tuesday, august 26, 2003
news
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the university daily kansar
5A
U.S. presence in Iraq stirs debate
By Paul Kramer
pkramer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
In the 118 days since President George W. Bush declared the end to combat in Iraq, 129 American soldiers have lost their lives. More than one death per day since the May 1 ceasefire has some students concerned.
Chadd Elsen, Albert senior, said he thought the war was over and didn't understand why our presence was still needed in Iraq. Elsen said he was skeptical about the reasons the United States, under President Bush, got involved in the first place.
"I think he's living out his dad's
idea, following what he started," Elsen said.
Eisen said.
Becky Harbert, Kingman freshman, said that putting American lives in danger was irresponsible and ridiculous. She said that Saddam Hussein was a credible threat when the United States went to war, but now that his regime was no longer in power, it was time to leave.
Angela Turner, St. Louis junior, said that any war was horrible, but if war did happen, then rebuilding was necessary.
The debate on post-war influence may be up for debate among civilians, but Lt. Colonel Brain DeToy, professor of military science, said it was not a matter of what the military should do after combat was over, but what it was
required to do by international law.
According to the Law of Land Warfare, established in part at the Geneva Convention of 1949, once a country or area has been occupied, the occupying country must provide an administration when the area is unable to provide a government to deal with civil affairs.
Therefore, because the United States overthrew8 the Iraqi government, it is responsible to provide peace and order until a government can be established.
erminant can be esas. DeToy said that when Iraq could govern themselves effectively, then the mission was over.
Unfortunately, the time between the end of combat at the realization of peace is often
marred by casualties. Deaths that commonly come from land mines, friendly-fire and faulty artillery, are expected by soldiers.
Patrick Brady, Overland Park senior and Corporal in the Army reserves, served in Iraq before and after the May 1 end of combat. Brady said all soldiers were aware that non-combat deaths were a part of military service.
Brady said soldiers had to accept the deaths of their comrades and the risk of losing their own lives, yet stay focused.
in lives, yet stay alive. "If we gave up now and leave, then they win, and all those who died would have died for nothing," Brady said.
— Edited by Ehren Medit>
Muslims protest weak U.S. security
The Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Thousands of Shiite Muslims protested peacefully last night outside the headquarters of the U.S.-led coalition in Bagdad, charging the occupation force was lax on security and did too little to stop a weekend of ethnic bloodshed in the north and the bombing at the house of an important Muslim Shiite cleric in the south.
Hans Harmon, PRISM team member and Lawrence graduate student, operates one of the rovers the researchers used to collect data. The team had to make sure the rovers would work in Greenland's cold climate.
Shite cicit in the school. The U.S. military reported a soldier died of a non-hostile gunshot wound, bringing the number of soldiers killed since major combat was declared over to 138. A total of 276 soldiers have died in combat or by accident since the war began March 20.
The Baghdad protest moved, after about an hour, to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan office in Baghdad. The protesters alleged the Kurdish organization started the fighting Friday night in Tuz Kharmato and continued attacks on Turkomen tribesmen the next day in Kirkuk, 115 miles north of Baghdad. Eleven people died.
The protesters dispersed quietly, ahead of the 11 p.m. Baghdad curfew.
The Baghdad protesters, mainly from the Sadr City slum, had sided with the Turkmen, also Shiites. A PUK spokesman in Baghdad told The Associated Press the violence was the work of Saddam Hussein sympathizers trying to complicate the already tense security situation in the country by adding the specter of ethnic and religious violence to the mix. Kurds are predominantly Sunni Muslims.
"They are trying to move the fighting (between Kurds and Turkmen) from Kirkuk and Tuz into Baghdad," said Adel Murad, a PUK spokesman.
In Najaf on Monday, mourners buried three guards who were killed in a bomb attack Sunday on the house of Mohammed Saeed al-Hakim, one of Iraq's most important Muslim Shiite clerics. The bomb, a gas cylinder wired to explode, was placed along the outside wall of the house. A number of al-Hakim's family members were wounded. He suffered cuts
on his neck
More than a thousand mourners jammed the streets in Najaf calling for revenge against the attackers, whose identities were not known. The demonstrators blamed U.S. forces for failing to provide security in the town.
Iraiq newspapers reported last week that Mohammed Saeed al-Hakim, who was under house arrest during the last days of Saddam's rule, had received threats against his life.
In Amman, Jordan, yesterday members of Iraq's U.S.-backed Governing Council asked skeptical Arab leaders to judge it by its actions, and promised to make way for an elected government as quickly as possible.
ny's role in post-Suffolk "The council is a legitimate step and nobody has claimed it will be a permanent situation, but a temporary one which will end soon, once elections are held," the council's rotating president,
quickly as possi bes. Council members are on a tour of the Gulf region to bolster official Arab support for the interim authority's role in post-Saddam Iraq.
Ibrahim al-Jaafari, said after talks with Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abul-Ragheb and Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher.
ment is formed.
a delegation of 11 members of the U.S. Congress spoke with reporters in Baghdad yesterday afternoon under heavy security after meeting with coalition officials.
Minister marwa said Jordan wants to cooperate with the council and "delivered its wish in providing all means of support for the Iraqi people until a permanent government is formed."
able to pacify the country. "We discussed with coalition officials the issues of the number of personnel we have in Iraq and the issue of a time frame for troops to be here. We have an intelligence problem, and we have to deal with that. Our discussions will continue," Davis said. "We would be pleased to see international troops come to Iraq."
Rep. Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican, said the delegation was primarily concerned with ensuring there were enough personnel available to pacify the country.
PRISM/Team tests new equipment
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
members to figure out the characteristics of the ice sheets and tested rovers to make sure they could maneuver in Greenland's cold climate.
The team also worked with wireless communications equipment, which allows the rovers to communicate with one another and researchers without being connected by cords.
connected by coral Finally, the team tested outreach equipment that allowed them to send updated, live information to schools. The information is sent using satellite that pick up the information and send it to the team's Web site, http://www.ku-prism.org. The team was able to send video clips, field reports and photos during its Greenland visit.
The team did its research at the North Grip field location in the middle of Greenland from June 23 to July 17 and plans to return to Greenland in the summer of 2004 to do research on ice sheets that are south of the North Grip site in a field location called Summit. Another Greenland trip is planned for the summer of 2005, when the team will test its equipment at a remote glacier. The exact location of this trip will be determined later, Braaten said.
Despite Greenland's imposing conditions, Braaten said the only problem the team had was getting some laptops to work in temperatures ranging from the low 20s to negative 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
World
Population in support of Rwanda president
KIGALI, Rwanda — Incumbent President Paul Kagame told the world today that genocide-scared Rwanda is "on the right path," after scoring an overwhelming election win seen as confirming
Edited by Cate Batchelder
support for his efforts to heal the African nation's wounds.
Election officials said Kagame had 94 percent support with about half the districts reporting in yesterday's presidential vote, the first since a 1994 genocide that left more than 500,000 people dead. Most victims were minority Tutsis killed by Hutu extremists.
The Associated Press