University Daily Kansan / Thursday, February 25, 1988
Nation/World
7
Sixth Korean president takes oath amidst protests
The Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea — Students armed with firebombs seized a U.S. government building yesterday, and protests flared in eight cities as President Roh Tae-woo prepared to lead a new government "that is loved by the people."
Roh has pledged to end decades of authoritarian rule and to usher in full democracy and sweeping economic and social reforms. He said his republic will usher in "the great era of the common man."
Police planned massive security late yesterday as Roh, the country's sixth president, prepared to take the oath of office in a low-key inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly building. Roh's inauguration marks the first non-violent transfer of power in South Korea's turbulent 40-year-history.
The 120,000-member national police was put on top alert to guard against anti-government protests. Thousands of riot police guarded key buildings and other locations in Seoul, police said.
About 5,000 anti-government radicals staged 33 demonstrations in at least eight cities yesterday to denounce the new government. Protesters yelled, "Roh Tae-woo out!" and "Yankee puppet!"
Five students armed with homemade bombs seized the U.S. Information Service building in Seoul, detonated two bombs and started a fire before police overpowered them. Police said there were no injuries and no hostages were taken during the hour-long fraas.
Meese investigation exposes oil deal U.S. company offers Israel cheaper oil for pipeline's safety
The Associated Press
JERUSALEM — The Bechtel Group Inc. offered in 1985 to sell oil to Israel at reduced rates for 10 years in return for a pledge not to attack a proposed Iraqi pipeline, said a senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official yesterday, speaking on terms of anonymity.
The pipeline, which would have run from Iraq through Jordan along Israel's border, was never built. But a memo concerning it has become the focus of a criminal investigation of whether Attorney General Edwin Meese III knew about a possibly improper payment.
The offer by the San Francisco-based construction and engineering company was relayed to then-Prime
Minister Shimon Peres by Bruce Rappaport, a partner with Bechtel in the project, the official said. Reduced rates would have resulted in an annual savings to Israel of $65 million to $70 million.
In San Francisco, Tom Flynn, vice president for public relations for the Bechtel Group, said that the company did not make any offer to Peres but that it was made by Rappaport, a Swiss financier working with Bechtel on the project.
Flynn said the offer by Rappaport was made without the knowledge or the consent of Bechtel.
But the Foreign Ministry official said that it was Peres' understanding that Rappaport made the offer for the company.
"Rappaport came to Peres as a representative of Bechtel and said he was speaking on behalf of Bechtel," the official said. "If he was not, he misrepresented himself. As far as Mr. Peres was concerned, he was speaking for Bechtel."
Peres did not take the oil proposal seriously and never raised the issue with other government ministers, the official said.
"This is a man who sees 10 people every day. Thirty percent of them come with crazy ideas," he said. "He just says 'Yes, yes. We'll think about it.' That's how things work in Israel."
Peres, now Israel's foreign minister, headed the government when Meese received a memo in 1985 from E. Robert Wallach, a longtime friend
of Meese and attorney for Rappaport, a partner in the pipeline project. The memo, made public Monday, referred to Israel's commitment not to bomb a proposed $1 billion Iraqi oil pipeline.
In return, according to the Wallach memo, a portion of the money from the project was to be funneled to Peres' Labor Party.
The memo said Rappaport "confirmed the arrangement with Peres to the effect that Israel will receive somewhere between $65 million and $70 million a year for 10 years out of the conclusion of the project."
Peres has denied any wrongdoing and denounced the memo as complete nonsense.
Arab accused of aiding Israelis killed
The Associated Press
JERUSALEM — West Bank villagers burned the home of a fellow Arab accused of helping the Israelis and lynched him after he fired on a crowd Tuesday with a submachine gun, killing a 4-year-old boy and wounding 13 people, security sources said.
Israel radio called the event a serious escalation of 11 weeks of violence in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip and linked it to calls by the Palestine Liberation Organization for harsh action against collaborators.
A reporter for the Arabic-language Jerusalem newspaper, Al Quaid, said residents of Qabatiya village accused the man of collaborating with Israel authorities. The reporter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, identified the man as Mohammed Al Avad.
Palestinians began a general strike in the occupied territories yesterday and the army reported the first attack on Israeli soldiers with explosives and firearms since riots began Dec. 8.
BOMBING IN IRELAND: A bomb exploded in Belfast, Ireland, last night, killing a part-time soldier of the Ulster Defense Regiment and injuring three others, police reported. According to a Belfast police headquarters statement, the explosion occurred in front of security gates in the center of the city, but police had no further details. They said without elaborating that terrorists were responsible.
REBUSCILIAN SENATOR ARRESTED: Republicans complained of "banana public" tactics yesterday after armed Capitol police broke into the locked office of Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore.
News Roundup
arrested him and hauled him feet-first into the Senate chamber in the early hours of a round-the-clock filibuster. On a motion by Senate Majority Leader Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., Sergeant at Arms Henry K. Giugni was handed warrants for the arrest of absent Republican senators, thus forcing them to answer a quorum ball. Without a quorum the Senate would have gone to trial, pushing campaign finance legislation would lost their leverage over Republican opponents.
SHULTZ I MIDEAST: Secretary of State George P. Shultz headed to the Middle East yesterday with admittedly little chance of
setting up Arab-Israeli negotiations. Before departing for Jerusalem, Shultz added Syria to his itinerary despite U.S. sanctions against the country, which the State Department has condemned as a supporter of terrorism.
CONTRA VOTE APPROACHING: House Democrats confidently predicted victory yesterday for their humanitarian aid package for the contras, while Republicans scrambled to assemble a rival plan they claimed would give stronger support to the rebels. The vote originally was scheduled for Thursday, but Rep. Tony Coelho, D-Calif., said yesterday that it would be postponed until next week.
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842-7030
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It's what I do (or don't do).
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843-4948
Get tickets at the SUA Box Office and all CATS Outlets
THIS SATURDAY! ONLY $5/with KUID ($6 at the door with KUID)
"Bitchen Camaro"
"Instant Club Hit"
"Thing That Only Eats Hippies"
With:
Yo La Tengo and
Lawrence's
Foodhead
Don't Miss This
Hilarious Group!
In the Kansas Union Ballroom 8 p.m. Saturday Feb.27,1988
Presented by SUA SPECIAL EVENTS & KJHK