University of Arkansas Fayetteville - Razorback Yearbook (Fayetteville, AR)

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STUDENTS FIND DESERT STORM QUESTIONABLE Strong opinions were formed about each move the United States made while trying to liberate Kuwait from the clutches of Saddam Hussein. From Aug. 7 to Feb. 27 students had all the answers. Why do you think the United States is involved in the Persian Gulf? “The world community has decided we are not going to allow countries to infringe on the sovereignty of other nations.” ■ JACK RAMSEY, junior “I think people focusing on ‘oil for blood ' have the wrong point of view. I think it’s the world community tiying to mature.” ■ STEVE LACEY, senior “We have made a commitment, and we’ve got to go through with it, even if it’s a bad commitment.” ■ JENNIFER ARTMAN, freshman “I don ' t think it ' s for oil — we only get 10 percent of our oil from Iraq. I think this is so we can show force so that we can control oil prices.” ■ RAYANNE PARMAIN, senior “Oil is part of the reason but not all the reason. It ' s to show that we don’t approve of force being used without provocation.” ■ ROBERT BLUMENSTOCK, senior “Obviously we have a president that doesn’t know diddly about domestic affairs, so he’s tiying to be world statesman. This is to get eveiyone’s mind off of what’s really going on.” ■ GEORGE RUSSELL, senior Rayanne Parmain Robert Blumenstock George Russell What do you think will happen after the Jan. 15 deadline? “Preferably nothing will happen, and they will again tiy negotiations. There definitely is another way out. War is not worth it.” ■ USAMA JACIR, freshman “Saddam is going to pull out two or three days after the deadline. It ' s more of a power hungry thing to get the respect of his people and show his people he ' s not afraid of the United States.” ■ SHANE LEONARD, senior “I think definitely we will go to war. It scares me, to tell the truth.” ■ JOHN STOBAUGH, freshman “I hope it ' ll be resolved peacefully, but I don ' t think that’s going to happen. I don ' t think Saddam Hussein is the kind of person to change his mind.” ■ MARK MCCARTY, senior “If anything happens, Israel is going to be one to pay, right off. It needs to happen at midnight. If something is not done now, Saddam will become more of a power than he is now.” ■ DANNY WILLIAMS, freshman Usama Jacir an J Mark McCarty Danny Williams 20 Gulf War Opinions

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JAN. 12 Congress approves the use of force with only three clays left for Iraq to leave Kuwait or face a U.S.-led military offensive. JAN. 14 France offers a last-minute proposal to avoid war in the gulf, hut the United States rejects the plan because it called for talks on the Palestinian ques¬ tion in exchange for Iraq’s pull out of Kuwait. JAN. 15 1 he midnight deadline arrives and Iraqi troops remain in Kuwait. JAN. 16 Final hopes of peace slip away when last-minute diplomacy and the United Nations’ deadline pass. At . P ,m - CST (3 a.m. Jan. 17 in Iraq) Americans hear the United States and allied forces attack Iraq by aii, striking Baghdad and other targets in Iraq and Kuwait. JAN. 17 Hussein launches missile attacks against Israel. At east 10 Scud missiles hit el Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa, Israel’s largest cities. Another Scud missile is launched at Saudi Arabia and is downed by a U.S. Patriot missile — the first anti-missile fired in com¬ bat. JAN. 20 b aqi FV shows interviews Fh seven grim-faced men described as captured T ' an d allied airmen. le seven men are consid¬ ered the first POWsofthe Fersian Gulf War. JAN. 22 Ir aqi troops torch Kuwait ol1 We Us and tanks. S Arkansas IP (gazette. — 17 - : 5 In the News ' rate ' s Operation Desert Storm: mmm U.S. AT WAR Allied air forces descend on Iraqi military centers; Bush tells nation: The battle has been joined’ S Arkansas IIP (gazette. i ioc,- L In die News VICTORY pgpsF- [ ijgMnSU -As Bush orders jjtepC-A i : IS ?1| cease-fire Mll . 1 i ll Schwarzkopf boasts of tactics imp ■ U.S. divisions ravace Iraqis More than 700 Republican Guard tanks destroyed “£H!b. FRONT PAGE NEWS. Two-inch tall headlines told Arkansas Gazette readers the war had started and ended. On Jan. 17, some newspapers such as the Arkansas Democrat, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Dallas Times Herald, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Nashville Tennesseean published rare “extra” editions. The eight-page Arkansas Democrat special edition hit the streets about noon. With 10 full-pages of war coverage in its regular edition, the Arkansas Gazette claimed its war coverage was complete without a special edition. FEB. 10 Hussein addresses his nation for the first time after the war started, pledging victory and praising “steadfastness, faith and light in the chests of Iraqis.” FEB.19 Baghdad radio reports Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz has returned to Baghdad with Soviet peace proposal. Presi¬ dent Bush says Soviet proposal falls “well short” of what’s needed to end the war. FEB. 20 Baghdad radio says Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz will travel to Mos¬ cow “soon” with Hussein’s reply to Soviet peace proposal. FEB. 21 Soviet spokesman Vitaly Ignatenko announces Iraq and the Soviet Union have agreed on plan that could lead to Iraqi withdrawal. FEB. 22 President Bush rejects Soviet peace plan and deplores Iraq’s “scorched- earth” destruction of Kuwait oil fields. He demands Iraq to begin withdrawing from Kuwait by noon Feb. 23 to avoid a ground war. FEB. 23 At 7 p.m. CST the United States and allied forces begin ground offensive. (4 a.m. Feb. 24 Saudi time.) President Bush tells nation, “The liberation of Kuwait has entered the final phase.” FEB. 25 Baghdad radio reports Hussein has ordered troops to withdraw from Kuwait in accordance with Soviet peace proposal. However, White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater says, “The war goes on.” During Iraqi withdrawal, an Iraqi Scud missile hits barracks in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The attack killed 28 U.S. soldiers and wounded 90. U.S. officials also report four soldiers killed and 21 wounded in first two days of the allied ground assault. By this time, about 20,000 Iraqis are held as prisoners. FEB. 27 As Kuwaiti troops raise the emirate’s flag in Kuwait City, President Bush declares the Persian Gulf War is over and orders allied forces to suspend fighting. Gulf War Chronology 19

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Now that military action has taken place in the Persian Gulf, what are your thoughts an the war? I ni glad we didn’t wait. We should continue striking and listen to see if Saddam has anything to say, lout I think we need to keep attacking.” ■ JASON MEHARG, senior Tm really scared. I have a lot of friends over there. I just hope things aie resolved soon because we want t Tem to he home as fast as possible.” ■ RAMONA DALTON, senior h would have been great to avoid ar ’ now we have to stick with it. f te time for protesting is gone if we want to be successful in this mission at all.” ■ PHILLIP STEINMAN, sophomore I ieel kind oi relieved. It went a lot cttu than I thought. I hope Iraq will go ahead and withdraw.” ■ KIM DANIEL, senior We did what we had to do. I don’t think we had much of a choice. Do ou kill a viper when he’s little or wait u ntil he’s big?” ■ STEVE JACKSON, law student Well, being an active reservist, it is , lnc sc ary. Right now I am on four- i°ui standby. I thi nk it’s good that we bo mbed the hell out of them.” ■ MIKE WITHRO, junior 1 think it will be over soon. I’m glad of rfh but 1 think the whole thing is n tculous to begin with.” BETH GIBSON, graduate student Tonight’s my birthday. It’s a hell of a ay to s P e nd your birthday. If they institute the draft, I’m afraid I ' ll go.” ■ SCOTT SUTTON, senior 1 think that now that we are in, we cet to support the troops and the President» 1 I JOE THOMA, teacher a Woodland Junior Higl TROOPS GREEK SUPPORT Students had opposing opinions when it came to the discussion of war; however one thing was on everyone’s mind - “support the troops.” The Greek commu¬ nity showed its support for troops by hanging signs. Members of Tau Kappa Epsilon attach their sign to the second floor window. (S. GREEN PHOTO) Jason Meharg Joe Thoma TIE A YELLOW RIBBON Operation Desert Storm earned near unanimous sup¬ port from the Associated Stu¬ dent Government. Sen. Andy Davis’ resolution to “support the multinational force’s actions to stop aggres¬ sion and brutal takeover of Ku¬ wait” passed with only one senator opposing the bill. Davis said he drew up the proposal because it was im¬ portant to show support for the troops in the Middle East and support for the president’s policy. ASG also approved a reso¬ lution that requested a mo¬ ment of silence before men’s and women’s basketball games in honor of U.S. Troops. Sen. Brian Haggbloom said the moment of silence should be observed by everyone, re¬ gardless of differing opinions regarding the government’s foreign policy position. ASG senators, along with other students, showed sup¬ port around campus by tying yellow ribbons around trees. (K. JESTER PHOTO) Steve Jackson Ramona Dalton Kim Daniel Gulf War Opinions 21