WAR The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 20, 2003 - 6A Israeli govt. prepares, citizens for attack TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - Hundreds of Israelis fled this seaside city yester- day, fearing a repeat of the first Gulf War, when Saddam Hussein hurled 39 Scud missiles at Israel. Some of the less concerned chose to sun themselves and sip cocktails, saying nearly 30 months of suicide bombings and other violence have prepared them for the worst. The Israeli government instructed people to bring gas masks with them to jobs and schools. They also were told to prepare sealed rooms. About 2,400 families from the Tel Aviv area have reserved space in hotels and public buildings being made avail- able in the southern town of Kiryat Gat, Army Radio reported. Eight leading hotels in the Jerusalem area reported a surge of more than 1,500 calls from Tel Aviv residents looking for rooms. British Airways began canceling its flights to Israel on Tuesday night. Luftansa canceled its yesterday evening flight from Frankfurt to Tel Aviv and said it would reevaluate the situation today. Travel agents reported an increase in reservations out of Israel and adver- tised cut-rate deals. "War? We're ready - are you?" read one travel advertisement in the Yediot Ahronot newspaper. "Special prices for packages in Israel and abroad, one-way and open tickets." In the first Gulf War, Saddam's Scuds damaged some buildings in Israel but caused few casualties. Israeli officials have played down the possibility of another attack, saying Saddam's arsenal has been depleted. Israel also has two types of anti-missile systems in place - the short-range Patriot and the longer-range Arrow, developed with the United States since the 1991 Gulf War. Israel distributes gas masks to its cit- izens free of charge, in kits that also have atropin injections in case nerve agents are used in an attack. The preparations - and the daily grind - have lessened people's fears. "We have buses blowing up, we have car accidents and compared to what we go through every da, this is nothing," said Gal.Ganzberg, owner of a beach-, side pub next to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. "I don't think there'll be chemical weapons, but maybe that's just drunken optimism." Organizers of a film festival in the Red Sea resort town of Eilat said the event would still ge held as planned this weekend. War opponents: U.S. air strikes unauthorized RYAN WEINER/Daily CBS radio correspondent Dan Raviv spoke on media coverage of the Holocaust and the war in Iraq yesterday evening in Rackham Auditorium. CBS correspondent addresses me la coverage In crisis times Outspoken nations say the U.S. is acting outside of national law UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The most outspoken opponents of military action against Iraq - France, Russia and Germany - insisted yesterday the United States will be acting illegally if it attacks Iraq and overthrows Saddam Hussein. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told the U.N. Security Council that no U.N. resolution authorized mili- tary action or "the violent overthrow of the leadership of a sovereign state." There are also "no indisputable facts" to demonstrate that Iraq threat- ens the United States, he said. If there were, the Bush administration could exercise its right under the U.N. Char- ter to respond in self-defense. The foreign ministers of Russia, France and Germany attended an open council meeting held only hours before the clock ran out on a Wednesday evening deadline set by President Bush for Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq or face war. Though the Bush administra- tion has said the time for diplomacy was over, the ministers made a point of attending to reaffirm their opposition to war and assert the primacy of the United Nations. Declaring that military intervention "has no credibility," Germany's Josch- ka Fischer also stressed, "There is no basis in the U.N. Charter for a regime change with military means." French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin reiterated his country's con- tention that a war would not only be illegal but would exacerbate the ten- sions and divisions on which "terror- ists feed." The three ministers did not say they would raise the issue in the council after a war begins. They insisted the U.N. Security Council would have a role in the aftermath of war. Predicting "imminent disaster" for the people of Iraq, Secretary-General Kofi Annan implored the United States and its allies yesterday not to forsake humanitarian aid when the fighting starts. "This is a sad day for the United Nations," Annan said. "I know that millions of people around the world share this sense of disappointment and are deeply alarmed." He said he plans to submit pro- posals to the council shortly on adjusting the U.N. oil-for-food pro- gram, which was providing food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies for about 60 percent of Iraq's 22 million people until it was suspended this week. The council meeting was called to hear a report by chief U.N. inspector Hans Blix outlining a dozen issues that Iraq needed to resolve to prove it was disarming peacefully, but for many members, his list of disarmament tasks was eclipsed by the approaching war. Blix expressed disappointment that inspections were curtailed after only 3 1/2 months. 0 0 By Elizabeth Anderson Daily Staff Reporter "How does the media cover horrible tragedies? There isn't just one truth," said Dan Raviv, news correspondent for CBS Radio, in a lecture on the role of the news media during wartime. Draw- ing comparisons between the United States' current situation with Iraq and U.S. involvement in World War II, Raviv's lecture served as the keynote address for the University's 24th Annual Conference on the Holocaust. Raviv said the gathering of news information is often like connecting the dots in a puzzle. He defended the news media's inability to present all possible information on certain occasions. "How can we know if a war is worth- while if we don't have all the informa- tion?" Raviv asked the audience last night at Rackham Auditorium. "The news media don't even have all the dots." Raviv compared the Americans who want to avoid war with Iraq to those Americans who wanted the nation to stay neutral in World WarII- prior to the Pearl Harbor bombing. He also drew a parallel between Bush's term "axis of evil" and the Axis powers of World War II. When discussing the lack of atten- tion the news media gave to the Holo- caust during World War II, Raviv said that situation is similar to the current "How can we know if a war is worthwhile if we don't have all the information? The news media don't even have all the dots." - Dan Raviv News correspondent, CBS Radio confusion about Saddam Hussein's possession of weapons. "There were conflicting stories (that) diminished the credibility of the stories," Raviv said. "The real breakthrough was evi- dence and victim testimony." Much of Raviv's lecture focused on the media's lack of attention toward Adolf Hitler's murder of Jews and other groups during World War II, yet Raviv said he did not blame the media. "We were unfolding truths and lies while the Holocaust was taking place," Raviv said. "Radio correspondents didn't see the round-ups, didn't see the camps. But most of the reports were aimed at prov- ing that Nazi Germany was terrible." To illustrate conflicting news reports, Raviv pointed out that many European nati-ns and media are reluctant to Sf , although they have the e in 4iation as the U.S. "What does the media believe? The Europeans don't believe he's that bad," Raviv said. "But Dan Rather won't lose any sleep if Saddam Hussein is arrested or killed." When asked about the media's social responsibility during warfare, Raviv said the media should calm the public. "I think, what are my kids going to think when they hear this?" Raviv said. "I'm going to keep you informed. I don't want to exaggerate." Students who attended the lecture were divided on Raviv and his speech. Bobby Nooromid, an LSA junior, said he felt satisfied with Raviv's conclu- sions of the current Iraq situation and the Holocaust. "I thought his speech was excellent. I loved the way he compared the Holocaust with today's situation and the way the Jewish peo- ple have played a role both now and then," Nooromid said. But LSA senior Nicole Scher, who attended the lecture to hear Raviv's insider perspective on the news media, said she felt disappointed by both Raviv and his speech. "I thought he was a practiced politician-type speaker. He seemed to believe very strongly that America is following the right course and I would tend to take issue with that," Scher said. "Just because America is a superpower doesn't nec- essarily make our policy right." Global outrage results from U.S. intervention. The Associated Press Unease, resolve and open outrage echoed across a connected world yesterday as the United States opened its war against Iraq. "This is the beginning of the end of the domina- tion of Western nations," filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt said in India. Iran's foreign minister, Kamal Khar- razi, called the military action "unjustifiable and ille- gitimate." Support for Washington came from, among others, staunch U.S. allies Britain and Japan. "Iraq has continued to ignore the United Nations resolutions and has not acted sincerely. Therefore, I understand and support U.S. action to disarm Iraq," Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said as hunger strikers protested outside the American Embassy in Tokyo. "My heart is crying for the nation of Iraq. I hope the aggressors will be buried. - Sher Aga Air Force Academy in Kabul A South Korean soldier mans a machine gun on an armored military vehicle during a military training to prepare for possible attacks in Yeonchon. S. Korea fears North may capitali ze on Iraq walr di 'traction Weeks of tension and failed diplomacy produced immediate reactions of dismay and fear, "It's a wrong war at a wrong time," said 35-year- old Sean Bowman of London, drinking beer in a Hong Kong bar and - like much of the world - watching events unfold on CNN. In Beijing, officers cordoned off the street in front of Iraq's embassy and demanded identification for all passing. A few blocks away, at the American Embassy, security was its highest level since the Sept. 11 attacks Stocks were higher in markets across the Asia- Pacific region after the United States launched its attack on Iraq early today, with traders betting the war will end quickly. Tokyo's 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average was up by 1.90 percent at 8,204.25 in the afternoon, while prices rose by 3.25 percent in Seoul. In Afghanistan, where the U.S. military is still hunting al-Qaida members, residents of the capital, Kabul, condemned the United States and its allies. "Today is a dark day for Muslims," said Sher Aga, 50, who teaches military aviation at the Air Force Academy in Kabul. "My heart is crying for the nation of Iraq. I hope the aggressors will be buried." SADDAM Continued from Page 1A shameful crime against Iraq and humanity," Saddam said, describing the U.S. president as 'little, evil Bush." "Draw your sword and be not afraid," he urged the Iraqi people, before ending the speech by chanting, "Allahu akbar" or God is great, and saying, "Long live jihad (holy war) and long live Palestine." After the U.S. strike, Iraqi broadcast- ers repeatedly announced that the Iraqi leader would appear. Baghdad radio carried a message from his son, Odai, calling on the people to be steadfast and promised them victory. FBI given extra power during war WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General John Ashcroft has signed an order giving FBI agents and U.S. mar- shals authority to arrest people on immigration violations, a power that initially will be used to detain several dozen Iraqis suspected of posing a wartime threat. The order took effect Feb. 28, the last day that the Immigration and Naturalization Service and its enforcement laws fell under Justice Department jurisdiction. The INS ceased to exist the next day, when it was folded into the Homeland Secu- rity Department. The American Civil Liberties Union said the Ashcroft order will further the impression among many U.S. Muslims and Arab-Americans that the govern- ment is singling them out. Ashcroft's decision, confirmed yes- terday by two law enforcement offi- cials who spoke on condition of anonymity, gives more than 11,000 FBI agents and several thousand mar- shals arrest powers that had been reserved only for INS agents, some Customs agents and 35 police officers in South Florida under a program pro- moted by Ashcroft. The FBI investigates major crimes and gathers domestic intelligence. The Marshals Service mainly tracks down and transports fugitives. The law enforcement officials described the move as crucial in the fight against terrorism. Immigration charges frequently are used to ini-. tially detain suspected terrorists or sympathizers while other charges are developed. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea's military went on its highest alert in seven years today as concerns arose that North Korea could use the distraction of war in Iraq to raise ten- sions on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said. Yonhap, quoting unnamed sources, said South Korea elevated its military's Watch Condition to a level 2 for the first time since 1996. The move affects mostly military intelligence and other units assigned to watch the tense border and does not involve any major southern troop movements. The Defense Ministry would not confirm the report. But South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun was expected to address the nation later today in a live, televised speech on the U.S.-led war on Iraq. South Korea elevated its Watch Con- dition to a level 2 in 1996 when North Korean troops marched into the truce village of Panmunjom to raise tensions. Yesterday, the U.S.-led United Nations Command sought to ease North Korean fears over joint military exercises in South Korea, saying they are defensive and not related to "cur- rent world events." The statement, made to North Kore- FOOD FOR THOUGHT Vietnam/Iraq Comparisons As with the Vietnam War the Gulf an officers during a meeting at the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas, comes amid U.S. preparations for war against Iraq. The North has maintained the exer- cises . signal plans to invade it. Pyongyang refused a request to discuss the matter at a higher military level on Thursday, the U.N. Command said. Meanwhile, the U.S. military in South Korea announced plans to implement a new curfew beginning late today. "The new curfew is aimed at pro- tecting U.S. soldiers and civilian employees from anybody that might want to potentially use the world situa- tion to their benefits," said Lt. Col. Steven Boylan, a spokesman for the U.S. Eighth Army. All 37,000 U.S. soldiers stationed in South Korea must be off the streets by 7:30 p.m., several hours earlier than the normal curfew, he said. Referring to the North's refusal to agree to a high-level meeting on the joint exercises, Col. Martin Glasser of the Command's Military Armistice Commission said the North "has turned down an excel- lent opportunity to discuss impor- tant events affecting the Korean peninsula." Glasser said the annual exercises are not related to "current world events." "We also explained that the exercise is defensive in nature and is not an aggressive or a threatening move against North Korea," he said in a statement. "And that these are regular- *~ _________________________________________ow * .4 k,- 4AM 4000- 1 * k ?Y mm 0 as II * '* *4 * & pI I Mh[lk e t IP Je e~nwts . , (a the .. 0I I