NATIONAL
Congress debates gulf war
WASHINGTON (AP) A
somber Congress on Thursday
sped toward its starkest war
and-peace decision sinr:e World
War II. and leaders in both par
ties predicted President Bush
would get what he wants: au
thority to take the nation to war
in the Persian Gulf.
Sen. John Danforth. R-Mo .
said it would Ik; "unthinkable"
for Congress to undercut Bush
after the United States had led
the international coalition
against Saddam Hussein, and
he contended it had become
clear economic sanctions
would not force Iraq out of Ku
wait.
"The captain cannot aban
don the ship." Danforth said.
"It is not an option of the U S.
Congress to disapprove what
we for months have asked oth
ers to support."
Supporters and opponents of
the president introduced com
peting resolutions — one giv
inn authority for war. the other
asserting that sanctions and di
plomacy must he given more
time to work — as Tuesday's
United Nations deadline for Ira
(|i withdrawal Imre down
The weight of the decision
facing lawmakers was apparent
as the debate unfolded in l>oth
chambers. "There is a real un
derstanding that this is a mo
ment of profound decision"
that will affect "the whole
planet." said Rep Newt Ging
rich. R-Ga.
Democratic leaders pressed
for the go-slow approach
"The only debate here in
Congress is over whether we
slowly strangle Saddam with
sanctions or immediately pur
sue a military solution." said
House Majority header Richard
Gephardt. D-Mo. "We say we
can win without war. and the
evidence is on our side."
Hut both House Speaker
Thomas S Foley, 1) Wash . and
FBI agent fired for refusal to
investigate peace groups
PEORIA. Ill (AP) The KB!
has no room for a pacifist agent
who refused orders to investi
gate peace groups, a former top
FBI official testified Thursday
in a lawsuit by the fired agent
" There were no other cases
where an FBI agent spue if i
cally refused to follow a direct
order I considered his conduct
egregious." said John I) (Hov
er. former FBI executive assis
tant direi tor for administration
(Hover testified about the dis
ciplinary options he considered
after |ai k Ryan told superiors
he would not investigate peace
groups suspected of vandaliz
mg military recruiting offices
Ryan. 52. was fired for insub
ordination from his $r>().(too ,1
year job in September l‘IH7. al
ter more than 21 years w ith the
FBI He was 10 months away
from retirement and a $28,000
annual pension.
testimony anu closing argu
ments were completed Thurs
day U.S District Judge Harold
Baker said he may rule on the
lawsuit next week.
"It's a harsh result but what
alternative did Mr Glover
have?" Baker asked "He's an
agent, then he isn't an agent "
The judge also questioned
whether the FBI had an obliga
tion to accommodate Ryan's re
ligious beliefs "when they are
so fundamentally incompatible
with the duties of his occupa
tion."
A Roman Catholic. Ryan said
his decision to embrace paci
fism prevented him from carry
ing out some of his sworn du
ties as an FBI agent Ryan now
lives as a volunteer worker in a
homeless shelter
His lawsuit accuses the FBI
nf religious discrimination,
saving the agency could have
reassigned him to duties that
did not conflict with his reli
gious beliefs The suit seeks his
reinstatement and full pension
eligibility
"There was no attempt by
the FBI to accommodate my re
ligious beliefs," Ryan testified
He said his non-violent be
liefs surfaced in a 1‘iHii meeting
with his supervisor, but were
brushed aside He said he i ar
ried a gun and made arrests un
til his dismissal, hut later de
i ided < arrving .1 gun was a reli
gious conflict
Glover said Ryan’s refusal to
carry a gun is more evidence
that Kvan does not belong in
the 1BI
"The FBI is a paramilitary,
highly disi iplined organization
which cannot tolerate such in
subordination," Glover said
"There's no place in the FBI for
agents who don’t perform or re
fuse to perform."
Kyan's attorney. Arthur
Creenberg. repeatedly asked
Clover why he did not speak
with Ryan, question him about
his beliefs or accept stipes
lions that Ryan lx; reassigned
before rendering his decision
"This is not an insubordina
tion case," Creenberg said in
his opening argument "We're
dealing with an accommoda
tion case. Did the government
make a reasonable effort to ac
commodate his religious lx>
liefs. They did not. They could
have easily . "
Clover acknowledged that
the FBI’s 9.000 agents handle a
variety of jobs ranging from re
cord keeping to violent crime
investigation.
Engine Service
1000 S. Berlelsen Rd. II lugane OR 17402
One Mack Honh ol W 1 llh Nolen Ind PI e/e
Specializing in Volkswagen Service For 32 years
342-3952
Student and Faculty Discounts
Senate Republican leader Hub
Dole of Kansas have said the
force-authorizing version had
votes to spare in both houses
Numerous lawmakers said the
failure of the D S Iraq talks in
Geneva on Wednesday would
help Hush's case
Both chambers convened
Thursday to begin considering
the war-and-peace issue, with
decisive votes expected this
weekend
The margin for Hush seemed
most comfortable in the Mouse,
less so in the Senate, where the
outcome hinged on the deci
sions of half a dozen or so con
servative Democrats A bi
partisan group, including the
key senators, met at the White
Mouse with Bush Thursday af
ternoon
l.ate in the day. Dole issued a
warning If the Senate appears
Turn toDEBATE. Page 12
Bush’s letter refused
RIYADH. Saudi Arabia (API II sal on the conference
(able a letter from the president of the United Stales to the
president of Iraq
Its exact contents are still a secret Hut no! the overall
message: Withdraw your 500.000 troops from Kuwait by next
Tuesday or risk the probability of war
Secretary of State lames A (taker III bad brought the let
ter to C'.eneva to turn over to Iraqi foreign Minister Tariq
A/iz.
As recounted by sources familiar with the meeting, the
letter remained sealed in an H by 10 manila envelope with
the "White House" logo in black on the cover
Throe times during the ti hours and 27 minutes of talks
the two delegations left the room
The letter did not It remained on the table, wati bed
over by one of Baker's security guards with an open invi
tation to Aziz to pick it up
Hut Aziz left it there Just before they parted. Baker
asked him to take the letter with him to Baghdad
Aziz refused, and the letter is now making the rounds of
the Persian (hilf and the Middle Hast with Baker
Baker had handed over a copy in Knglish to the foreign
minister during their talks
His hands trembling, and reading slowly, Aziz digested
the contents and denounced them later at a news i older
once as threatening and undiplomatic
MO DOWNTOWN TRANSFERS
HO PARKIM6 HASSLES
NO SALOON STOPS
BOOK DIRECT PASSAGE ON LTD
Git on board LTD # 11 and high-tail it
to or from the U of 0 and East Springfield
all the way to 69th Passage is free to all
U of 0 students', faculty and staff In fact,
you can blaze new trails anywhere,
- anytime—free with LTD's Club Express.
Your U of 0 I D. card is your passport
to unlimited adventure!
OTHER DIRECT PASSAGE ROUTES
TO OR FROM THE U OF 0:
I #3XEXPRESS
| ifWwRoadSaruClaHw
« QXbrg Ro« •« R«Htkr*
§ #11 THURSTON
jj (E SfmnghtUUar Si)
I #11X EXPRESS
j iThuraofi <0 89*1
| #21LCC/HARRIS
I #23X EXPRESS
I Fa Hckm Canal)
#23 FOX HOLLOW
If oj Hoio» Oonaidi
#28 U OF 0 HILYARD
(Amazon)
#31A BAILEY HILL U OF 0
iWMtmoiwaralW two
#31B CITY VIEW U OF 0
iWntmoretandW Wi
#31C OAKPATCH U OF 0
(WMMOTlMW IMM
#36 MAC COURT
IWwlmoreUndW ISW>
Explore your options in your
LTD Rider s Digest or call 687-5555
>_ N. «4 .W' I
L