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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1992)
Sss&ftu. News digest U.S. soldiers facing unpredictable conditions MOGADISHU, Somalia — Andy Milburn’s foot patrol turned left at Death Bridge into the Bermuda Tri angle, trailing a wake of laughing kids. Then a single shot sent them scrambling for cover. The 12 Marines crouched in a line behind a low white stucco wall peer ing into Indian Country, their comer of the bombed-out, starving, clan ruled and grotesquely complex ruins of Somalia. Up close, the Marines saw that to deliver food, they would have to pacify Somalia. Some of them won dered whether they had taken on more than they had reckoned. “It’s hard to define a clear mis sion,” said Milbum, a U.S. Marine lieutenant. “Our rules of engagement change by the day.” His job Sunday was to take a sec tion of men into the worst part of town — an enclave the South Mogadishu warlord left to northerners — “to act friendly and show some force.” The section left their base at Mogadishu in high spirits. “This isn’t a war movie,” Milbum barked at one man who seemed overly relaxed. “Get both hands on that weapon.” For a while, there were smiles on all sides. “Welcome, welcome,” So mali market women and youngsters chanted as the Marines strode down a busy street. Some Somalis, led up with the chaotic rule by armed gangs, yelled encouragement: jet the guns from those bandits.” Then the men, sweating in their camouflage, headed for Death Bridge, a short white span named for recent mayhem. They walked through an ominous canyon of tin shacks rising on both sides, dotted among forests of long spiked pear cactus. Then Osman Hussein, 15, tugged at Milburn’s sleeve. “Guns,” he said. Milburn followed the boy’s finger to a bank of whitewashed houses over the bridge. A shot cracked. “Get down,” the lieutenant yelled, and ev eryone did. “I don’t want to be ovcrdramatic, but that kid probably saved my point man’s life,” Milburn said. “We were going over that bridge and would have walked right into it.” The patrol moved on. Then the radio ordered them back. It wasn’t because of the incident but rather some communications problem. Such regular foot patrols show the flag, but they also remind the Marines what the U.S.-led U.N. forces arc up against on a grander scale. “We’re so vulnerable, if they want to take shots at us, what can we do?” said Gunnery Sgt. Robin White from Indianapolis. At night, snipers fire into the port camp. Marines cleaned out the roof of theold prison, aconvcnicntovcrlook, and shots diminished. But the danger is there. Already, Somalison the streclcursc French Foreign Legionnaires who they say arc too rough. The French shot dead two Somalis Friday when their truck’s brakes failed<at a road block. Military officers acknowledge that as time moves on, more disgruntled people in this volatile society could make life miserable for armed troops and all other foreigners. On an earlier patrol, Milbum seized an assault rifle from a Somali, and the crowd cheered. A half hour later, the man sent a friend to the port to de mand it back. Milbum received orders to hand back the weapon since the owner argued he needed it for self-defense. Two hours later, the man used the gun to rob a Swedish cameraman. “Thcguy made the Swede lay down and threatened to kill him,” While said. “He kepi screaming thal he wasc. getting back at the Marines who took his weapon. This is complex. Big time.” Food shipment, troops arrive MOGADISHU, Somalia — Under U.S. Marine guard, the first food relief ship in eight weeks docked Sunday at Mogadishu, and American troops extended their operations. It was a busy day for the Ma rines, but it still did not bring them to the areas where hundreds of people are dying of starvation and disease each week. And there were signs of the lough job ahead, in cluding continued violence by clan gunmen. Cynthia Ostcrman, a CARE In ternational spokeswoman, esti mated that 350,000 people have died in Somalia this year and that 1 million to 2 million arc endan gered. The last estimate of deaths, more than a month ago, was 300,000. Ms. Ostcrman said the major problem was moving food into the countryside, where the U.S. forces have yet to deploy in large num bers. “It’s very tough to deliver. The roads are very bad, some mined,” she said. In the capital. Marines escorted food convoys to both sides of the divided city and relief officials worked to restore water service to Mogadishu for the first lime in two years. The arrival of the first U.S. Army soldiers from the 1 Oth Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y., and Belgian and Italian soldiers brought the numberof troops to about 4,000. More than 30,000 troops will eventually participate in the U.S. led UN coalition. In the capital, scattered shots still rang out on Sunday, and loot ers were preying on the cars of relief workers, despite a ccasc-firc agreement announced last week by the two main warlords, Ali Mahdi Mohamed and Gen. Mohamcd Farrah Aidid. The truce was sup posed to have taken effect Sunday. -d • W2.W CP I leaven? FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE ... I has lots of hot new music _on sale now for_ i-— •Body Guard •Kenny G •Home Alone II •Patty Smyth •Bobby Brown •10,000 Maniacs •Neneh Cherry •Megadeth •Yanni •Liz Story •Larry Carlton •David Benoit •Tahitian Choir •Marvin •Hearts Of Space •Reba McEntire •Randy Travis •Yardapes •Jackyl •George Strait •Stone Temple Pilots •21 Guns •Very Special Christmas 2 •Nirvana •Red Star Army •Bernstein •Canadian Brass •Povarotti •Public Enemy •Pearl Jam WmmmMmm I m u s r s 1401 TTSt. 48th A V«i Dorn 434-2300 6105 “0"Sl 434-2330 434-2310 434-2320 Minnesota residents rally against state-licensed home of molester WELCH, Minn.—The sign on the gravel road winding through the wooded hills of Ravenna Township cautions motorists to watch for chil dren. But children don’t walk the road alone. Another roadside sign, this one hand-drawn with an arrow pointing to a nearby house, gives the reason: “A child molester lives here!” Twice a day for almost eight months, residents have protested out side Ravenna Ranch, where Peter G. Anderson, one of four developmen tal I y-disablcd tenants, lives. They have sued to close the state licensed home, and face two lawsuits themselves, one accusing them of harassing residents and workers at the home, the other seeking legal costs, which amount to more than $77,000. “The issue is not over mental retar dation, it’s an issue over sexual of fenders being moved into a neighbor hood full of kids without the knowl edge of residents,’’said Tim Hoffman, who lives across the road with his wife and their 4-year-old son. Anderson, 37, is on probation for a 1986 conviction for exposing himself to a 9-year-old boy. Before that, he had been placed on probation for sexually assaulting girls, aged 6 and 9. Neighbors learned that Anderson had moved into the home only when he was spotted by the girls’ mother. Now the area is dotted with hand lettered signs, which read “Warning: We protect our children.” The Hoffmans and another couple sued in February, seeking to have the home closed. The case is scheduled for trial Thursday. David Peterman,co-owner of Tho mas Allen Inc., which operates the home, argues that its residents shouldn’t be held to a different stan dard than anyone else. “When you or I move into a new house or apartment, we do not ask the neighbors for their approval,” Peterman said. “As long as an individual resides within the law, neighbors do not have the right to decide who docs and does not live next to them.” Mara Thompson, an attorney for Thomas Allen, argued at a March hearing that neighbors wrongly as sume Anderson cannot be rehabili tated and that he requires constant supervision. Anderson was placed at Ravenna Ranch under a contract with the county. , Still, neighbors are frightened. “None of the people responsible could answer our questions about the level of risk,” said Curt Weber, who lives behind the home. “That’s a wor risome issue to me because I don’t know. Someone’s got to look out for these kids.” While neighbors battle Ravenna Ranch, which is 35 miles southcasiof St. Paul, advocates for the disabled have taken up the cause of the home’s residents, filing a lawsuit against the neighbors that contends the protests have destroyed the privacy of the men living in the home. “They have the right to be free from intimidation and interference in the home they arc living in,” said Luther Granquist, deputy director ol the Minnesota Disability Law Center Peterman says protesters have fired guns into the air, chanted, played loud music and harassed residents and staff. After coastal storm, victims ponder future In the calm Sunday that followed a lethal storm that tore apart seaside homes, pul city streets under water and buried wide regions of the North east in snow, those hardest hit pon dered what to do next. “It’s wide devastation the entire length of New Jersey,” said Stephen Kempf, Jr., the New York City-based regional director of the Federal Emer gency Management Agency. “It’s going to take a while to clean up.” At least 17 deaths were blamed on the storm that hit New Jersey, Con necticut, Massachusetts, New York and parts of other Eastern states Thurs day and lasted well into Friday. Winds, rain and snow acted up again Saturday in spots and thousands of people remained without power Sunday. Some who fled to shelters stayed there. “I’ve lost everything and I’ve got two children,” Sherlyn Gandy told New Jersey Gov. Jim Florio at a school which is being used as a shelter in Atlantic City, N.J. “I’m trying to find somewhere to live.” Her husband, Claude, asked where the family would go if the school reopened on Monday. “We can assure you you arc not going to be put out on the street,” Mayor James Whelan said. He added that shelters would be available. “That’s the real personal, heart wrenching part of this,” Florio said. The storm dumped up to four feet of snow on western and central Massa chusetts and pounded coastal areas with high wind and rain Friday and Saturday. Sea walls incoastalcilicscrumblcd and winds, heavy snow and fallen trees downed power lines every where. Crews came from as far away as Canada to help restore power. About 1,000 National Guardsmen also as sisted in the cleanup. It was loo soon for overall prelimi nary damage estimates, but damage to boardwalks and beaches in Atlantic City alone were estimated at SI0.1 million or more. The figure doesn’t include damage to homes and busi nesses. — NelfraSkan FAX NUMBER 472-1761 The Dally Nebraskan(USPS 144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St., Lincoln, NE, Monday through Friday during the academic year; weekly during summer sessions. Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan by phoning 472-1763 between 9 a m. and 5 p m, Monday through Friday The public also has access to the Publications Board, For information, contact Tom Massey, 488-8761. Subscription price is $50 for one year. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St.,Lincoln, NE 68588-0448 Second-class postage paid at Lincoln, NE. ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1992 DAILY NEBRASKAN
