The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, March 5, 2002 - 7
Number of U.S.
troops increase
in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (AP) - As many as nine American soldiers have died in
a U.S.-led assault in Afghanistan - eight killed when troops on two helicop-
ters took enemy fire in the largest offensive of the five-month war against ter-
rorists, Pentagon officials said yesterday.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said enemy forces had sustained
"much larger numbers of killed and wounded, and there will be many more."
He said the assault would continue. Another Pentagon official estimated at
least 100 al-Qaida or Taliban fighters had died, possibly many more.
Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said al-Qaida
fighters were in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, well dug-in, well-forti-
fied and with "lots of weapons."
"We knew that al-Qaida would have two choices, to run or stay and fight,"
Myers said. "It seems they have chosen to stay and fight to the last, and we
hope to accommodate them.
"Gen. Tommy Franks, commander of U.S. Central Command, said eight or
nine Americans were killed in the engagements - the exact number was not
yet clear. "The fog of war will persist until we are able to have discussions
with people who have been involved in this fight," he said.
He said the allied force of about 2,000 soldiers - close to half of them
Afghans, the rest U.S. and coalition soldiers - was "making good progress
as we speak."
But he also said the war had entered a phase of even greater danger, with
large numbers of U.S. troops engaged in ground operations that were often
left before to Afghan allies.
"Any time one has a higher concentration of force on the ground, one can
anticipate higher casualties," he said.
Officials said one American was killed when a helicopter, low to the
ground, was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, made a hard landing and then
managed to take off again. The grenade apparently bounced off the helicopter
and did not explode. The soldier who died may have been knocked out of the
helicopter by the force.
Franks said a Chinook helicopter arrived in the area and came under
fire but managed to land and discharge troops. They were immediately
fired on by the enemy, he said, and some Americans were killed.
Pentagon officials initially said the second helicopter crashed from being
fired upon; Franks said it actually may have been a crash landing.
Franks said the U.S. side had taken some prisoners but he did not know
whether they were combatants or civilians.
The deadly battle prompted the Pentagon to do what it has avoided in the
past - estimating the number of enemy dead. Franks said 100 to 200 were
believed killed but it could be much higher.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said President Bush considered the
continuing operation "highly successful in military terms."
Bush "mourns the loss of any American life," Fleischer said. "The
president has said to our country that we need to be prepared for casu-
alties."
At least 40 American troops were wounded in the exchanges, which
occurred in an operation started Friday against suspected al-Qaida and Tal-
iban believed regrouping near Gardez in eastern Afghanistan.
Rumsfeld said the casualties, including wounded, had been evacuated from
the region. He said half of the wounded were already back in the fight.
AP PHOTO
An Afghan fighter with the U.S.-allied forces mans his post yesterday In an advanced fort on the
outskirts of the Paktia province village of Lakhtewal, Afghanistan.
WiAte House, Congress
wartCo nfli cts continue
President Bush
upset by U.s.
war casualties
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - President Bush said yester-
day he was saddened by the loss of American lives in
the battle in Afghanistan, but promised to keep the
pressure on al-Qaida until the terror organization is
finally routed.
"History has called us to defend freedom," Bush said,
responding to reporters' questions on the latest casual-
ties in Afghanistan.
The president spoke hours after nine American sol-
diers died in a U.S.-led assault, eight of them when
troops on two helicopters took enemy fire in the largest
offensive of the five-month war against terrorists.
"I have said repeatedly, we are in a dangerous phase
of this war," Bush said after a meeting with teachers to
promote his education agenda.
"These are killers, these are murderers," the president
said of the al-Qaida and Taliban fighters.
Bush said he did not know the whereabouts of al-
Qaida leader Osama bin Laden or how many other top
al-Qaida figures might be in the area of the current
combat.
"He's been awfully quiet ... I know there's no cave
deep enough for Mr. bin Laden," he said.
"I am saddened by the loss of life," the president
said.
But he added, "I am just as determined now to fulfill
this mission."
UNITED WAY
Continued from Page 1
nondiscrimination policies.
Last fall, MSA passed a resolution urging the admin-
istration to consider alternative charities than United
Way.
"It was the public action of the students who height-
ened community awareness about this issue," Ken
Stewart, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender staff
member and MSA representative, said.
Stewart said students wanted to make the public
aware of the administration's policy versus their
actions.
"The decision to include the Boy Scouts among the
organizations that will only receive designated funds
from donors to the Washtenaw United Way is consistent
with the University's nondiscrimination policies and
our desire to build an environment that welcomes every
member of our community," Interim President B.
Joseph White said.
"The board listened to the manyexpressions of con-
cern that came from the community, including those
from University faculty, staff and students, and I thank
them for their consideration," White added.
To make up for the lost funding, the Boy Scouts "will
go out and look at foundations and individuals who feel
our values are important," Poole said.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Homeland secu-
rity chief Tom Ridge is turning down a bipar-
tisan request from a Senate committee that he
testify, his spokeswoman said yesterday, the
latest White House-Congress difference over
the war on terror.
The two top members of the Senate Appro-
priations Committee - Chairman Robert
Byrd (D-W.Va.) and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-
Alaska) - wrote to Ridge yesterday asking
that he appear before their panel.
Ridge coordinates the government's anti-
terrorism effort at home, though the pro-
grams themselves are carried out by dozens
of other agencies. Appropriations controls
much federal spending, including the $38 bil-
lion - double this year's total - that Presi-
dent Bush has proposed for next year's
domestic security programs.
"Your views and insights on the policies
necessary to meet these objectives are critical
to the committee and the nation," the senators
wrote.
Ridge spokeswoman Susan Neely said he
would not testify because he is an adviser
to the president, not a Senate-confirmed
head of an agency that implements policy.
"Assistants to the president work for the
president," Neely said. "And the president
has spoken his recommendations to the Sen-
ate and House" in the budget he sent Con-
gress last month, she said.
Byrd spokesman Tom Gavin had no com-
ment on Ridge's refusal until the committee
receives the homeland security director's for-
mal response. Asked if Byrd would compel
Ridge's appearance through a subpoena,
Gavin said Byrd has not discussed that possi-
bility.
Republican Stevens' signature on the
Appropriations Committee letter makes this
appear to be a dispute between the executive
and legislative branches over the release of
information, not a partisan conflict.
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Tom
Daschle (D-S.D.) and other Democrats
asked questions about Bush administration
plans for continuing the conflict in
Afghanistan that prompted some Republi-
cans to accuse Democrats of politicizing
the war, while Democrats said they merely
wanted details.
Back to the books
Blood tests may help to detect
breast cancer in earlier stages
WASHINGTON (AP)-
Scientists are
KELLY LIN/Daily
LSA sophomore David Edwards returned to the Shapiro Undergraduate Library yesterday to study,
after his week away for Spring Break.
CRIME
Continued from Page 1
not involved a person getting harmed.
"It is alarming that we have had a number of
incidents, but most of these incidents have been
against property, she said.
DPS Director William Bess said the depart-
ment is addressing students concerns and is
working hard to crackdown on crime. But, he said
there can always be change, especially if students
continue to complain about a lack of security.
PROTEST
Continued from Page 1
Kiblawi said the protesters were calling for
peace and an end to bloodshed.
Community member Odine Haber said she
was marching because more people are being
killed and she feels the violence is mounting.
"There could be negotiation. There must be
negotiation," Haber said. "It's otherwise going to
be destruction on both sides or peace, there are not
that many choices."
Ann Arbor resident Monica Weinheimer said
she sees the U.S. as supporting an oppressive occu-
pation, adding that U.S. aid to Israel seems to be
- nv r~tn nr .,~m +i the R1 miiPFac~t If-ndlna
"Maybe we need to be a little more aggressive,"
he said. "We can always improve the behavior of
residents and the collaborative efforts of crime pre-
vention."
Irland also said she felt that security was "doing
pretty much everything they can."
"Girls should make sure the door is shut
and lock their room whey they are sleeping,"
she said, adding that roommates sometimes
cause problems.
"There are people we know that have trouble
with roommates leaving the door unlocked."
tinians," Duncan said.
LSA junior Hafsa Hussain said the group's
message was meant to be heard beyond campus.
"People aren't aware of the plight of the Pales-
tinian people," she said.
University alum Henry Herskovitz said
American Jews need to take the initiatiye and
convince the American government to stop
funding Israel's occupation of Gaza and the
West Bank.
"I am a Jew," he said. "I would like to see the
American Jewish community understand the situa-
tion and understand that the occupation which is
funded by American taxpayers is killing both
Palestinians and Israeli Jews."
gU'hool of Art an sinei se1( n fior Jason
testing blood from more than 1,000
women for a protein that might signal
breast cancer, hoping to create for women
the kind of blood test men have for
prostate disease.
It's too soon to know if the experiment
will work. But the quest for new ways to
catch early tumors or even precancerous
cells - from blood testing to analyzing
nipple fluid - is heating up amid contro-
versy over mammograms. Proponents
foresee a day when the X-ray routinely
comes with a backup test.
"Mammography is not the end-all," says
Alan Hollingsworth, a clinical doctor at
Oklahoma City's Mercy Health Center,
one of seven U.S. hospitals participating
in Matritech Inc.'s blood-test research.
With a hint from another test that a
PEACE CORPS GI
Continued from Page 1 Cont
ally go up too," Damm said. goo
While the University's ranking may
has increased, International Center leve
Director Rudie Altamirano said C
there has not been a noticeable also
increase within the last year, but imp(
more of a continual flow of students "I
interested in service. und
"It never stops. The interest in neg
international experiences has been a B
constant here," Altamirano said. exte
Damm said the type of education in s
students receive at the University urge
leads to a strong interest in volun- "I
teer work despite international don
events, the economy or recruiting. do o
"I think that it is inherent in the said
students who chose to go here, per- B:
sonally. cont
The office that does the recruit- "I
ing does a wonderful job, but we duty
have students who come in with a that
predisposition for service," Damm "V
said. dest
"Students are encouraged to think . S
about the world here, and they're that
encouraged to think about social as Ii
justice issues," she added. Volk
University alum Shelley Coe, a coor
Peace Corps volunteer, said her rea-
son for ioinin2 was out of a desire J
EO
inued from Page 1
d. On the other hand, if you're a GSI
ybe you feel it's the only way to have
rage over the system," he said.
ommunications Prof. Michael Traugott
said that the threat of a walk-out is an
ortant leverage in bargaining.
'd be concerned about a strike, but I
erstand the meaning of labor contract
otiations," he said.
ut Traugott said his support does not
nd to a willingness to cancel his lectures
olidarity with GEO as the union has
d.
will go to deliver my lecture (Monday). I
t know what undergraduate students will
or what my graduate students will do," he
1.
iology Prof. Russ Butler also said he will
inue to teach in the event of a strike.
will not stop my class. I have a greater
to the student body than to a subset of
body," Butler said.
Will it affect my class? Certainly. Will it
roy my class? No," he added.
ome faculty have taken steps to ensure
the walk-out and future action will have
ttle effect as possible on classes. Pat Van-
kinburg, kinesiology academic programs
rdinator, said her department has a plan in
A rEITIJ
"I will not stop class. I
have a greater duty to
the student body than to
a subset of that body"
- Russ Butler
Biology professor
case of the March 11 strike.
Kinesiology classes will continue as sched-
uled because faculty members will teach dis-
cussions normally led by GSIs, she said.
VanVolkinburg added that in the event of
an extended strike, classes would still have
instructors, although some discussions may
be combined.
Butler, like several other faculty members,
said he did not know enough about the issues
of the strike to support either GEO or the Uni-
versity wholeheartedly. He has only been able
to take a cursory glance at the facts, he said.
Communications Prof. Richard Allen said
he does not know as much as he would like
about the negotiation issues and he believes
this is fairly typical for faculty.
"I think they will now, given the severity of
the issues, look at them in much greater
detail. I know I will," he said.
tumor might be forming, "you could look
harder. There are ways to look harder than
just with mammography."
Mammograms can detect tumors when
they're tiny, often meaning the difference
between surgery that severs or spares the
breast. Whether they also save lives is
under hot debate. The U.S. government
thinks so, and strongly urges women over
age 40 to get one at least every other year.
Regardless, an estimated third of women
don't get regular mammograms.
Other scientists argue that studies back-
ing mammograms are too flawed to deter-
mine if the procedure reduces death.
Mammograms are certainly not perfect.
They can miss tumors or flag suspicious
spots that turn out to be benign. More
powerful imaging techniques, like ultra-
sound or MRI, can better pinpoint tumors
but are too corplex and expensive to use
on everybody.
The presence of prostate-specific anti-
gen (PSA) protein in men's blood suggests
they may have either an enlarged or can-
cerous prostate. So why not a blood test
for breast cancer?
Nuclear matrix proteins, or NMPs, help
form the skeleton of cell nuclei as cells
reproduce. Changes in nuclei size or shape
can signal cancer. The theory: Different
cells use different NMPs,-so changes in
the type or amount of a certain NMP in
the blood could signal cell changes that
mean cancer.
Matritech Inc., which licensed rights to
NMP research from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, already sells a test
that helps diagnose bladder cancer by
finding NMP-22 in urine.