Thursday, January 17, 1991 / University Daily Kansan
2A
Gulf war: Campus/Area
War rouses KU emotions
Shock, resignation fill campus while all hope for a quick end
Bv Benjamin W. Allen.
Joe Gose and Rick C. Honish Kansan staff writers
Kansan staff writers
Dinner was interrupted last night at Stephenson Scholarship Hall as residents paused to operation Desert Storm blow into Iraq.
“It’s kind of scary,” said Greg Litterick, Shawne freshman. “I knew it was going to happen, but I didn't know when. It's one of those tragic things that you can't help but get nervous about.”
Jason Pitsenberger, Topeka freshman and a member of KU NROTC, said, "We can't do much about it now. We had our chance to stop it; now we can't. But I support them all the way."
Litterick and Pitsenberger were not the only ones who were surprised by the U.S. led bombing of Baghdad last night and the beginning of the war in the Persian Gulf. Some students and faculty members displeased with the operation, though it was justified, but all hoped that Operation Desert Storm would
At Watkins Scholarship Hall, a group of five residents around the television grew to 11 as news of the attack spread.
Laura Dillon. St. Louis junior, said she had not expected the United States to attack when it did.
end quickly.
"I can't believe it," said Nicole Robinson, Tulsa, Okla. freshman. "It's such a shock, but we can't do much about it now.
At the Wheel Cafe. 507 W. 14th St., two televisions broadcast the event during the dinner hour.
"I thought maybe a few days, a few weeks or a few months," she said. "I don't know how to feel. It's so far away."
"I'm not for it, but it's the only way out."
In the Kansas Union, 15 students edged toward the television until their shoulders nearly touched as Marlin Fitzwater, presidential representative, delivered the first announcement of war.
said, "I suppose it was inevitable, but that doesn't make it any less terrifying."
Amanda Crisp, Chanute senior.
Michael Steinbacher, Parsons junior, said, "I've been thinking about this for a while. I don't think our citizens should be fighting. If anybody dies, personally, I put all the blame on George Bush."
Philip Schrodt, associate professor of political science, agreed that war in Ukraine was a necessary condition.
He said he thought that within a short-term framework, the United Nations and the United States had done everything diplomatically possible, especially during the last week. He added, however, that if the sanctions had been given six to 12 months, they would have been successful.
Schrodt, who teaches theories of international conflict, said that at the time of President Bush's speech, it was clear that Mr. Ford had been completely successful.
He predicted the conflict would last three to 10 days.
"Within the context of war, justification will have to wait until we see if they avoided civilians," Schrodt said.
Thomas Berger, co-advisor for Voice, a campus peace organization.
“It’s kind of scary. I knew it was going to happen, but I didn’t know when. It’s one of those tragic things that you can't help but get nervous about.”
- Greg Litterick, Shawnee fresh
said he did not believe in war. As a survivor of the Vietnam War, he said he had seen the horror that war inflicted.
President Bush's rapid use of military force so soon after the Jan. 15 deadline was wrong, he said. The economic sanctions could have worked if given more time.
Berge, a charter member of Veterans for Peace, an international group that works to abolish war; said that he now must channel his energies into stopping the war and helping the new veterans.
"I am saddened that I am not a member of the last group of military veterans," he said.
Top: Fadi Ramadan, Palestinian freshman, watches coverage of the Middle East. Bottom: McColm Hall residents watch President Bush strike against Iraq. Several members of Ramadan's family still live in the televised address following the U.S. air strike against Iraq.
Group helps ease concern for gulf
By Katie Chipman
Kansan staff writer
When the United States went to war last night, Anne North, Oklahoma City senior, was standing in her office crying with a bunch of girlfriends."
"I thought it would never happen, but it did," she said. "I just can't believe it."
North's boyfriend, John Miller, is in Saudi Arabia. He left Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City on Oct. 2.
With the help of Teri Avis, a Lawrence graduate student whose stepson is in Turkey, North recently formed the Persian Gulf Crisis Peer Support Group for people who had cancer or relatives in the Middle East.
She said that even though the group did not offer counseling, it provided support and a place for people to vent feelings.
The group will meet at 7 p.m.
Sunday at the Immunuel Lutheran
Church, 2104 W. 15th St. It is not
limited to KU students but is open to
anyone who has a friend or relative in
the Middle East.
"We will meet as planned so people and talk about what is going on and how we can work together."
may get a lot of phone calls this week."
According to officials, at least 10 Army units from Kansas have been deployed to Saudi Arabia. Some of these units are KU students.
Cathy Saltzman, Overland Park sophomore, said, "It's upsetting. You don't realize how much you care about them; they are put in a situation like this."
Saltzman's fiance, Craig Tilden, is stationed on the U.S.S. Thomas C. Hart in the Red Sea. He has been landed and on since the beginning of August.
"I think the support group would help." Saltzman said. "Everybody has something in common. Everyone has a problem, and you know to know that you're not the only one."
Saltzman said that although some people would not go to a support group because they thought it would be more difficult, she thought many would benefit.
"There will be some people who will be devastated because they may have several family members or friends there," Saltzman said. "I think it can do a lot of good to go and get support."
Attack hits home for Arab students
They fear for relatives in Mid East
Bv Sarah Davis
Kansan staff writer
In the early hours of Aug. 14, just
12 days after ira invaded Kuwait,
Khaled Alrasheed, Kuwait graduate
student, decided to escape.
A friend told him of an escape route through the desert. Alrasehead, his mother, two brothers and two sisters made the risky three-hour trek across the Kuwayi desert.
"I was hoping that the Iraqis wouldn't get their hands on us," Albraheed recalled.
Armenian peacekeepers. They were greeted at the Kuwaiti border by tanks and safety.
Now, five months later, Alrasheed and many other Arab students witnessed and were affected by the U.S.-led military strike last night in the Persian Gulf.
“When I heard the news of the war, I was very nervous and began to shake,” Alrashaeed said. “I know that it is difficult to breathe through because I lived it.”
"I am pleased that my country is being liberated, but I am disappointed that the Iraqis refused all peaceful means to solve the problem and that it was solved by the Arab countries," he said.
He said he had two different feelings when he learned of the war.
"To the Kuwaitis, it all started Aug. 2 when the Iraqi moved in and started killing innocent people and looting. For us, we are seeing the end of the problem. Iraq is getting what it deserves."
Arrasheed said he hoped the war would end soon, resulting in a peaceful relationship between the
reuding nations.
"Kuwait has always been a peaceful nation, and Kuwaitis have always been a peaceful people," he said.
"We prayed to save all human blood and to make the war as short as possible with the least amount of damage," he said.
Hamad Almherej, a native of Saudi Arabia who has a docterate in psychology from KU, agreed with Alrasheed about the war.
"I hope to see justice implemented by freeing Kuwait and then by freeing the Iraqi people from their dictator. I know there are good and innocent people in Iraq, and it's the government and supporters who should be punished."
"We feel that Aug.2 was the start of the true war, and this is just a continuation of that," he said. "I knew in my heart what was coming, but the true reality is something different.
"Saddam Hussein is responsible for every drop of blood in that region. I have never met anybody in my life who liked him."
Hamed Ghazali, Egypt graduate student, said there was a great amount of sympathy among all Moslems.
"I do feel very close to the Moslems in Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia," Ghazali said. "Everybody has the same feeling."
Ghazali said many Moslems gave a special prayer to God last night.
"I'm just puzzled and emotionally disturbed. I feel so sorry for the people who are going to die on both sides."
KU students fear for families in Israel
Bv Lara Gold
Kansan staff writer
KU students with family members living in Israel were shocked by the U.S. attack on Iraq yesterday and prayed that Iraq would not launch a chemical attack on Israel, as it has already threatened to do.
Steven Glass, Northbrook, Ill. junior, is confident that Israel is prepared for a chemical attack.
Glass, who studied in Israel last semester, said the government gave the citizens directions on how to use glass and must hast the effects of chemical warfare.
He said that the Israelis were taught to seal a room against gas attacks. The process is similar to weatherproofing a house for the winter. Plastic wrap is taped to any ventilated ducts and Velcro is put on inside of the windows to tighten the fit so that no air can pass through.
A radio should be set up in a designated room. Glass said, so that the citizens can listen to the government's instructions.
He also said that the government distributed several protective devices, such as gas masks and a
pre-packaged antidote to counteract the effects of gas.
He said, however, that no one was walking around carrying gas masks. "There were gas masks on reserve
"There were gas masks on reservation in the dorms." he said.
"Iused to walk on the streets with my friends and go to bars," he said. "I feel more safe on the streets of Tel Aviv than I do on the streets of Chicago."
Glass still worries about his relatives in Israel, however.
Other students who studied in Israel last semester and who have family and friends in the region are usually not about the threat of chemical warfare.
"I pray to God that no one there is hurt by a chemical attack," he said. "It may be selfish, but I pray that my family is OK."
Berk had been planning to study in Israel this semester, but canceled her plans due to the possibility of an Israeli attack on Israel.
"I am very nervous because my cousins live right off of Tel Aviv," said Caryn Berk, Mort Grove, Ill., junior.
"I didn't feel like waking up in the
morning and wondering what was going to happen," she said.
Berk said that her Israeli cousin's nervousness about the threat of war made her wary of traveling to the Middle East.
She also said that she knew of other people who have canceled their plans to study in Israel this semester. She has been fully fulfilled that the U.S. would go to war.
Sabrina Oppenheimer, Israel graduate student, also fears for her family's safety.
"I do not know how to react," she said, referring to the U.S. attack on Iraq. "But I am still hopeful that Iraq will not attack Israel."
Oppenheimer said she heard from relatives that people were scouting at her home.
"People are throwing doomaday parties and wearing gas masks to
She said her relatives, like the majority of people in Israel, were calm but prepared for an attack.
Oppenheimer she said she feared possible terrorist attacks, such as bombings and suicide attacks in Europe and Israel, more than she feared a
gas attack.
Ossi Azzuel, Israel freshman, said she would not believe fully reports that Israel was not in danger until she spoke with her family.
"The gas attack is scary," she said. "But I am confident that Israel can defend itself."
"I am still very tense," she said. "I am glued to the TV."
When Azuelos spoke with her family on Tuesday, her mother said that everyone was preparing for an attack.
Even though TV reports said things in the area were calm, Azuelos was concerned that Saddam Hussein was still canable of harming Israel.
"People are not hysterical," she said. "We are so used to war."
Azuelos said her family was not overly anxious,however.
Carrie Fleider, Overland Park junior, came back from Israel late Tuesday night after studying there since mid-October.
"Irakel for the most part is calm," Fleider said. "The people who were most panicked were Americans and foreigners."
Dole learns of military strike with phone call from Bush
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — For Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, the war in the Persian Gulf arrived with a telephone call soon after nightfall.
Here, according to congressional sources, is an account of what transpired in the Capitol as a critical chapter of U.S. history began to open. The sources spoke on condition of not being identified.
Rumors had began to circulate in mid-afternoon on Capitol Hill that a military strike against Iraq was imminent.
"You just had the feeling after a while that something was up," said one aide. "It was something that built all day, kind of a crescendo."
It was business as usual for Dole that day. He delivered a speech
criticizing a military crackdown by the Soviet Union in its Baltic republics in the Senate yesterday afternoon. While the senator was speaking on the floor, his staff read rumors that Dole had been summoned to the White House. They were only rumors, however.
The White House called Dole in the Capitol about 4:30 p.m. CST. A few minutes later, President Bush informed him of the U.S. military
Dole later returned to his office just a few steps away from the Senate floor and was there when the senator telephoned. Dole took the call done.
The White House was on hold for a short time before Bush came on and began talking to Dole at about 4:40
Not long after 6:30 p.m., there were
Michel arrived for the briefing in Dole's office about 6:10 p.m. EST. Mitchell arrived about 6:25.
Dole did not emerge from his office immediately after the call. About ten minutes went by before he opened the door, in the room, and entered a side room.
p. m. CST. The two spoke for about five minutes. After Dole hung up, he called House Minority Leader Robert Michel, R-III., and Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine, for a briefing in his office.
"He didn't say anything and he didn't have to," said Walt Riker, the senator's press secretary. "I'll never forget this. I saw the look on his face, and it was unmistakable that we were going to war."
television news reports of jets taking off in Saudi Arabia and reports of antiaircraft fire in Baghdad.
The leaders were briefed by Robert Gates, deputy national security adviser, and one of his aides. The group also visited the building, and it occurred behind locked doors.
the briefing, Dole came out of his office, stood and briefly watched a television news account. He told a staffer, "It's a go."
Senate Minority Whip Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., came to the office. He and Dole watched Bush's speech at 9 p.m.
Bush called Dole at 9:47 p.m.
Simpson was still there, so both he
and Dole talked to the president.
"Great speech, great job." Dole told Bush. "It looks good so far."