M rs . F ra n c e s S c h o e n -N e w s p a p e r U n i v e r s i t y o f O re g o n L ib r E u g e n e , O re g o n January 15: M artin Luther King, Jr.'s Date of Birth The Observer salutes his dream of a better nation 97403 I he Portland Observer honors M a rtin L u th e r K in g, Jr. w ith this special annual edition... , don't miss it! Room P O R T L fl ERVER Volume XXI Number 3 25

* ■* at 12 noon, and urged people to partici­ pate. O ther speakers at the forum in­ cluded Michael Job, a Vietnam Veteran who visited Iraq and Jordan in late October, Masoud Kheirabadi, A ssis­ tant Professor o f History and Religious Studies at Lewis and Clark College, Gretchen Kafoury, City Commissioner, and Mary Siebertson, a mother whose son is stationed in Saudi Arabia. Michael Job, who was the key speaker at the forum, was in Vietnam in 1960-70, and is presently a member of the Veterans Peace Action Teams. He presented the audience with an eye­ witness report o f his trip to Jordan and Iraq in October, including a slide show o f his visits to a refugee camp in Jor­ dan, hospitals, schools, government offices, homes, mosques, and holy shrines. As a slide of Bagdad flashed across the screen. Job commented on its beauty and history. “ Imagine if a bomb were dropped on Bagdad, m il­ lions of people would get killed. The whole city with its beautiful mosques and holy shrines hundreds o f years old would be completely destroyed. T hat’s like dropping a bomb on a major city in the U.S. like Portland, or San Fran­ cisco, or New Y ork.” “ Peter Jennings of ABC reported that there were no war preparations going on amongst the people of Bagdad; that was my observation too. The Iraqis arc people like us. They want a good education for their children, decent jobs, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 pat or plays one o f the many cards in his hand - trying to prolong a diplo­ matic dialogue, for example, or an­ nouncing a partial withdrawal from K uw ait - will depend less on the flurry o f 11th-hour diplomacy than on his appraisal o f the military threat he faces. That, in turn, will be determined not simply by the tanks, planes and artillery pieces arrayed against him, or by their state o f readiness, but by his calculation o f whether the United States is ready to ask its sons and daughters to die to liberate Kuwait and teach a lesson to any other would- be disturbers o f the post-cold-war peace. Bush ’sdecision tooffer a ‘ ‘last chance” for peace, and NATO’s decision to send three squadrons of obsolete fighters to Turkey, suppos­ edly to demonstrate W estern resolve, may only have reinforced Hussein’s conviction that the allied military buildup is nothing but a cold-war- style bluff. Moreover, M ideast intel­ ligence sources believe the Iraqi leader thinks that even if the United States does attack he can inflict enough casualties in the first few days to turn the American public against the war and force a negotiated settlem ent Some American strategists, also mindful o f public opinion, hope the furious aerial bombardment that would precede a ground attack might be enough to break Iraq’s will. The top American commanders-most of whom happen to be Army generals-are pre­ pared, however, to use both air and ground forces to ensure a swift vic­ tory. But the unique challenges and uncertainties of desert war-challenges the U.S. Army has not faced since 1942 in North Africa-complicate any simple calculations o f when America w ill be ready to fight, the chances of success or the price o f victory. USAF Seargent Andrew Evans We salute you and your squadron. Our prayers will be with you for a safe r turn home. The Portland Observer Staff and Management --------------------------------------------------------------------------------■ Do you have loved ones in the Persian Gulf? The Portland Ob­ server will be high­ lighting events as they occur in the Middle East. If you have loved ones who are stationed in the Gulf please let us know, and send photo if available. Young Supporter Attends New Governor's Reception Teri Bowles with Oregon's new Governor, Barbara Roberts O regon's first woman G over­ nor, Barbara Roberts, is congratulated by Teri Bowles, a Portland teenager, at the People's Inauguration on January 14 at the State Capitol Building in Salem. "Governor Roberts is an ex ­ cellent role model for all Oregonians, and particularly for women," Teri said. "I am especially impressed by the fact that she earned her college degree while working, and being a single parent of a handicapped child. These arc circum- stances that common people can relate to in their everyday lives.” Bowles said. "I think Barbara Roberts will be a great G overnor because of her back­ ground. She will be concerned about the welfare of all o f us, not just the rich and privelcged." Teri, 15, a sophomore at St. Mary's Academy in downtown Port­ land, was escorted to the Governor's inaugural reception by her uncle, Jimmy Bang-Bang W alker.