Sunshine's so fine
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Details page 6
Tuesday September 22,1987 Vol.98,No.22
Published since 1889 by the students of the University of Kansas
(USPS 650-640)
U.S. copter attacks Iranian shipplaying mines
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A U.S. military helicopter attacked an Iranian ship in the Persian Gulf yesterday after discovering it laying underwater mines, the White House and Pentagon said.
The White House said the United States, with existing rules of engagement,
The Pentagon said the stern of the Iranian ship "Iran Ajr" was set on fire. The fire was extinguished, but the ship was left dead in the water, said Fred Hoffman, the Pentagon's spokesman.
Marlin Fitzwater, the White House spokesman, said U.S. forces took defensive action when the Iranian ship was discovered laying mines in international waters 50 miles northeast of Bahrain.
The attack was outside an area where Iranian gunboats earlier Monday attacked a British tanker.
Pentagon sources who asked not to be named said the confrontation occurred around 11 p.m. local time in the gulf, or about 4 p.m. EDT.
The incident was the first American military action against Iran since Aug. 8, when a Navy F-14 Tomcat fired fiercely two missiles at an Iranian jet that was judged to be hostile. Both missiles missed. The episode was the closest that the two countries have come to combat since the United States started escorting reflagged Kuwaiti tankers in July.
Hoffman, appearing at a Pentagon briefing onday night, said at least two American helicopters were on the scene. "We were waiting when they spotted the Iranian ship,"
One of the helicopters opened fire with 7.62mm machine guns and 2.75-inch rockets after observing the Iranian ship laying mines.
"The location is in international waters at a spot frequently used by commercial vessels, both those of the United States and other neutral nations." Hoffman said.
He said the attack occurred at night, and the helicopters, using night-vision devices, were able to identify as mines objects being dropped over the side of the Iranian ship.
"Acting under the rules of engagement as ordered by the commander of the Middle East Task Force, the helicopter engaged the Iranian ship, setting its stern ablaze." Hoffman said.
"The fire appears to be out and the
ship is dead in the water. Our ships and aircraft are standing by to render such help as may be needed."
Fitzwater said the United States had previously told the Iranian government the way in which it would respond to provocative acts that presented an immediate risk to U.S. ships and to all ships.
"United States forces acted in a defensive manner and in accordance with existing rules of engagement," Fitzwater said.
The Pentagon sent a memo that only one of the U.S. helicopters opened fire, but Pentagon officials who asked not to be identified said both of the helicopters might have participated in the assault.
See GULF, p. 6, col. 6
Hoffman said the helicopters were
Leader lectures at K-State
Knight-Ridder Graphic
Arias Sanchez calls for peace
By VIRGINIA McGRATH
staff writer
MANHATTAN — A cease-fire in Central America is essential if a recently signed peace accord between five Central American nations is to be successful, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez said yesterday.
Arias Sanchez spoke to an audience of about 4,800 people at Ahearn Field House at Kansas State University, part of the Landon Lecture Series.
"I think one of the most important points in the agenda is the negotiation of a cease-fire in Nicaragua, as well as El Salvador. Unless we put an end to the war, it will be very difficult to follow the Guatemalan accord," Arias Sanchez said.
Aires Sanchez directed the peace accord, which was signed by Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, on August 7 in Guatemala City. It calls for democracy, economic development and an end to all hostilities in the region.
Under the accord, all Central American countries and foreign countries must stop aiding rebel forces. The Central American countries, including Nicaragua, must also guarantee amnesty, freedom of the press and political freedom.
Nothing is possible until peace is achieved in the region, Arias Sanchez said.
"This entire effort will be use- less if we permit violence and war to continue throughout Central America."
Arias Sanchez said foreign support of rebel forces in Central America must stop because it only served to destabilize the region and perpetuate economic difficulties.
"We demand that all foreign powers suspend military aid to the irregular forces in the region," Arias Sanchez said.
ine U.S.-backed contra rebels are one of those forces.
"As long as you have the contras, the Sandinistas will be a more dictatorial government," he said.
Arias Sanchez said that U.S. support of the contras isolated the United States. "No other country in Central America supports Washington on that issue," he said.
Arias Sanchez said he hoped that
See LANDON, p. 6, col.
MANHATTAN — Costa Rican president Oscar Arias Sanchez walks with U.S. Secret Service agents to the K-State Union after speaking at
Ahearn Fieldhouse. He spoke at Kansas State University yesterday as part of the Landon Lecture Series. $ ^{1} $
When he returned, he sponsored a letter that was signed by 110
The group met with politicians, educators, ministers, journalists, peasants and contra and military leaders.
Slattery is hopeful peace plan can help in Central America
By a Kansan reporter
MANHATTAN — There is a good chance that Nicaragua won't comply with the Central American peace accord, but it's still a good plan. Rep. Jim Slattery, D-Kan, said yesterday after the speech by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez.
"Personally, I have serious concerns whether the Nicaraguan government will adhere to the agreement. But the question is, can we act in defensives? If we don't do this, what are we going to do?" Slattery said.
Slattery traveled with a group to Central America in January.
"I'm guardedly optimistic about the peace accord," he said.
members of Congress. It was submitted to President Reagan in March.
The letter calls for bilateral negotiations between the United States and Nicaragua and an end to all outside military aid.
"If we are really concerned about containing the spread of communism, which we must be, we have to address the dire economic situation in that area," Slattery said.
"As far as I'm concerned, the president and the administration could be much more supportive," he said. "Similarly, the mixed signals right now."
Slattery reiterated Arias Sanchez's point that economic conditions in Central America must be improved.
"We can't allow those conditions to continue and expect democracy to exist."
U. S. Rep, Jim Slattery, D-Kan.
Regional officials meet to pick site for nuclear waste
By MARK TILFORD
Staff writer
Representatives of five states, including Kansas, will meet today in Little Rock, Ark., to decide how the location of a regional nuclear waste disposal site will be chosen.
The representatives will indirectly choose a host state and an alternate when they deter
Under a plan developed by U.S. Ecology of Louisville, Ky., Nebraska appears to be the leading candidate, with Kansas running second, said Nebraska state Sen. Sandy Schofield.
ond, said Nebraska's state sen. Sandy Schroemer.
The governors of Oklahoma and Louisiana have vowed they will not accept the site if their states are chosen.
Arkansas also is in the Central Interstate Low Level Radioactive Waste Compact, one of the major nuclear sites.
U. S. Ecology was hired in June by the compact to develop a site proposal and construct the waste disposal site, after more than six years of disagreement among the states.
Under U.S. Ecology's proposal, the criteria considered in determining the host state would be: the amount of radioactive waste produced by each state since 1982, the amount expected to be produced in the future, the percentage of energy that pellets on nuclear power for electricity, and the selection criteria also acknowledges those states that have previously accepted other
states' hazardous waste. Those states would be less likely to get the waste site.
The representatives will determine whether to accept U.S. Ecology's selection plan or change the amount of emphasis placed on each category before a selection is made.
Nebraska has produced the most radicative waste in the past and has accepted none in return. Most of the state depends on nuclear power.
Kansas has produced little nuclear waste in the past. It has one nuclear power plant. Arkansas, Louisiana and Nebraska each have two
Under the proposal, the host state would have the disposal site for 30 years, and a new dump
would then be built in another compact stair. But Schofield said she was skeptical of that
Schofield acknowledged that Nebraska rated high in all categories, although she disagreed with the rating.
"I don't think it makes good sense to presume that the dump will be moved in 30 years."
Kansas and Nebraska are the only states in the compact that submitted a complete geological survey. It is unfair for U.S. Ecology to approve of the geology of both states without knowing about the geology of the other states in the compact, she said.
Housing problem persists 51 students still without rooms
Staff writer
By BEN JOHNSTON Staff writer
And, if spaces don't become available by Thanksgiving, those remaining students might have to seek outside of the residence hall system.
Four weeks into the school year, 51 KU students still are living in temporary housing, and a University housing official cannot predict when or if all the students will be placed in regular rooms.
However, because it is impossible to predict when 51 more students will leave the housing system, it is also impossible to predict when all the tenants now in temporary housing will be a regular room. McElhene said.
Fred McEllenbie, director of residential programs, said 176 students lived in temporary housing at the beginning of the semester but the following week because other students had created vacancies by leaving regular rooms.
See related story p. 6.
"I just haven't the foggies notion when the last student will move out of temporary housing." McEleniain said, "We work on it day by day."
As of Wednesday, the students lived in temporary housing that included the ironing room in Hashingg Hall, meeting space areas in Lewis Hall, the stereo room in Ellsworth Hall, the academic resource center in GSP-Corbin Hall and end rooms in McColum Hall, McEhlene业
He said that even though three wings in McColum Hall had been switched from men's wings to women's wings to accommodate the large number of women who applied to the housing system this year, all 51 students still living in temporary housing were women.
"We gave housing we formerly dedicated to men to women," McElhenie said. "We still found ourselves in an overflow situation.
"Some women couldn't live in their sorority houses until they were older, so they had to stay in the housing apartments and else to go other than an apartment."
For each of the last 10 years, students have had to live in temporary housing because the office of residential programs cannot predict where they will actually need housing at the beginning of the year. McEhlenie said.
"This year, we had a limited number of no-shoes." McEhlenie said. "That reduced the number of spaces available, but not a great deal. We also had people that contracted with us and lived elsewhere."
McEhlene said that after Thanksgiving vacation last year, no students were allowed to stay in temporary housing.
"At Thanksgiving, we needed the temporary housing, so I mandated they move by that date." McElhene said. "We needed the temporary housing for students who cannot go home for the holidays."
The office of residential programs has not decided whether students living in temporary housing will be allowed to break this year, McElhenie said.
If the office does require the students to move, he said, it will not be responsible for finding other housing for them.