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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 2003)
Nation & World News Attack on Baghdad hotel leaves U.S. colonel dead Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz escaped unharmed as hundreds were evacuated Sunday By E.A. Torriero and Mike Doming Chicago Tribune (KRT) BAGHDAD, Iraq — A brazen dawn attack Sunday on a heavily fortified ho tel used by coalition forces and contract workers killed a U.S. colonel, wounded 15 people and struck at the heart of American power in the Iraqi capital. Hundreds of people involved in the U .S.-led occupation of Iraq evacuated the AJ Rashid Hotel on Sunday hours after the insurgents used a homemade launcher to fire 8 to 10 rockets at the well-guarded building, 'fhe attack oc curred inside the so-called Green Zone, which includes the hotel and Saddam Hussein's Republican Palace, which is now the coalition headquarters. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wol fowitz, who was staying at the hotel, es caped the attack without injury. His voice breaking, Wolfowitz declared that "these terrorist attacks will not deter us from completing our mission." Hours before the attack, a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter came under guerrilla fire Saturday and was de stroyed outside a base in central Iraq, shortly after Wolfowitz visited there. There is nothing to indicate Wol fowitz was a target in either attack, the Pentagon said. Visiting Iraq to tout American successes, Wolfowitz left the country late Sunday as scheduled. The daring assaults disturbed U.S. officials and highlighted the vulnera bility of the coalition to hit-and-run attacks that the Pentagon says are es calating in numbers and ingenuity. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that while the United States expected postwar security to be a challenge, "we didn't expect it would be quite this intense this long." The Rashid complex is one of the most fortified American outposts in Iraq. But, despite a maze of concerti na wire, towering fortifications of sand, high-tech surveillance and American troop patrols, the 13-story hotel is vulnerable to aerial assaults. "As you were walking up the stairway, all you'd see is bloody footprints." Spc. John Larkin National Guard Sunday morning's rocket attack was the third series of volleys to hit the ho tel compound in the last six weeks. Workers and guests who frantically fled the hotel Sunday morning in pa jamas, shorts and T-shirts told of a chaotic scene of water pipes bursting as rockets hit at about 6 a m. on three floors, including the 11th, one floor below where Wolfowitz was staying. Balconies were sheared off two rooms, and windows were blown out in the hotel. U.S. Special Forces troops rushed into the hotel as residents screamed for medics. American soldiers carried bloodied victims out in stretchers, while other victims walked out dazed, using tow els and T-shirts to bandage wounds caused by flying debris. Most of the hotel guests were asleep at the time of the attack and many rushed barefoot across broken glass. The hotel's main staircase was strewn with glass that shattered during the at tack, soldiers reported. "As you were walking up the stair way, all you'd see is bloody foot prints," said Spc. John larkin of Jack sonville, Fla., a National Guardsman who assisted with first aid. Four or five medics struggled to keep a soldier alive who lost a limb from the blast, Larkin said. One American, iden tified by Wolfowitz as a colonel, died in his room. Seven U.S. civilians were in jured along with four American mili tary personnel and four foreigners, the U.S-led coalition said. Some of the workers criticized the coalition for not putting patrols on the hotel roof and sealing off nearby roads, where rockets have been launched. "Why didn't they take extra precau tions after the previous attacks?" asked one contractor, requesting anonymity. "I will never go back and live in there." U.S. commanders theorize from an initial assessment of the rocket launcher found on a nearby street that the attack had been planned for months, said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Martin Dempsey said Sunday night. The assault was timed to discour age Iraqis and tarnish the coalition af ter it reopened a crucial bridge over the Tigris River and lifted curfew for the holy month of Ramadan, Dempsey said. Wolfowitz insisted after the attack that the U.S. would carry on its mission in Iraq, but Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut said the attack emphasizes the danger of the occupation. "The fact that the opposition, the terrorists, the insurgents, fired rockets at the hotel where Paul Wolfowitz was and got away with it is shocking. Why aren't we protecting the perimeter? Where did they get those sophisticat ed rockets?" Lieberman asked on "Face the Nation." (c) 2003, Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. Interest in recalling governors spreading Constituents of several states are inspired by the recall election in California By Seth Freedland The Orange County Register (KRT) SANTA ANA, Calif. — The political energy California voters sparked seems to have spread to some other states facing similar troubles. In the 18 states with the ability to re call elected officials, several elections of ficials reported a spike in interest and inquiries about recalls. But only a few pro-recall groups have been able to get their movements running. These states have recalls in the works: Arizona A group says it has 10,000 of the 300,000-plus signatures needed to re call Democratic Gov. lanet Napoli ^ tano. The petition submitted to the secre tary of state's office 1 ists the grievances. , A sample: "She has shown little to no regard for the Legislature of the state of Arizona and has assumed their au thority upon herself by the use of line item vetoes.... She has made promis es to a number of communities who supported her during her election campaign and now find themselves disadvantaged by her failure to per form them." Recall committee spokesman Kyle Logan said, "We had already had estab lished (our campaign) before you guys knew who won. (But) the spotlight def initely inspired us to file this recall." "We're waiting for somebody to back us with money," he said. "But people despise this governor. This will happen." Napolitano spokesman Paul Allvin said he isn't worried: "If anyone tried (a recall of Napolitano), it wouldn't go anywhere." Nevada A group of Nevada conservatives upset about the largest tax increase in state history began recall proceedings Wednesday against Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn. Complaints all center on the issue of taxes. Guinn pushed through an $836 mil lion tax increase, including a payroll tax bringing in more than $320 million over the next two years. Two bank taxes add an additional $39 million. Recall proponents say all these taxes are only necessary due to Guinn's "mismanage ment" of the state budget. "I'm hoping people in Nevada look at California and get excited about the possibilities," said Tony Dane, chair man ofThe Committee to Recall Gov ernor Guinn. By Oct. 8, however, Christopher Hansen, vice chairman of the Recall Guinn Committee, said his group has collected only about 12,000 signa tures. Supporters must secure 128,019 signatures of registered voters in the next month to put the recall on elec tion ballots. Guinn spokesman Greg Bortolin said, "It is absurd for anybody to think we have given the time of day to this recall effort." (c) 2003,The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.). Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. CAMPUS nil jttt SeUedP' y&xJfP fcx 4W Tuesday Art exhibit, 10a.m.-5p.m., LaVerne Krause Gallery. Featuring Master of Fine Arts visual de sign by Racquel Gabuya, Bachelor of Fine Arts photos by Tennille Dover and printmaking by Martha Steele. Show continues through Oct. 30. Halloween HQ's for Authentic Costumes Flight Suits © Fireman Suits© Cooks Outfits Soldier Uniforms© Nurses Uniforms Camouflage Face Paint© Patches & Ensignes Toxicological Suits © Hard Hats ©Army Berets Ji CTIOIV 4251 Franklin Blvd. SURPLUS Eugene 746.1301 CONDOMS continued from page 1 She also said funding for the proj ect might be difficult to obtain, espe cially in a time of budget tightening. But she pointed out that condoms are low-cost or often free. Freshman Jessica Hirschy said she thought the project would be a won derful idea as long as the condoms were distributed very discreetly. "If parents visit and they see a big box of condoms in the bathroom, that's not going to give a good impres sion of dorm life," she said. Freshman Colin Culbreth thought putting condoms in the residence halls would promote safer sex, adding that there are probably a lot of stu dents who are too embarrassed to get them from the health center. Mabry said her group is hoping to see its project implemented by the end of the school year. The group is currently doing research and trying to figure out how many Uni versity groups they will have to go through to make the project happen. Also, group members are in contact with similar groups on campuses across the nation. Mabry said that on Nov. 4, the group's first meeting, a solid time line will be established for the project. For more information or to get in volved, contact Students for Choice at 346-0644, or by e-mail at S4Choice@gladstone.uoregon.edu. Contact the people/cutture/faith reporter at jaredpaben@daiiyemerald.com. 017463 Hallouieen, Friday Oct. 31st & Saturday Hov. ut; TW —at 9pm, EMU Ballroom— Tickets at the EMU ticket office. The cost is $6.00 for students & $8.00 for the general public. FREEH After Party in Fish Bowl FREEII Great Prizes for Rocky Horror Trivia & Costume Contests Free Refreshments) I UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 0 HOUSING QUIZ Yes No □ □ Arc you a UO student and at least 21 years old? OR □ □ Are you a UO graduate student? If you marked yes to either of these, you can apply to live in Family Housing and University Apartments! IMMEDIATE VACANCIES at Westmoreland Apartments! 1 BR starting at $328 and 2 BR at $366 No first and last month's rent required! Wc are also taking applications for other areas. Call University Housing at 346-4277 for more information, or fill out an application online at: www.housing.uoregon.edu UNIVERSITY OF OREGON An EO/AA/ADA institution committed to cultural diversity.
