The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, October 14, 1996, Page 2, Image 2
Rebels battle while Iraq urges peace talks A Kurdish taction recaptures Sulaymaniyah and ejects the opposing troops. BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP)—Kurdish rebels recaptured a key city Sunday from a rival faction that seized control of northern Iraq last month with the help of President Saddam Hussein. Iraq urged the two groups to settle their differences through talks and sternly warned the advancing faction against “dealing with foreign powers,” a reference to the group’s ties to Iran. Clashes between the two Kurdish factions in August led Saddam to send forces into the northern sate haven protected by U.S.-led forces. The United States responded by bombing Iraqi military sites in the south. There was no indication Iraqi troops were involved in the latest fight ing. A statement by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan said its forces entered Sulaymaniyah, the region’s second largest city with 1 million people, at dawn Sunday after a “spontaneous up rising” that ejected the forces of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. It said Massoud Barzani, the KDP leader, fled the city and took refuge in the northern oil city of Kirkuk, which is controlled by the Iraqi government. In a statement, the KDP’s office in London confirmed that its forces “evacuated the city to avoid bloodshed and fighting.” The group claimed Iran had “en tered the war” and that thousands of Iranian Revolutionary Guards, backed by. artillery, had pushed through the border into Iraq. Later Sunday, the KDP claimed that it repulsed movement west of Sulaymaniyah by Patriotic Union forces that were “relying On heavy Ira nian shelling.” “The attackers lost dozens of men and members of the Iranian Revolu tionary Guards were identified among the dead,” the KDP claimed. The PUK has denied Iranian forces were involved. There was no immedi ate comment from Iran. In Baghdad, the Revolutionary Command Council — chaired by Saddam—and the ruling Baath Party issued a blunt statement. “We have consistently given severe warnings in the past against dealing with foreign powers,"it said. “We call upon the parties that have returned to fighting to expel the foreign forces and not to deal with them.” The Iraqi leadership said it was pre pared to invite all parties to peace talks in the capital, Baghdad. Saddam’s intervention was pun ished with U.S. missile attacks on Sept. 3 and 4 and led to an American mili tary buildup in the Persian Gulf. The recapture of Sulaymaniyah fol lowed a statement Saturday by the Kurdistan Democratic Party that PUK forces backed by Iranian troops and artillery crossed into Iraq from Iran the previous day. On Saturday, the PUK recaptured several towns in northern Iraq that form an arc about 30 miles northeast of Sulaymaniyah. The two Kurdish groups have been at odds for years. They differ over what policies should be adopted in dealing with the Iraqi government, with the KDP favor ing finding an accommodation with Baghdad over their demands for au tonomy. The United States mediated a cease-fire last year between the Kurdish factions. But it collapsed Aug. 17 when the two groups resumed fight ing amid differences over customs rev enues from a road between Turkey and northern Iraq. FBI to investigate assault case Agents attempt to settle dispute in visit to U.S. base in Antarctica SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — FBI agents and an Australian mediator are making what are believed to be unprec edented visits to Antarctica to investi gate an assault and staff dispute at two bases. They will be visiting a region whose harsh winters have a history of send ing people over the edge. The Australian Antarctic Division confirmed Sunday it was sending a mediator to the Casey base to deal with an “interpersonal dispute.” An official denied a rebellion had broken out among the 15 staffers and said the base was functioning normally. The mediator, however, was to stay on through early January, when the next relief ship is due. Meanwhile, three FBI agents were expected Sunday at the U.S. Antarctic base at McMurdo Sound to investigate an assault case. The agents will take the alleged assailant into custody, according to an announcement to McMurdo staff by Stan Wisneski, the area manager for Antarctic Support Associates, the com pany that staffs and supplies the base. A fight broke out between two cooks in the galley on Wednesday, in which one attacked another with the claw end of a hammer. A third cook who tried to break up the fight was also injured. The suspect, who has not been named, has been held in custody and watched around the clock, he said. The case provides a novel legal test for the FBI, since it appears to be the first time the United States has sent federal law enforcement officials to a U.S. Antarctic base to investigate a serious crime. It is unusual, if not unprecedented, for nations to send law enforcement officials and mediators to Antarctica, which, under the Antarctic Treaty, be longs to no nation. Routine offenses are usually dealt with by refusing to renew a staffer’s contract or a scientist’s grant, in effect exiling them from Antarctica. Visitors who taunt the penguins and seals, remove rock samples or break other strict environmental laws are normally handled by the station’s chief scientist, who is a deputized U.S. Mar shal. Stress induced by harsh winter con ditions on the continent has been known to take its toll on residents and explorers of the Antarctic. In the 1950s, a violently deranged staffer at Australia’s Mawson base had to be locked in a storage room for the winter months out of fear for the safety of the rest of the employees. Only the base doctor could safely approach him. The doctor at Argentina’s Almirante Brown station on the Ant arctic Peninsula couldn’t stand the iso lation as winter closed in during 1983. He forced his own evacuation, and that of his colleagues, in the only way he could: He burned the station down. One of the Soviet Antarctic staff ers in the past got fed up with a col league over a chess game—and killed him with an ax. French creator of embroidered alligator dies of heart failure PARIS (AP) — Rene Lacoste, the French tennis champion of the 1920s who transformed his nick name — “Le Crocodile” — into a status symbol on polo shirts around the world, died Saturday. He was 92. Catherine Lacoste said Sunday her father’s heart failed while he slept in a hospital room in his home town of St. Jean de Luz after sur gery on a broken leg. Lacoste also suffered from prostate cancer. Lacoste was the world’s No. 1 player in 1926 and 1927 and won seven major singles titles in his ca reer: Wimbledon twice, the U.S. Open twice and the French Open three times. He was also the last survivor of the “Four Musketeers” of French tennis — Lacoste, Henri Cochet, Jean Borotra and Jacques Brugnon. Frenchmen won all six Wimbledon singles titles from 1924 to 1929. Lacoste is perhaps equally fa mous for creating the embroidered alligator that has adorned millions or shirts. His nickname, “Le Crocodile,” or the alligator, apparently came about after he admired a crocodile suitcase in a store window, and his Davis Cup captain promised to buy it for him if he won an important upcoming match. He never got the bag, but U.S. sports writers took up the name, he said, because it de scribed his style on the court. “The public must have been fond of this nickname, which con veyed the tenacity I displayed on the tennis courts, never letting go of my prey,” he said. “So my friend Rob ert George drew an alligator, which I then had embroidered on the blazer I wore on the courts.” Bom in Paris on July 2, 1904, Lacoste did not pick up a tennis racket until he was 16. His playing career ended with a respiratory ail ment at age 25, but in the interven ing nine years he was recognized as perhaps tennis’s greatest ground stroker and one of its most astute tacticians. Bom-again groups not supporting I WASHINGTON (AP)—A number of reli gious conservatives are planning to stay home Election Day rather than vote for Bob Dole, according to Martin Mawyer, president of the Christian Action Network. Dole is not addressing the concerns of “pro family conservatives” who consider themselves born-again Christians, Mawyer wrote in an opin ion piece published in Sunday’s editions of The Washington Post. That is (me reason Dole is lag ging behind President Clinton in opinion polls, he said. Dole’s only chance for recovering the dis enchanted Christian right vote is to change his message — from concentrating on his 15 per cent tax cut plan to emphasizing issues of mo rality and values, Mawyer said. “When a candidate ignores our issues, we ignore him,” said Mawyer, who founded the Forest, Va.-based group that claims a member ship of250,000. “He seems not to have noticed that our schools have begun to teach our chil dren that homosexuality is normal, natural and healthy.” Christina Martin, a spokeswoman for Dole, said the campaign believes Christian voters know what’s at stake and will turn out for Dole. “Pro-life, pro-family conservatives will be active on Election Day because there is only one candidate out there who favors such liberal ideas as nine-month abortions, as gays in the military, as condoms for school kids, and that is Bill Clinton,” she said. Members of the much larger Christian Coa lition, which boasts several million members nationwide, also have expressed concerns about Dole. Last month, Dole directly appealed for sup port from the Christian Coalition after its founder Pat Robertson said it would take a “miracle” for Dole to win, especially if he doesn’t change his campaign emphasis. “It s not the economy, stupid. It’s morality, stupid, and that’s where the issue’s going to be decided in this campaign,” Robertson said. Editor: Doug Kouma Layout Editor: Nancy Zywiec 472-1766 Night News Editors: Jennifer Milks Managing Editor: Doug Peters AntoneOseka Assoc. News Editors: Paula Lavigne Art Director: Aaron Steckelberg Jeff Randall General Manager: DanShattil Opinion Editor: Anne Hjersman Advertising Manager: Amy Struthers AP Wire Editor: Kelly Johnson AssL Advertising Manager: Tracy Welshans Copy Desk Chief: Julie Sobczyk Classified Ad Sports Edttor: Mitch Sherman Manager: Tiffiny Clifton AAE Edttor: Joshua Gillin Publications Board Night Editor: Beth Narans Chairman: Travis Brandt Photo Director: Tanna Kinnaman Professional Adviser: Don Walton Web Edttor: Michelle Collins 473-7301 FAX NUMBER: 472-1761 The Daily Nebraskan (USPS 144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board. Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0448, 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 calling 472-2588. The public has access to the Publications Board. Subscription price is $55 for one year. 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ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1996 DAILY NEBRASKAN 4-—---I DN EVENTS CALENDAR Tuesday, Oct. 15 The Comedy of Errors Howell Theatre 8:00 p.m. Career Connections Fair Bob Devaney Center For more information: Call Career Services Cen ter at 472-3145 Publicity for Student Organizations, seminar Instructional design center, Henzlik Hall 4:30 p.m. Sponsored by Student In volvement office For more information call: 472-2454 Wednesday, Oct. 16 The Comedy of Errors Howell Theatre 8:00 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17 The Comedy of Errors Howell Theatre 8:00 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18 Red Letter Days For more information, call Kelly Legg at 472-4646 The Comedy of Errors Howell Theatre 8:00 p.m. 44th Annual Midwest SOLID STATE CONFERENCE Registration 12:45 p.m. Room 112, Hamilton Hall Program continues Satur day, 8:00 a.m. at Brace Laboratory Fee: $30.00 For more information call: Dept, of Physics and As tronomy at 472-9223 Saturday, Oct. 19 The Comedy of Errors Howell Theatre 8:00 p.m. • ' ■ ' f " • .. _ ;