THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL.101.NO.84
NBA STATE HISTORICAL
CITY
PERA, NJ. 8612
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
HURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1991
(USPS 650-640)
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
First ground battle in the gulf war
NEWS: 864-4810
Iraq armored troops engaged allied forces as they moved across the Kuwait border Tuesday night. What happened?
Weapons used in the battle U.S. forces used some of the allies' most potent anti-tank weapons
A-10 attack plane
Gunships
TOW anti-tank missile
SOURCE, Defense Department, Knight-Ridder foreign correspondents, AP
Knight-Ridder Tribute News/BILL BAKER/MARTY WESTMAN and JUDY TREIBL
Bush envisions a moral order
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Bush today evoked the memory of another wartime president, Franklin Roosevelt, saying that the goal of the Persian Gulf War is the triumph of a new moral order in the world.
In his speech, Bush noted that fifty years ago, with the United States on the verge of entering World War II, Roosevelt declared a new policy of expression freedom of
worship, freedom from want and
freedom from fear.
"No one knew better than President Roosevelt what hard work freedom really is," he said.
"We ask God to bless us, to guide us and to help us through whatever dark nights we still will face," the president told lawmakers at the
a battle with Iraqi troops a few miles inside Saudi Arabia.
Bush made no mention in his brief speech of the deaths of 12 Marines in
Marlin Fitzwater, administration representative, said that Bush has scheduled a Friday visit to three southern bases that have deployed troops to the gulf. These bases are Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station in Havelock, N.C.; Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, N.C.; and Fort Stewart in Savannah, Ga.
Counterattack falters in bid to re-take town
The Associated Press
KHAFJI, Saudi Arabia — Saudi-led allied forces stormed the Iraqi-held Saudi border town of Khafij last night, but it was unclear whether they took the town or were driven off by Iraqi forces.
Some light armored Saudi forces made it in to the center of the city, but allied forces following those units, including some U.S. Marines, were forced into a fiercely retreat air to a supersonic rocket fire just south of the city.
The retreating all units later regrouped and apparently launched a second assault on the border town early today.
Marines said the Saudis had made it deep into Khafij and had engaged Iraqi forces, who had captured the border town early yesterday.
Twelve Marines had been killed and two wounded in clashes late Tuesday and earlier yesterday, U.S. officials said.
It was unclear early today whether the allies held the town or were forced out.
much of the attacking force retreated. Several armored Saudi ambulances and troop transports rushed toward the town.
About an hour after the initial allied attack at 11 p.m. (2 p.m. CST).
The Marines said they suffered no casualties, but it appeared there were same Saudi casualties.
The attack began after 15 minutes of heavy Marine artillery fire meant to soften up the Iraq defenses.
to booteen up. Dozens of light armored personnel carriers and Qatar army tanks lined the north-south highway and proceeded toward Khafji. Thousands of troops, mainly Saudi and Qatar but including about 200 Marines, made up the allied force.
Just as the convoy reached the city lines, Iraqi positions to the north and northwest pelted the vehicles with what Marines said were rocket-propelled grenades, mortars or perhaps small artillery.
Marine TOW missile-launching vehicles had fanned out in the desert just south of Khafij to provide support for the Saudi and Qatari forces. They also were caught in the surprise fire, which came after Iraqi troops launched a flurry of flares that floated down on parachutes over the
allied troops.
"Let's get the hell out of here!" said a Marine captain in a TOW vehicle. "I have no idea where they're shooting from."
At least one allied light armored vehicle was afire, and several explosions were heard.
The Marines, the Qatari tanks and some of the Saudi attack forces retreated at speeds of up to 50 miles after they came under the fire load.
The allied forces pulled back and regrouped about 10 miles south of the border town. Marine units, Saudi armored personnel carriers and Qatari tanks then began driving north again.
The Marines called for an air strike on suspected Iraqi positions.
A dozen or more explosions were heard to the northwest just after the Iraqi fired a barrage of anti-aircraft fire.
- This story includes reports subjected to security review by allied military authorities.
► More Gulf news p. 6
Iraqi forces launch attack Heavy fighting claims the lives of 12 Marines; the deaths are first ground casualties for allies
The Associated Press
KHAIF JI, Saudi Arabia — In the first major ground battle of the Persian Gulf War, Iaqi tank soldiers mounted a bloody assault on U.S. Marines and other allied troops in the southern port of Khaljiy early yesterday.
Twelve U.S. Marines were killed and two were wounded, said Army Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, the allied command of Operation Desert Storm. They were the first ground soldiers to die in combat.
poured out of one target hit just at the entrance to the town, where a shell had ripped a crater in the road about three feet across and 18 inches deep.
The allies said they inflicted heavy casualties on the Iraqis in intense street fighting that was assisted by artillery and airborne assaults. The Marines, who held parts of the town, said they did not expect the Iraqis to try to move south, further into Saudi Arabia. The allies had not been deployed in Khafj) when the fighting began.
Black acrid smoke and flames
Schwarzkopp said allied pilots reported seeing 41 Iraqi tanks, seven armored personnel carriers and 12 other vehicles destroyed. He said the Marines lost two light armored vehicles.
A Saudi tank stood at one entrance to the city and the Marines said that at least 10 other tanks had surrounded the town to cut off any retreat or advance by the Iraqi forces.
Marine officers were at a loss to explain the objective of the Iraqi attack but speculated it was a response to recent heavy Marine fire on Iraqi positions just north of the Kuwait border.
"I hope they keep attacking us," said Marine Lt. Col. Jerry Humble.
The heaviest ground action of the 2-week-old war began on a clear night beneath a full moon, with temperatures hovering around freezing. A small Iraqi force crossed the Kuwait border into Khafjja, where they were engaged by troops from the小 Gulf state of Qatar. Preliminary surveys said the Qatar troops two Iraqi tanks and took 10 rifles.
and began lobbing artillery at approaching Iraqis.
Marines also apparently engaged a larger Iraqi force with TOW-firing vehicles and air support from Air Force A-10s, Marine A-6 bombers and Marine AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters.
U. S. officials described the Iraqi assault as a multi-pronged "probing" attack designed to assess enemy strength and weaponry. They said 50 Iraqi tanks were moving toward and into a narrow border when the firing began.
iraq claimed to have attacked along a 12-mile front.
A tense communique carried by the official Iraqi News Agency yesterday said "Our ground forces entered at midnight Tuesday the Saudi coastal city of al Qa'im, it sapped, lanced and 'massive assault' along a 12-mile border of
In addition to the 1st Marine Division, the 2nd Marine Division was in the area where the fighting occurred and was unclear if that force was involved
- This story includes reports subjected to security review by allied military authorities.
Jewish group plans to raise money for Israel
By Lara Gold
Kansan staff writer
Iraqi missile attacks on Israel have not only terrorized the state but left it in need of money.
Israel needs to rebuild its failing economy, hit hard by a lack of tourism, and to repair physical damage caused by Iraqi Sciad missile
Maria Adler, chairperson for KU's United Jewish Appeal, said KU's chapter was doing all it could to raise money for Israel.
The National United Jewish Appeal has started a special campaign to raise $400 million by March 31 for humanitarian needs in Israel, said Gerald Nagel, a representative for the organization.
Adler said she thought more money would be raised than ever before because more students were aware of how drastic the situation was.
"Students are calling the Hilile house asking what they can do to help after they've seen what happened on the news," she said.
She stressed that students need to give money and not just say, "My teacher
"We are desperate to raise money and fast "she said.
One dollar can buy two soft drinks in the United States but can do so much more over there, she said.
Adler said Israel also needed money to absorb the many Soviet immigrants moving there.
The United Jewish Appeal is having a phone-a-thon Sunday and Monday to raise as much money as
'Israel needs money especially now because of the damage. Half of Israel has literally been shut down.'
The United Jewish Appeal is a nonprofit corporation that raises money in cooperation with hundreds of local Jewish federations across the country to help meet the needs of Israel.
"Irael needs money especially now because of the damage," she said. "Half of Israel has literally been shut down."
Yael Amitz-Lev, Holon, Israel, freshman, will be working on the phone-a-thon.
possible to help Israel.
She said raising money was a sign of moral support to the state.
"It shows how important Israel's existence is," she said. "Israel is going to lose a lot right now."
For Amitz-Lev, who has family in Israel, it means more than just support.
But she was optimistic that raising money would be easier because of the awareness of the situation generated by the war.
She said students were concerned and cared about Israel.
"We've always been big on helping other people." The Associated Press contributed
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
Jason Gardner, Wichita freshman, adjusts his artistic conception of 3-D space for a project in his Design II class. Gardner and his
Structured space
classmates were working yesterday in the Art and Design building.
Gay community keeps fighting for civil rights
By Vanessa Fuhrmans
Kansan staff writer
Just a few words would mean a lot to the gay and lesbian community of Lawrence.
Not just any words will do, though. Working with the Lawrence Task Force on Racism sponsored by the city, Haskell Indian Junior College and the University of Kansas, a group of gay men and lesbians are trying to add to the city's human rights ordinance a clause that would
protect their rights.
protected because we don't even have access to the process."
The current ordinance, which was passed in 1983, prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, sex, color or nationality. However, discrimination based on sexual orientation is not included in the prohibition.
"Gays and lesbians are three steps behind those people included in the ordinance," said Liz Tolbert, a member of Gay and Lesbian Services of Kansas, at a forum sponsored by the task force last night. "We can't be
The discussion, attended by about 30 people, reopened a heated debate that ended three years ago when the Lawrence City Commission voted against an amendment to protect discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Tolbert, who argued in favor of the amendment before the City Commission in 1988, said that without the amendment, gays and lesbians had
no protection.
"I refuse to accept that I don't have any rights," she said."
Judy McClain, director of human resources at KU, said she could not help gay and lesbian employees who worked there because they had no legal protection.
"No matter how much I try, I don't have the tool without that ordinance," she said. "Without that tool, I'm up a creek."