VOL.100,NO.100
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
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FRIDAY, FEB. 23, 1990
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Reagan testifies on tape
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Former President Ronald Reagan testified in a videotaped deposition released yesterday that he never knew his aides were secretly arming the Nicaraguan contrast during a congressional ban on military aid to the rebels.
in testimony for the coming trial of John Poindexter, the former president said he remained unconvinced that a diversion of Iran arms sale to the rebels had occurred.
However, Reagan changed his mind after prosecutors confronted him with the report of the Tower Commission, which he appointed.
Ronald Reagan
Reagan said he thought National Security Council aide Oliver North's assistance to the contrast was limited to communicating with them.
"It was my understanding because his name would crop up in memos, and so forth, that that's what he was doing," the former president added. "I guess that I had never . . . had any inkling that we were guiding their strategy in any way," Reagan testified.
Poindexter, who faces trial March 5, is charged with conspiracy, two counts of obstructing Congress and two counts of making false statements.
Poindexter's lawyers won a court order to get Reagan's testimony, hoping to show that Reagan had approved of the activities that led to his former adviser's indictment.
However, Iran-Contra prosecutors used Reagan's cross-examination to introduce evidence that Poindexter lied to Reagan about the secret aid
operation after a C-123 cargo ship was shot down over Nicaragua during a supply flight Oct. 5, 1966
In earlier written testimony to the Iran-Contra grand jury, Reagan said Poindexter told him that the sole survivor of the crash, Eugene Hasenus, was not connected with the U.S. government.
Hasenuf, who was tried and convicted of terrorism by Nicaragua's Sandinista government and later released, was involved in North's secret re supply effort, according to investigators.
Reagan only agreed that money had been diverted to the contraas after he was confronted with details of the diversion contained in the February 1987 Tower Commission report.
"This is the first time that I have ever seen a reference that actually specified there was a diversion," Reagan said of the much-publicized report.
To the beat of their own drums
ed yesterday at McCollium Hall. The event was part of Diversity Month at residence halls. See related story p. 6.
Four members of the Lawrence High Native American Club perform a traditional dance to the beat of a drum. The group perform-
Stephan outlines drug war plans
By Rod Griffin
Kansas staff writer
"We cannot overemphasize the crisis of drugs in this nation and in
TOPEKA — Enforcement initiatives for Kansas' drug war strategy were outlined by Attorney General Bob Stephan yesterday in a speech to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Stephan said in a letter to the governor that was distributed to committee members. "Drugs are a serious law enforcement problem, but they are also a
human problem of incredible proportion. No Kansan is left untouched by drugs. To effectively fight the war on drugs it is essential that we formulate a battle plan."
Kansas '90 Legislature
More statehouse news p.10
task force and costs incurred by the bills could be paid by federal and state grants.
He said the first priority would be to establish a state drug task force in the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The number of state agents would be doubled and additional staff members would be added.
"There has been no increase in the number of agents dealing specifically with narcotics in the last 15 years," Stephan said.
Increasing the staff size would enable the KBI to better coordinate operations with other law enforcement agencies, Stephan said. It also would allow the KBI to conduct more sophisticated investigations involving electronic surveillance and detailed financial investigations.
Stephan said the first year of the task force would 'cost the state an estimated $1.12 million. Of that amount, out $350,000 would be costed.'
The KBI has a staff of 14 narcotics agents and an adviser.
In addition to recommending the task force, Stephan urged the passage of 10 bills being considered by the Senate. All are part of his proposed drug plan.
He said the state could receive about $4.2 million from the federal government. The state would have to match 25 percent of the funds for a total of about $5 million.
Galen Davis, the governor's special assistant on drug abuse, said the
"We do have some requirements
that at least 50 percent of the money must go to local communities," he said.
A large part of Stephan's drug plan would increase the monetary risk for diseases.
"Frankly, many times the profits are so great from drug trafficking that even when caught and prosecuted, a drug dealer finds the rewards outweigh the potential punishment," Stephan said.
The battery of bills endorsed by Stephan would increase penalties for the bank if the loan was not made.
Possible fines for the least serious felony violations would increase from $10,000 to $100,000. For more serious class B or C felonies, fines would increase from $15,000 to $300,000. Up to a $500,000 fine could accompany a class A felony.
Property bought with drug money could be seized by the state.
The burden of proof would be changed from clear and convincing evidence to the civil standard of a preponderance of evidence.
A bill would establish mandatory five-year prison terms when people arrested for a drug offense had used or were in possession of a firarm.
Deaths caused by a drug offense would be classified as first-degree murder.
A person who killed a police officer during a drug arrest now is charged with murder because the murder is not premeditated. Stephan said.
KU has ties to Nicaragua
Professor will be among observers of Sunday elections
By Ines Shuk
Kansen staff writer
At least three men with ties to KU will participate in Sunday's elections in Nicaragua. One is an observer, one an administrator and one a candidate.
Charles Stansifer, University of Kansas history professor on leave; Mariano Flallos, former Rose Morgan professor of political science; and Ivan Aguilar, KU alumnus, are in the country now. Stansifer will serve as an election observer; Fiallo is president of the country's electoral council; Aguilar is a city council candidate.
The Latin American Studies Association (LASA), an independent interdisciplinary academic organization, appointed Sanderius to its 15member commission observing Sunday's elections. The vote will be the second since the Sandinistas overthrew Gen. Anastasio Somoza in 1978
While on leave, Stansifer is teaching history at the Air War College in Montgomery, Ala. He was director of the KU Center for Latin American Studies from 1975 to 1989 and will return to the University in the fall to
Polls add to confusion
With the Nicaraguan election on Sunday, polls seem to be confusing more people than they are helping. The top two presidential candidates are Violeta Chamorro (UNO) and Daniel Ortega (Sandinista).
Listed are just some of the polls taken during the Nicaraguan presidential campaign. The varied figures in the polls indicate that the results are susceptible to the blases of the source.
Cut German military, official says
Stanifer said he was appointed as an observer because he was chair man of LASA's Nicaraguan Task Force. He also was an attempt to maintain academi
join the history department.
Knights-Ridley / KAMIBAN GramNo
Stanisiver studied in Nicaragua in 1969 and 1980, studying the nation's late
relations between the United States and Nicaragua.
See ELECTIONS, p. 5
EAST BERLIN — The two Germans should reduce their combined military strength by two-thirds when they unite, and some U.S. and Soviet soldiers should remain during the unification proc-
The Associated Press
are reunited under a new European security system.
West Germany belongs to NATO
and East Germany is in the Soviet-
led Warsaw Pact. About 380,000
Soviet soldiers are stationed in East
ess, the East German defense minister said 'Our neighbors have had bitter experiences with a united Germany.'
— Adm. Theodore Hoffman
Adm. Theodor
Hoffmann said
East German defense minister
forces should be purely defensive and Germany, and NATO has more than that both states should remain in 300,000 in West Germany, including their respective alliances until they about 250,000 U.S. service men.
Hoffman said fears of *n* hasty union were justified.
Gen. Hans Deim, East Germany's delegate to the Vienna talks on reducing conventional forces, told reporters that anything greater than 800,000 men would create security concerns for neighboring countries.
Hoffmann said a joint German military should contain about 300,000 men initially and later be reduced to between 150,000 and 200,000.
West Germany has 480,000 military personnel, and East Germany says its armed forces have shrunk from 10 million to 100,000 in recent months.
Credibilty of aid company questioned by government
By Kathryn Lancaster
and Carol B. Shiney
Kenapan staff writers
A company offering financial assistance to students is under scrutiny from postal authorities and the Better Business Bureau.
For $80 the Academic Council on Financial Assistance promises to match students to scholarships for which they might be eligible. On Jan. 10, the company sent mailings nationwide. Several KU students received offers promising scholarship sources regardless of financial or academic status.
Julia Pitner, Overland Park sophomore, said she received the letter about a month ago. Instead of sending money, Pitner, director of the Lawrence branch of the Consumer Affairs Association, began asking questions.
She learned that two governmental agencies were investigating the company.
The U.S. Postal Service was granted a temporary restraining order Feb. 13 to stop the company's mail delivery, according to Richard Schlueter, San Diego postal inspector. The U.S. District Court for southern California will decide March 8 whether to make the order permanent.
The company claims support from the National Scholastic Resources Administration in Washington, according to the company's mailings.
But because the administration is not a government-
Carol Glamoni, consumer counselor for the Better Business Bureau of San Diego, said that the company claimed to have an office in Washington but that the listed address was a mail drop.
tal agency, the company falsely claimed governmental affiliation. Schlueter said.
Howe said the company, which was incorporated in 1989, had intended to use the East Coast address but had moved to San Diego two weeks ago.
However, the company's answering machine still advises callers to direct mail to the Washington address.
Monica Howe, manager of the company's information center, said that it sent out mailings under the name Academic Council on Financial Assistance but that the actual title was the National Scholastic Resources Administration, the same company it claims support from.
The company promises to give students a list of from five to 25 scholarship opportunities. It also guarantees full refunds if students do not receive at least one scholarship offer of $300 or more.
To receive the refund, a student must provide rejection letters from each source on the list within three months of receiving scholarship information from the company. Howe said.
But Howe said the three-month requirement benefited students that otherwise could delay applying for scholarships and miss deadlines.
De Klerk OKs talks with ANC
The Associated Press
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — President F.W. de Klerk yesterday accepted a proposal by the African National Congress to send a delegation to the first formal talks between the white government and the congress.
De Klek, who lifted a 30-year ban on the guerrilla movement three weeks ago, called the ANC's commitment to dialogue a positive step.
The president, interviewed by the state-run TV network, said the alle-
De Klerk also made his first public statement on a controversy involving Defense Minister Magnus Malan, who has been linked in press reports to a secret military unit that assassinated apart-hold activists.
Bush opposes more sanctions p. 7
gations would be thoroughly investigated by a judicial commission.
De Klek criticized the press for conducting a media trial and praised the role of the security forces in the attack on Africa from "anarchy and chaos."
Opposition political leaders demanded Malan's resignation and urged de Klerk to ensure that no cover-up takes place.
The Star newspaper of Johannesburg quoted sources as saying that
Malan denied having ordered assassinations but did not rule out the possibility the unit may have committed such acts. He pledged that the military would not interfere with any investigations.
Malan had been aware of the unit at least since 1987.
Police investigators have said in court papers that members of the unit, called the Civil Cooperation Bureau, were suspected of involvement in the assassinations last year of David Webster, a Johannesburg human rights activist, and Anton Lubowksi, a civil rights lawyer and pro-independence activist in Namibia.
De Klerk last month ordered a judicial inquiry into charges that military and police squads murdered government opponents. The commission will investigate the unsolved killings of at least 60 activists in the past decade.
Three former policemen have confessed to serving on death squads.