Has herbicide spraying
created killer trees?
See Page 8.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
Tuesday, April 15<1986
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 87, Number 131
U.S. stages air raids
against Libyan sites
to quell terrorist acts
WASHINGTON (AH) - The United States,
acting to "pre-empt and discourage" Libyan ter
rorism, executed a series of middle-of-the-night
air strikes against Libya, the White House an
nounced Monday night. President Reagan
declared: “We have done what wo had to do."
Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger said an*
Air Force F-l 1J was unaccounted for. but them
was ho evidence it had been downed. Libyan
radio said three U.S planes had been hit and the
crew of one jet had been killed after they were
downed "by Libyan citizens."
Reagan, in a nationally broadcast address to
explain the military strike, said the United States
had direct and irrefutable evidence that Libyan
leader Moanimar Khadafy had ordered recent
anti-American attucks, including the bombing of
a discoteque frequented by U.S. servicemen in
West Merlin.
"When our citizens are abused or attacked
anywhere in the world, we will respond in self
defense.’’ Reagan said. In an unmistakable warn
ing to Khadafy. he said: "If necessary, we will do
it again."
Knowledgeable officials said Khadafy’s
headquarters was one target of the raid. Reagan
himself described the attacks as "concentrated
and carefully targeted to minimize casualties
among Libyan people, with whom we have no
quarrel."
Deputy White House press secretary Larry
Speakes described the targets as Libya's "terrorist
infrastructure — the command and control
• systems, intelligence, communications, logistics
and training facilities."
Secretary of State George Shultz, appearing
with Weinberger in the White House briefing
room just after Reagun's statement, said the
Soviet Union was told of the operation as it was
taking place and was assured it was "in no way
directed at the Soviet Union "
Asked what would happen if Libya was to
retaliate for the air strikes. Shultz said. "What is
clear tonight is that the United States will take
military action under certain circumstances."
"He counted on America to be passive."
Reagan said of Khadafy. "He counted wrong."
The president said "evidence is now con
clusive" that recent terrorist incidents had occur
red on "orders sent from Tripoli." He said in
telligence had blocked one "planned massacre"
involving the use of grenades and small arms to
attack Americans waiting in line for visas in
Prance.
Speakes would not discuss casualties or
damage. He said "we took every precaution" to
ensure that no civilians would be injured or
killed.
Speakes' briefing was telecast live on net
work news shows at 7:20 p in., EST, just 20
minutes after the air strikes began. Speakes
began: "U.S. military forces have executed a
series of carefully planned air strikes against
terrorist-related targets in Libya. These air strikes
have been completed, and our aircraft are
returning."
Within five minutes after Speakes finished
briefing reporters at the White House, several
dump trucks were brought onto the grounds of
the U.S. Capitol, blocking all the auto and truck
entrances in a move to enhance protection against
any terrorist attack.
Reagan had met with congressional leaders
earlier in the day — a day full of rumors as to
American intentions in its quest to punish
Khadafy.
Asked how the targets were chosen, Speakes
said. "Because they strike at the very heart of
Khadafy's ability to conduct terrorist activities.
"We're certainly prepared to do it again." if
Khadafy continues to support terrorist activities
against American targets, Speakes said.
Demonstrators occupy building
to protest U.S. aid to Contras
By Chris Norred
Of the Kmrrald
Several University students were among approx
imately 40 people occupying the Federal Building in
downtown Eugene Monday in a protest against IJ.S. aid
for the Nicaraguan Contras until security police, push
ed, pulled and dragged them out of the building. No ar
rests Were made at the scene.
The protesters were some of an estimated 300 peo
ple who met in the Federal Building plaza during the
afternoon to protest the Reagan Administration's pro
posed $100 million aid package for Nicaragua's anti
Sandinista rebels, known as Contras.
The Contra aid issue is expected to be voted on in
the U S. House of Representatives later this week.
The crowd outside the building had dwindled to
about 1(M) protesters when police began to clear the
building at 5:30 p m., nearly one hour before the
scheduled closing time. Watching through the
building’s glass doors, the outside crowd joined in
song with those who chose to remain inside and risk be
ing arrested.
At about l» p m., police began to forcibly remove
the-remaining people from inside the building. But
while crowd members attempted to block the doorways
and prevent the police from removing the protesters, a
long corridor with several exits allowed police to move
all of the protesters outside with minimal difficulty.
"The police had made it very clear that they
wanted it to go smooth and easy with a minimum of
confrontation,” said Bill Lutz, a representative from the
Central American Response Network, the group which
organized the rally.
"Some individuals may have felt that personally
their statement was lessened without t>eing arrested,
but the important thing is that they were willing to risk
being arrested,” Lutz said.
Following a 2 p.m. rally in the EMU Courtyard,
nearly KM) protesters, mostly students, marched to the
Federal Building where they joined others from the
community and listened to speakers and live music and
prepared to occupy the building.
A speaker and informational leaflets at the rally
provided people with guidelines for participation in an
act of civil disobedience.
"The Eugene police have told the ACLU (American
Civil Liberties Union) that if the number of people be
ing arrested is not too great, then they may be cited and
released without being taken to the I^ne County Jail, if
they agree to give their true name and address," said
Dave Fidanque from the Criminal Justice Task Force.
However, many of the protesters inside the
Continued on Page 3
oo ' Photo by Mina (Corvallis
One person who gathered downtown at the Federal
Building Monday to protest U.S. involvement in
Central America drew a parallel between current ac
tivities and those that took place during the Vietnam
War.
Constitution Court members hear
arguments in Commentator case
By Stan Nelson
CM (hr Kmrnalt!
The Oregon Commentator is receiving differential
treatment in funding by the ASUO and the Incidental
Fee Committee, said Harris Rowell, representing the
Commentator before the Constitution Court Monday.
At the court hearing. Rowell and James Young, the
Commentator’s associate editor, requested the Com
mentator be funded like any other student group that
complies with IFC guidelines and receives direct IFC
funding.
The Constitution Court will make a final decision
on the matter by Friday.
The IFC tabled a Commentator request for direct
funding Feb. 18 and eventually placed the Commen
tator funding measure on the ASUO general elections
ballot.
Rowell argued placing the Commentator on the
ballot is unfair because the paper would be
discriminated against on the basis of content.
There is no basis for not funding the group, he
said. After representatives of the Commentator
presented its budget to the IFC in February, IFC
members asked for no additional information and did
not even question Commentator representatives, he
said.
ASUO President Lynn Pinckney, who argued the
Commentator funding measure should remain on the
ballot, said the ballot measure is not a means of denying
funding to the Commentator but a way to gauge student
use of the paper.
“It asks, by putting them on the ballot, a general
use level question that is asked of every group that
comes before the IFC,” Pinckney said. She argued that
because the Commentator is a newspaper, it cannot
show its use level.
The Commentator publishes between 3,500 and
4,000 issues bimonthly. Because the copies are being
picked up. that should indicate a fair measure of use.
said Jon Folkestad. Constitution Court member.
If the measure merely is to gauge whether students
read the Commentator, Constitution Court member
Saulius Mikalonis asked why the measure does not ask
that question directly.
Rich Walsch. Constitution Court chairman, said if
one paper is given funding, then other groups wishing
to form a paper or continue a paper also should be given
funding if the publication deals with issues, has
reporters and can meet its contractual obligations to
publish on time. This is necessary to avoid content
based analysis, he said.
If the measure is defeated at the general elections,
it will bear heavily on the IFC's decision to fund the
paper. Mikalonis said.
The Commentator will go before the IFC to receive
funding regardless of the outcome, Young said. Still,
he said, it is in the Commentator’s best interest to
bypass the elections and deal directly with the IFC.