The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 23, 1992- Page 7 Kissinger: U.S. did not knowingly leave * soldiers in Vietnam Vietnamese to be added as new U-M lagugecourse WASHINGTON (AP) - Henry Kissinger yesterday denounced as "a flat-out lie" the allegation that he and others knew U.S. soldiers were left behind when the war in Southeast Asia ended two decades ago. Two people who made such sug- gestions Monday were Kissinger's colleagues from the Nixon adminis- tration - defense secretaries James Schlesinger and Melvin Laird. The former secretary of state and national security adviser acknowl- edged that even as Kissinger negoti- ated peace with the North Viet- namese, he recognized they had not provided an adequate accounting for missing Americans. "I think it's improbable any are alive today," Kissinger said. "I have always kept open the possibility in my mind there were some in Laos." Kissinger testified a day after other former Nixon officials, includ- ing Schlesinger and Laird, said they believed some American prisoners 'If we had known, if we hadheard this, we would have acted on it.... No confirmed report of living American prisoners ever crossed my desk ... The allegation is a flat-out lie.' Henry Kissinger former Nixon aide were still in Vietnam or Laos after the withdrawal of U.S. troops and the 1973 release of more than 591 prisoners of war. The former defense secretaries cited reliable reports of more POWs than were released. "If we had known, if we had heard this, we would have acted on it," Kissinger said. He bitterly disputed suggestions "that when President Nixon an- nounced that all prisoners were on the way home, he or his aides knew that many were left behind." "The allegation is a flat-out lie," Kissinger said, blaming the asser- tions on "leaks that could only have come from this inquiry." Kissinger acknowledged receiv- ing "some reports alleging that live Americans were still in Indochina," and said they "were taken seriously" by U.S. officials. "But no confirmed report of liv- ing American prisoners ever crossed my desk, although I am not saying they did not exist," he said. The Senate committee room was crowded with spectators, some Vietnam veterans wearing camou- flage jackets and war decorations. Some were relatives of men still un- accounted for, such as Collene Shine of Arlington, Va., whose father, Air Force Lt. Col. Anthony Shine, was downed Dec. 2, 1972 on the Lao- North Vietnam border. "The families have been lied to," she said. "We have been victims of lies and a lack of effort. I'd like the priority to be focused on returning Americans alive." Kissinger insisted that the ad- ministration has pressed the North Vietnamese strongly for release of all prisoners and an accounting of the missing, including those in neighboring Laos. But he contended the administration's efforts were un- dercut by actions in Congress to force an end to U.S. military opera- tions, including bombing of the North. "I had no means of pressure left," Kissinger said, referring to his nego- tiations in Paris with the North Vietnamese. "All I could do is bluff my way through this." Kissinger challenged the commit- tee's chair, Sen. John Kerry (D- Mass.) He said Kerry's anti-war ef- forts at that time contributed to the political climate that made it impos- sible for the administration to obtain a fuller accounting from North Vietnam, even after one was re- quired by the Paris peace accords. "It is totally inappropriate for those who prevented any sort of mil- itary action to blame those of us who wanted to enforce the agreement," Kissinger said. by Abigail Schweitzer Although the Asian Languages and Culture Department has existed at the University for several years, a Vietnamese language class is being offered for the first time this semester. A combined effort of the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), Asian Languages and Cultures Department, Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies, and the Business School brought the class to the university. "There are Korean, Chinese and Japanese classes offered. (The class) will help us to explore our own iden- tities," said VSA President Tiffany Nguyen. International Areas in the Business School, the VSA on cam- pus, the Vietnamese community in Ann Arbor and other organizations realized the need for the class, said Kenneth J. DeWoskin, chair of Asian Languages and Cultures. "The VSA is very important in helping to get the students in- volved," said DeWoskin. The Center of Asian Studies pro- vided the resources and funding nec- essary to begin the class. The class will be run on outside money in the form of grants for the next two years. The Center hopes the U-M will fund the class after that period. Nguyen Thi Nga will teach the five-credit class - which meets Monday through Friday. Nga came to the university from Geneva after the local Vietnamese community reccommended her for the position. About 40 students and several faculty members attended a mass meeting about the class Saturday in East Quad. Although only six peo- ple are enrolled in the class, there is room for 15 students. "The professor is willing to ac- comodate the students. Many stu- dents are in other colleges, like the Business School, and have less flexible schedules. The Monday- Friday class is hard to fit in," said DeWoskin. Bridge over troubled waters The bridge on Glen Road that leads to North Campus is still under construction and causing problems for students who do not live on central campus. Computerized classroom hits North Campus--- by David Carrel I The forecast is bright for the 1990s style of teaching now being implemented in the Space Research Building on North Campus. In constructing a new wing for the building and modernizing other classrooms, the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences discarded the old model classroom of chalk and blackboards and replaced it instead with comput- ers and video monitors. This type of classroom - the first of its kind on the U-M campus - is the wave of the future, said Evan Eldridge, a graduate student in meteorology. Shaped like an am- phitheater, the classroom is centered around a podium in the front of the room containing a Macintosh com- puter and two monitor screens in- stalled inside. From this computer the instructor is able to access any computer hard- ware, software or simply personal notes on a separate file, and connect with other computers around campus. Two meteorology classes use this classroom and the students say they like its transformation. Evan Eldridge, a graduate student in meteorology, has a class in the new classroom and said "chalk may become a lost cause." Mark Kulie, a senior in Atmospheric Sciences, said, "The old chalk board method turns me off." He added that he enjoys the new technology because "it's really inter- active, a shot in the arm, a whole new thing." Kulie explained that the profes- sors are now able to "click through the screens really fast" and that "the graphics are a lot better." Although the system allows pro- fessors to move more quickly, Kulie said taking notes during the class is not a problem because the professor passes out computer-printed notes to the class. In addition the system is still new to the professors so they move slowly. But Kulie conceded he "could foresee a problem" in the future. Eldridge said the new classroom is "invaluable as a learning tool," explaining that the computer enables the instructor to display digitized satellite images directly onto the video screen positioned where a chalk board was once located. A liquid crystal display behind the screen allows the computer's monitor to be projected onto the screen in front of the class. In a field such as meteorology and space sci- ences, immediate access to satellite images is indispensable, making the images and maps more readable and flexible, said Associate Professor Peter J. Sousousanis. When completed, the addition of the new wing to the Space Research Building - which cost $2.5 million - will also incorporate the use of computer graphics in the weather room. Sousousanis, who was involved with the implementation of the new technology, plans to replace com- puter-printed paper maps with two rows of wall computer screens. These screens - to be located in the room where students forecast the weather - will simultaneously dis- play an array of atmospheric condi- tions and allow students to view more information. Sousousanis said this will enable students to assess the immediate picture. He emphasized that it is a "tremendous tool for the students," providing "increased access and greater efficiency." Roles of American and German women to be focus of U-M conference by Yawar Murad The role of contemporary women in the United States and Germany will be the focus of a con- ference held by the women's studies program Sept. 24-26. "Crossing Currents" is part of the 20th anniversary celebration of the program and will take place in the Rackham Assembly Hall. "I hope that coming out of the conference people will gain a better understanding of the women's movements in the United States and Germany," said women's studies program associate Donna Ainsworth. Conference organizers said they will compare and contrast women in the United States and Germany. Ainsworth said the conference will also attempt to remove some of the stereotypes associated with women's movements and promote understanding of the complexities of the issue. The conference has been divided into five main sessions, each of which will cover a different aspect of the women's movement. Topics for discussion include Post-War Histories of Women, Working and Social Policy, Gaining Political Power, Cultural Practices and Reproductive Rights. Each session will feature a German and American speaker, along with numerous films and presentations. Speakers from several universi- ties and institutes will be in atten- dance including Hanna Schissler from the German Historical Institute in Washington D.C.; Ina Merkel, Humboldt University, Berlin; Mary Romero, University of Oregon; and Ute Gerhard- Teuscher, University of Frankfurt. Conference participants are ex- pected to hail mostly from northern Ohio and Michigan, though some Germans will also be attending, Ainsworth said. The women's studies department is organizing the conference with the sponsorship of the Goethe Institute of Ann Arbor. Financial leaders debate European economic and currency crisis WASHINGTON (AP) - Global finance officials waged a war of words yesterday over the best way to cope with a stagnant economy and the worst currency crisis in 20 years. Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady rejected calls for higher U.S. interest rates from European officials and said further rate reductions were needed to spur global investment. Michel Camdessus, the managing director of the International Mone- tary Fund, said that the "most serious mistake we could make to- day" would be for central govern- ments to overdo credit easing and lay the seeds for higher inflation. Camdessus said, "It is not tight monetary policy, but rather the weakness of fiscal and structural policies that has undermined confi- dence, resulted in high long-term interest rates and hindered growth." Meanwhile, Germany continued to resist pleas from the United States and other countries that it reduce in- terest rates further to relieve pressure on weak European currencies. German Finance Minister Theo Waigel insisted that recent currency market turbulence was not caused by a "stability-oriented policy in Germany. To the contrary, stability is definitely the basis for orderly market conditions." I CLASSIFIED ADS * ANNOUNCMEmNS SCULL ON THE HURON in four brand new club single sculling boats. $100 per- season. Call Susan Prince 741-8949 or Matt Miller 971-8836. BAHA'1 WORLD CONGRESS New York November 1992 "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens." Baha'u'llah. SEN IORS! Remember to have your senior portrait taken this week in the basement of the UGLi from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday - Friday. There is a $5 sitting fee, so please bring that as well. Don't miss your chance to be a part of Michigan history! sANNmUacMEsNT DIAL-A-JEWISH-STORY 995-5959. Another project of Chabad House. FEM. RMMTE. WANTED: 1602 Packard 3 bdrm. w/own rm. a/c, Idry., prkg., rent 250. Call 995-1878. Free Sept. rent! HOUSEMATE WANTED: lbdrm. in 2 bdrm. house close to campus, on bus line. Washer/dryer, sundeck/fenced yard, parking, pets ok. 450/mo. + 1/2 utils. 741-9437. HOUSEMATE NEEDED. Close to campus. Student/Grad/Prof. Preferred. $300 + util. Lease runs to Sept. '93. Mostly Vegi & non- smoking. Eric/Tina/John, 662-5619. NONSMOKER share 2 bdrm. duplex near campus Idry., yard $275+ 936-3308. OUR ROOMMATE STIFFED US! One bdrm. in six bdrm. hse. Free Idry. Near cam- pus Rec. Remodeled. Apx. $280/mo. 996- 0026. COM PUTERS MAC LC 4/40 Desk Writer, modem, software, monitor. Price negot. Andy 663- Work Study at The Michigan DailIy Librarians, $5/hr. Office Assistants, $6/hr.