Thursday, October 5, 2006 - The Michigan Daily - 7A Marines battle rumor mill in western Iraq HADITHA, Iraq (AP) - Word Military search dogs "cost more spread quickly: A Marine search to train than a Marine," he joked. dog had escaped and was roam- The sheik was eventually con- ing the streets attacking children. vinced that if there were dogs op But the Marines didn't have any the prowl, they were probably dogs in Haditha at the time. packs of strays that regularly Nevertheless, Marines found roam the city. themselves having to quash yet Half-truths are often the source another of the baseless rumors of many rumors. that often sweep this city of about Earlier this year, Marines acci- 50,000 people, most of them dentally started fires in two fields Sunni Arabs wary of U.S. inten- in Haditha by shooting warning tions in Iraq. flares at approaching cars. But Rumors - most of them insurgents or skeptical residents maligning U.S. troops - are a inflated the story into something staple of life in the embattled, much different. isolated cities of Anbar province, "The people were talking about a region that is a center of the how the Marines were going and Sunni Arab-led insurgency and setting people's crops on fire," where telephones don't work and Lynch said. "Then we had to go newspapers rarely appear. out and explain the whole thing." Many residents are afraid to The city's sectarian makeup visit other parts of the country makes it a fertile ground for anti- such as Baghdad, 140 miles to American rumors. the southeast, for fear they'll run Haditha and most of Anbar afoul of Shiite death squads. is dominated by Sunni Arabs, In their isolation, most people whose minority was long domi- rely on Arab television networks nant in Iraq but fell from power such as Al-Jazeera for news with the toppling of Saddam Hus- of the outside world. For local sein. Now their longtime rivals in news, the main medium is word the Shiite majority lead the gov- of mouth. ernment and military. No one is sure how the dog Some of the hostility may also rumor started but soon terrified stem from the Marines' own people were complaining to tribal actions. Marines based in Haditha leaders about a violent animal on last year allegedly killed 24 civil- the loose. The director of the city ians after one of their comrades hospital even told reporters that died in a roadside bombing. The seven children had been bitten. Marine Corps is still investigat- The Americans must be to ing and no charges have been blame, many people concluded. filed. "We heard this from the people Local people are more likely about dogs roaming the street, the to believe their fellow Sunnis market, that have bitten 20 peo- - even those in the insurgency ple," one tribal leader was over- - than strangers like Marines. heard complaining to a Marine "I think there's definitely more officer. of a burden (on Marines) that "Well, they're not our dogs. we're telling the truth, compared We'd know if they were ours," to the guy who's on the street replied Capt. Andy Lynch of spreading rumors, because we're Chicago, a company commander not from here," Lynch said. in the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regardless of the reasons, Regiment. rumors and misinformation make That didn't satisfy the sheik, it harder for the Marines to win who insisted: "Our dogs don't trust and cooperation of Sunni bite." civilians. Lynch told him the Marines Last summer, Marines launched didn't have any search dogs in a drive to recruit a new city police Haditha. And if they had any, he force. A number of people told added, they would have search- reporters that Marines were forc- ers out in force if one got loose. ing men to sign up. Report of armed mn at school false MONTREAL - Anxious par- "The man was not locat- ents gathered outside a Montreal ed," police spokeswoman Anie elementary school yesterday after Lemieux told reporters outside the police responded to an emergency two-storey school. call suggesting a suspicious man with "No chances are to be taken a weapon was in an adjacent park. when we get calls like this. Obvi- Police said they were called afte ously when we talk about weapons some students claimed they saw e or possible weapons, no chances man in the city's west end. are to be taken." They rushed to the school ant Initial media reports indicated searched a chalet in the park bu a man might have been barricaded found nobody. inside the school. the michigan daily DIAG Continued from page 1A Residence Hall play their weekly game of "extreme croquet" on the grassy knoll by the flag pole. The game is extreme, they say, because they talk in "ridiculous British accents." They talk about their desire to play on the turf of Michi- gan Stadium or University Presi- dent Mary Sue Coleman's lawn. Someday they want to venture into playing bocce ball and lawn darts and expand into an "extreme lawn sports" club. 5:30 P.M. Tom Goss, the University researcher who plays the harmon- ica near the UGLi, has broken out a pair of spoons and a washboard to supplement his jams. He also carries half a dozen harmonicas - all in a major key. 6 P.M. Wade and Reyes have joined in a game of hacky sack with a group of high school kids standing near the corner of North University Avenue and State Street. The mis- sionaries ask the kids if they like Limp Bizkit. They laugh and say they do. 6:21 P.M. The bricks nearest the "M" get a fresh chalking. A team from Random Acts of Kindness leaves feel-good messages to strangers and to friends. LSA junior Mira Samet writes "Have a fantastic Friday." Others draw rainbows. They quickly test their hopscotch board before flitting away. 7:15 P.M. The sun begins to set over Angell Hall. Eight minutes later, half the street lamps come on. It will take another 15 minutes before they all glow. 7:30 P.M. A girl on her cell phone checks her watch. She declares to the per- son on the other end of the line, "I haven't smoked in two days!" 8 P.M. Ann Arbor residents Adam Taylor and Greg Albert throw a Frisbee back and forth. Over the past eight hours, a Frisbee has been almost perpetually gliding through the air. Taylor and Albert have some close calls, but the disc doesn't hit anyone. Their record of hitting only 10 people in two years remains intact. 8:43 P.M. A street sweeper meanders through the Diag, narrowly avoid- ing the Frisbee. Taylor and Albert have a history with street sweep- ers. They once chased one half a mile after the machine gobbled up their Frisbee. The chase only ended after the disc lodged in the machine, jamming it to a halt. 10 P.M. A student's faith in humanity is restored. After leaving his bicycle unlocked for two days, he returns to find it exactly where he left it near West Hall. It is seatless, but the seat was missing before he left it unattended. He takes a trium- phant lap around the Diag. 12:45 A.M. Nature calls for LSA fresh- man Matt Vivas. He runs toward the shrubs next to the graduate library but fails to notice the chain surrounding the bushes. He falls. Undeterred, he gets up and uri- nates into the bushes. Groups of students filter through the Diag. Many say they are headed for Necto. Most are wearing cowboy boots. 4 A.M. The temperature has dipped below freezing. The Diag is empty. Across the street at Ingalls Mall, two cars idle next to a small can- vas tent, which business sopho- more Brad Clemons is guarding. A sign on the tent, embroidered with a dragon, reads, "Seventh Annual CESS Conference." Clemons says he has no idea what's inside. Clemons is being paid $10 an hour to watch the tent for his father's security company. He spends the night in his teal GM pickup truck, running the engine to stay warm and working on homework for accounting. Keeping him company is Steve Burns, a self-described retiree of the "50-hour work week, 50 weeks a year." Now he spends his days poking around in trash- cans to "alleviate the boredom of retirement." His thick glasses jut out from his face. He has a long white beard. Burns wears a head- lamp - the cheapest model they had at Wal-Mart - to help him sort through the trashcans. The bulb,is dim. Burns and Clem- ons talk about Ann Arbor in the sixties, the anti-gay preachers on the Diag earlier in the week and "anthropomorphistic ven- triloquism" - Burns's explana- tion for why trees seem to talk to him. In the background, jazz from WEMU wafts from Burns's Plymouth sedan. 5:10 A.M. LSA freshman David Kim stands outside Mason Hall, tak- ing a break from his philosophy paper. It's one of three he plans to write during his all-nighter. He wears dog tags that say "BALLS ON THE TABLE." 5:22 A.M. Alex Demidov, a physics gradu- ate student, passes through on his way to a spinning class at a local gym. 5:55 A.M. Two ROTC cadets walk to their 6 a.m. march, fully outfitted in camouflage field uniforms. 5:58 A.M. A third cadet rushes by, his water bottles and backpack bob- bing up and down. He steadies his helmet with his hand as he strides across the "M." 6:42 A.M. The first white maintenance truck of the morning along the perimeter of the Diag. 7 A.M. After spending the night edit- ing his dissertation, Rackham stu- dent Rafael Portillo heads toward the Fishbowl to print out the final copy, which he will turn in later this morning. 7:08 A.M. Daybreak. Splashes of light spill out from behind the UGLi. 7:16 A.M. Demidov returns from his spin- ning class. 7:22 A.M. Three students loaded down with camping gear walk toward the C.C. Little Science Building to meet for a mineralogy field trip to Canada. 10:22 A.M. Sandy Colledge arrives, hold- ing a poster with "His pain your gain" written above a picture of a cross. She wears an ankle-length denim skirt and a blue T-shirt with "JESUS" spelled in the shape of the Star of David. Occasionally, she softly sings "Jesus is the way, Jesus is the answer, have a little talk with Jesus." 11:23 A.M. A campus tour of prospec- tive students centers around the "M." Colledge stops singing. She resumes once the tour wan- ders off. NOON A game of Frisbee starts up. This article was reported by Daily staff reporters Anne VanderMey, Drew Philp, David Mekelburg, Arikia Millikan, Walter Nowinski, Amanda Markowitz, Gabe Nelson, Brian Tengel, Katie Mitchell, Ron Harlow, Whitney Pow and Dorian Tyus. They observed the Diag from noon on Thursday, Sept. 28 to noon on Friday, Sept. 29. MCRI Continued from page 1A Texas systems collapsed after race- conscious affirmative action pro- grams were banned in both states in 1996. The collapse of minority enroll- ment in Texas and California had a negative effect on the campus envi- ronment, panelists said. "The few students of color feel like they have been put on the spot, and other students feel like they have license to say whatever they want," said Darnell Hunt, a profes- sor of sociology at UCLA. Khaled Beydoun, a University alum who graduated from UCLA's Law School, echoed Hunt's senti- ment. "Students felt they had license to make racist statements because there were no students of color in the classroom," Beydoun said. When Beydoun left the Universi- ty of Michigan to attend law school at UCLA, he was shocked by the absence of minority students. "UCLA resembled the Uni- versity of Alabama circa 1954," Beydoun said. "I studied Brown v. Board of Education with no Afri- can-Americans in the room." Panelists from both Texas and California stressed that their uni- versity systems had been at the forefront of "desegregation" before their respective affirmative action programs were banned. In the aftermath of the bans, panelists said there was a severe chilling effect on minority outreach in both states. "Everything we were doing came to a screeching halt," said Maricela Oliva, a professor of education and public policy at the University of Texas at San Anto- nio. "The people we were reach- ing out to felt the environment was unwelcoming." Hunt warned that the passage of Proposition 209 in California not only banned explicit race-based admissions programs but also frightened lawsuit-adverse admin- istrators away from legal outreach programs. "Campus administratorsbecame litigation-phobic;" he said. "Any-. thing they could have done to keep their fingers in the dam and boost minority enrollment, they shied away from." In the wake of the affirmative action bans, university administra- tors in both states have sought to find other methods to revive minor- ity enrollment. The University of Texas system instituted a 10-per- cent rule, where the top 10 percent of each high school class is guaran- teed admission to the system. Oliva said this policy was an innovative way to ensure a mini- mum amount of diversity in the University of Texas system. But she warned that the scheme only worked because Texas high schools were largely segregated by race. The panelists from California said they have found no way to boost minority enrollment at the flagship University of California schools and implored those listen- ing in Michigan to fight against Proposal2,more commonly known as the Michigan Civil Rights Initia- tive. Chris Turner, a member of the Los Angeles Urban League - a group that provides job training and business development programs for minority groups - lashed out at Ward Connerly, the former Uni- versity of California regent who brought MCRI to Michigan. "Ward Connerly is the black mouthpiece of wealthy conserva- tive individuals in California;" Turner said. "It is sort of like when you are growing up and hear the story about hiring the black over- seer to keep the slaves on the plan- tation in check." Beydoun worried about what would happen to the state and the University of Michigan if Proposal 2 passes in November. "I don't want my home state to be the site of research and reseg- regation statistics for the next state that Ward Connerly marches into;" he said. Cleanup begins at war-torn site For Thursday, Oct. 5, 2006 a bit anxious today. ARIES SCORPIO (March 21 to April 19) (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) Tensisn will build up today befee The eserey is bsildisg up today tomorrow's Harvest Mos. Tessin toward tomorrsow's ull Moon.The best always builds up as the Full Mon way for you to handle this is just to approaches; then afterward, problets work. Distract yourself with whatever miraculously diminish! (No big deal.) job you're doing. TAURUS SAGITTARIUJS (April20 to May 20) (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) Be extra-patient with co-workes, Home, family and domestic matters clients and customers. Tension mipt are important to you now. Keep in mind build up connected with your wo. that people get a bit impatientijust before (This is because tomorrow is the F1 the Full Moon, which happens to be Moos.) tomorrow. OGEMINI CAPRICORN (May 21to June 20) (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) Be forgiving of a friend. Irritatios Don't make an issue of anything could arise today, since people are a it today, especially if you're dealing with tense and distracted because tomorrows family matters, parents, bosses and the Full Moon. (Guess tow the wcd autority figures. Youa have a choice: "lunatic" got started.) You can be part of the problem or part of CANCER the solution. (June 21to July 22) AQUARIUS If there's any tension between you ad (Jan. 20Oto Feb. 18) a parent or boss, give this persona wie You're a strong networker. If you want berth today. Many people feel te to persuade others to agree with your buildup of tension before a Full Mon thinking about religious or political mat- (which happens to be tomorrow). Gul. ters, you'd do best to tread lightly. LEO PISCES (July 23to Aug. 22) (Feb. 19 to March 20) Avoid arguments about politicalor You feel a growing intensity within religious subjects. They will get pu you. You want to understand how you nowhere. People feel opinionated toay can be responsible for something. Will because they feelothe approach of tomr- there be enough money? row's Full Moon. YOU HORN TODAY You have a VIRGO strong sense of justice. You care about (Aug. 23to Sept. 22) others. You'll also persuade people to Money issues might come to a had join your cause if you can. People like now. Try to avoid arguments abst you because you're fun-lovisg. Others money and possessions. I two days, a want you on their teat because you'rera will be much less concerned about thse team player! You enjoy the beauty of matters. (Trust me.) pristine nature. Expect a major change to LIBRA happen this year, perhaps as significant (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22) as in 1997-98. You like harmony in your surroud- BK sdate of: Karen Allen, actress; ings. You run frow a fight (lao upri- Rate Winslt, actress; Bob Geldof, ting). Be patient with others, becase musician/humanitarian. tomorrow's Full Moon makes everyoe : 2006 KinjFeatures Syndicate,. Inc. BYBLOS, Lebanon (AP) - Cleanup is set to begin within days at the first of three ancient World Heri- tage sites damaged in the summer's Hezbollah-Israel war - a crumbling old castle rising from the Mediterra- nean whose foundation stones are now coated with oil sludge. Tens of thousands of dollars from European and other donors will go toward repairing the dam- age at the three sites - first at this ancient Phoenician port city whose history stretches back 7,000 years, then to Roman ruins at Baalbek and Roman-era frescos in Tyre. But officials say they also worry that many other historic sites, such as old souks, or markets, not listed by UNESCO as World Heritage sites, also were damaged and are getting less attention. In Byblos,once teeming with fish- ermen and tourists,the famous ruins of the crumbling castle-fortress, which have provided the backdrop for dozens of international con- certs, are now blackened at the base with scum from an oil spill. The oil spilled afterIsraeli air strikes hit fuel storage tanks on Lebanon's coast in mid-July, during the war against Hezbollah. "The stones of the two ancient towers at the port's entrance, and all the archaeological ruins, are very stained. The site is in immediate danger," said Mounir Bouchenaki, who headed a UNESCO team that traveled to Lebanon to inspect the sites after the Aug. 14 cease-fire. The cost of the cleanup could be around $100,000, and the work is expected to start within days after money arrives and coordination with Lebanese officials is complet- ed, he said. Byblos, one of the oldest inhab- ited cities in the world, has been linked to the legends and history of the Mediterranean region for thou- sands of years and is directly asso- ciated with the history and diffusion of the Phoenician alphabet. The English word Bible is believed to be derived from Byblos, meaning "the papyrus," or "the book" The charming harbor town is a major tourist site where internation- al summer festivals are held every summer. The site must be cleaned before winter to prevent permanent dam- age, said Bouchenaki, who also is director-general of the International Center for the Study of the Preser- vation and Restoration of Cultural Property. Other challenges await. Down the southern coast at Tyre, valuable frescoes in a Roman-era tomb were shaken to the ground. And inland, a block of stone at the Roman ruins of Baalbek was toppled. In addition, already exist- ing cracks in the temples of Jupiter and Bacchus at Baalbek may have widened because of vibrations from bombings in the area, says the UNESCO team and Lebanese officials. COACH Continued from page 1A for the Wolverines. "Most of his players and people that knew him would tell you that he was quite a character;" Berenson said. "I didn't get to know him from that aspect. Just as a former coach, you look and see what he did and what his teams did and that was the most impressive thing." Heyliger was an innovator. He helped revolutionize the college recruiting process by taking a more active role as a coach. He is also credited with the devel- opment of the NCAA's Western Collegiate Hockey Association and the organization of the only U.S.-hosted International Ice Hockey Federation World Cham- pionship in 1962 in Colorado Springs, Colo. Each year, the Vic Heyliger Trophy is awarded to Michigan's most outstanding defenseman. Senior captain Matt Hunwick, a two-time winner, is the most recent recipient. Thieves use hot-wired forklifts to heist ATMS PHOENIX (AP) - Leave the gun. Bank robbers have found an easier way to make off with other people's money: Around the country, thieves have hot-wired forklifts at construction sites, chugged up to banks and scooped up their ATMs, with all the cash inside. ATM manufacturers have been working on ways to stop the heists, and sometimes the money involved is so small it hardly seems worth the risk. But that hasn't discouraged thieves this summer in such states as Arizona, California and Georgia. They have pulled off or attempted such thefts at least 21 times this year in the Phoenix area alone. "It's called the smash-and-dash," said Rob Evans, director of industry marketing for Day- ton, Ohio-based NCR Corp., the world's largest maker of automated teller machines. Evans is the company expert on ATM thefts. Since the 1990s, thieves have used forklifts to steal ATMs in Indonesia, New Zealand, Scot- land, Ireland and Estonia, as well as the U.S. Four years ago, criminals plowed through the front doors of a movie theater in Lethbridge, Canada, with a forklift, drove into the lobby, hoisted the bulky machine and carried it to a waiting pickup truck. The payoff for those who succeed in breaking into the machines varies widely, from a few hun- dred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. "The vast majority of those attacks are unsuc- cessful," Evans said. "A lot of times you just get a lot of damage:" Some attempts end in almost comic fail- ure. Often, ATM thieves are spotted by secu- rity guards and surveillance cameras as soon as they come rumbling up, and they are eventually caught. (Some at least are smart enough to wear ski masks.) Others flee after failing to pry the ATM loose. Some get away with the machines, only to find the concrete-and-steel vault tough to crack. In the Phoenix area - a booming region with plenty of construction projects and lots of drive- through banks with open-air ATMs bolted to the ground, instead of embedded in a brick wall - police will not say how much has been stolen.