sigma Psi Supports Our Troops” stood Dan Niebaum, a junior architecture major. “I’m here to support the troops,” Nie baum said. “There’s a lot of guys in our house that are in the National Guard or Reserves. It’s kind of a show of support for them. If people can protest, people can sure support.” “It lets troops know that there are people back here behind them,” said Chris Meier, a freshman mechanical engineering major. Such sentiments were echoed by Nelson. “We are behind their effort. We support their effort through and through,” Nelson said from the podium. He called on the rallygocrs to meet again in a week and “not grow weary of showing our support” for America's soldiers. State Sen. La Von Crosby of Lincoln said she, loo, was behind the troops in the Middle East. “Nobody likes war, but when our men and women go out to do their duty, it is our job to support them,” she said. “I lost two good friends from high school (during World War II), so I know what war is like. But still we must support our troops. “We believe in our troops. We back them with our hopes and our prayers,” Crosby said. Lincoln Mayor Bill Harris said he thought it was great to see this show of support for the forces in the gulf. “It’s important to attend rallies like this as long as conflict endures,” he said. “Your presence is important for these people.” Harris’ closing statement, “God bless them, God bless you and God bless the U.S.A.,” brought an enthusiastic reaction from the crowd. Last to speak was Vietnam veteran David Traver, who began to speak as a group singing of “America” was dying down. Traver said that even those people who protest the war support the troops, whether they know it or not, because without the troops, “they couldn’t do what it is they do.” “This is not a political rally,” Traver said. “It’s not a protest. It’s not something we did just to show other people we could organize also. We all have different opin ions about the war. Today we are gathered here to show unbending support to our troops See RALLY on 3 UNL professor I-—1 discusses POWs.Page4 What’s new in the Nebraska Leg islature. Page 6 Diversions’ view of life in the UNL campus residence hafls. Page 7 . uu. INSIDE Wire 2 Opinion 4 Diversions 7 Sports 15 Classified 18 U.S., Iraq meet in northern border firefight DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia - U.S. armored cavalrymen skir mished with Iraqis in the first firefight along the northern border, where vast fleets of tanks maneu vered and dug in on the desert floor Wednesday for the land war just over the horizon. _ The Ameri cans captured - six Iraqis and suffered two slight casualties, the U.S. com mand said. It denied a Baghdad claim that the Iraqis also seized prisoners. Iraq fired off a double-barreled volley of Scud missiles at both Saudi Arabia and Israel. No casualties were reported immediately. One Scud descended on northern Israel about 10 p.m. and was inter cepted by U.S.-supplied Patriot de fense missiles, the Israeli military said. At the same time, over Saudi Arabia, at least three other Scuds apparently were intercepted by Patriots, Saudi officials and witnesses reported. The Israeli leadership was holding its fire Wednesday at the urging of the United States. Kuwaiti oil installations burned on, sabotaged by the Iraqis and show ered nearby Iran with “black rain.” The skies over Iraq itself began to clear, and allied air commanders pressed their mission-a-minute cam paign in the seventh day of Operation Desert Storm. Allied bombers have demolished half of Iraq’s oil-refining capacity, commanders said. Iraq announced it was suspending gasoline sales. More and more Iraqis were emerg ing from their shelters in Baghdad, said Cable News Network’s Peter Arnett, the only Western journalist allowed to report from the Iraqi capi tal. Commerce seemed to be resum ing, Baghdadis were shopping at the central market, and water trucks were making their rounds, he said. The allied army is deployed along the 130-mile Saudi-Kuwaiti border and farther west, along the Iraqi-Saudi border, where the desert-trained 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment from Fort Bliss, Texas, is believed to be con ducting reconnaissance and guarding the allied force’s western flank. Wednesday’s first report of a ground action came from the Iranian news media, which said Iraq repotted its forces had attacked enemy troops in Saudi territory and captured allied prisoners. The U.S. command reported that 3rd Armored Cavalry troopers were manning an observation post near the Saudi-Iraqi border late Tuesday when they came under small-arms fire from an Iraqi patrol and returned fire. Two Americans were slightly wounded and relumed to duty after treatment, and six Iraqis were cap tured, the command said. It denied that any Americans had been cap tured.