Page 4-Tuesday, May 11, 1982-The Michigan Daily
Ranchers accuse
government of
nuclear coverup
SALT LAKE CiTY (AP)- The Commission, told him in 1953 that the
federal government covered up eviden- commission would try to placate the
ce that fallout from Nevada nuclear ranchers by offering to fund a range
tests in the 1950s contributed to the nutrition researchproject.
deaths of thousands of sheep in Brower and a government
southern Utah, a former county exten- veterinarian "both got extremely high
sion agent testified yesterday. readings with our radiation meters off
"I sense that there was almost a kind the thyroids of those sheep," the letter
of preprogrammed set of answers that said.
we were getting as we asked questions" The veterinarian later told Brower he
of the Atomic Energy Commission had been ordered not to discuss his fin-
about data on the deaths, said Stephen dings and that they had been classified,
Brower, now a Brigham Young Univer- the letter said. The veterinarian said he
sity professor of business. was told to rewrite the report and leave
BROWER testified during the out any evidence that the sheeprhad
opening day of a U.S. District Court radiation sickness. Under cross
trial of a lawsuit in which ranchers say examination, Brower said he had no
the federal government covered up specific knowledge that the data had
evidence that fallout from the two been classified.
above-ground tests caused the sheep WHEN THE ranchers tried to obtain
deaths. the data, he said, they were told the in-
The ranchers are seeking to reopen formation was confidential.
an unsuccessful 26-year-old lawsuit U.S. District Court Clerk Paul
claiming the deaths of 4,390 sheep in Badger testified that the court repor-
1953 were caused by radiation. To ters' notes of the oiginal trial are not in
reopen the case, they must prove the the court records and have not been
government covered up evidence, located.
Brower said he was working as an ex- Badger said they could have been
tension agent for Iron County, Utah, in destroyed in 1979, when some old court
1953 when he was asked by the ranchers reporters' notes were destroyed to
to help find out-why the sheep had died. make room for newer cases.
Brower testified about a letter he sent, In opening arguments, ranchers' at-
to Utah Gov. Scott Matheson in 1979, torney Dan Bushnell said the gover-
describing the sheep deaths. nment failed to disclose experimental
THE LETTER said that Dr. Paul evidence that ewes which had been ex-
Pearson, the head of the biological posed to radiation had given birth to
medicine division of the Atomic Energy dead or weak lambs.
Sirhan says Kennedy
woul favor parole
In Brief
Compiled from Associated Press and
United Press International reports
Poland expels 2 U.S. diplomats
WARSAW, Poland- Two American envoys were ordered expelled yester-
day for receiving unspecified materials "hitting at the interest of Poland,"
state-run television reported.
The television identified the two as U.S. Embassy science attache John
Zerolis and cultural affairs officer James Howard.
There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Embassy. The Polish TV
report said a Polish scientist, Ryszard Herczynski, was detained Sunday
while handing the materials to Zerolis. "They were confiscated and the fact
that they had been in his possession has been confirmed by Zerolis by his
signature," the report said.
Polish television said that in connection with the two envoys' actions "in-
compatible with their diplomatic status, the Foreign Ministry has asked
them to leave Polish territory."
The expulsions appeared to be an effort to underline new warnings to un-
derground Solidarity unionists and dissidents calling for demonstrations,
brief work stoppages and other actions protesting five months of martial
law.
Israeli officers allege brutality
JERUSALEM- Six Israeli army reserve officers yesterday charged that
Israeli troops, untrained in riot control, were becoming brutal and trigger-
happy in quelling violent demonstrations in the occupied West Bank and
Gaza Strip.
It was the first time that officers have gone public with such allegations,
and their action reflected growing public disquiet over recent West Bank and
Gaza Strip bloodshed.
The six, captains and majors, said they decided to speak out at a news con-
ference after completing tours of reserve duty in the occupied territories.
The Defense Ministry declined official comment on the charges but a
ministry official, who declined to be identified, claimed the reserve officers
were trying to make "political capital."
The officers said the standing instructions, to shoot at the legs ifa soldier's
life was in danger, were reasonable but often inapplicable. "When you're in
the thick of it, control breaks down," said Reserve Maj. Yuval Neriya.
"The soldiers feel that they are victims of government policy, so you hear
them say things like, 'Don't take risks, bust their heads, opeifire,' " he said.
The officers said they went public with their allegations because Defense
Minister Ariel Sharon declined their request to meet with him Sunday and
referred them instead to the chief military prosecutor.
Evangelist Billy Graham hears
anti-U.S.speeches in U.S.S.R.
MOSCOW- The patriarch of Russia and the Soviet premier opened a con-
ference on the problems of peace attended by evangelist Billy Graham
yesterday by blaming the United States for heightening world tension about
nuclear war.
Graham, who earlier conceded there was a risk he might become en-
meshed in a massive propaganda exercise by appearing at the Soviet
meeting, sat quietly through the speeches.
A U.S. delegate in the conference hall said he watched Graham squirm as
he listened to a fiercely anti-American and anti-imperialist speech by the
president of the U.S.S.R. Afro-Asian Solidarity"ommittee.
Pope to visit Portugal
Lisbon, Portugal - A holiday mood has taken hold in Portugal as it an-
ticipates tomorrow's arrival of Pope John Paul II. Political painters and
streetcleaners are sprucing up the stops on the four-day papal itinerary.
Tomorrow will be the highlight of John Paul's trip, when he opens the an-
nual pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima shrine and dedicates a
conference center to the last pope to visit Portugal, Pope Paul VI, who died
in 1978.
The pope will give an address directed at layman shortly after arriving
tomororow. Visits with President Antonio Ramalho Eanes and other of-
ficials are to be followed by a 90-minute helicopter flight to Ftima in central-
west Portugal.
John Paul will stay overnight at the sanctuary after taking part in the can-
dlelight procession to the shrine's statue of the Virgin Mary to open the
traditional, all-night vigil.
Hinckley's psychiatrist testifies
WASHINGTON - John Hinckley told a psychiatrist a month before he
shot President Reagan that his failure to get a date with actress Jodie Foster
drove his mind to "a breaking point," the doctor testified yesterday.
Dr. John Hopper, testifying for the defense in an effort to win Hinckley's
acquital on grounds of insanity, said he saw Hinckley a dozen times between
October 1980 and February 1981.
Hinckley began seeing Hopper after returning from Yale University,
where he told his parents he had taken writing courses - although a
prosecutor said Hinckley never enrolled in the classes.
The psychiatrist said Hinckley first told him Nov. 4, 1980 about his two
biggest obsessions - his writing and Miss Foster, who was a student at Yale.
Their talks, he said, dealt with the pressures Hinckley faced as the
youngest - and least successful -of three children in the wealthy family.
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SOLEDAD, Calif. (AP) - Convicted
assassin Sirhan Sirhan, expressing
remorse for the murder of Sen. Robert
Kennedy, said yesterday he believed
the dead senator would be the first to
favor his release from prison as
scheduled.
"I sincerely believe that if Robert
Kennedy was alive today he would not
countenance singling me out" fqr
revocation of a scheduled parole date,
the Jordanian immigrant said.
"He would be the first to say that no
matter how horrible a deed I commit-
ted, it should not be a reason for
singling me out.
"BECAUSE I am an unpopular per-
son who can be used as a scapegoat
should not be a reason to violate the
laws of this country and extend my time
in prison," he said at his extraordinary
parole rescission hearing.
Sirhan at first was sentenced to death
for Kennedy's June 5, 1968,
assassination, but invalidation of
California's death penalty in 1972
changed his term to life in prison with
eligibility for parole after seven years.
The state parole board decided in 1975
to grant him a 1984 parole date, and this
hearing, now two weeks old, was called
after protests that he should remain in
prison.
Sirhan, speaking in almost unaccen-
ted English as contrasted with the
heavy accent he had when he first went
to prison, told of spending long hours
thinking about life, death and murder
which put him behind bars.
"I HAVE ALWAYS expressed
remorse at what I did," Sirhan said. "I
have time and again reflected on the
taking of Robert Kennedy's life and
what it did to his wife and family."
"But as there is nothing I can do to
restore Robert Kennedy's life, violating
the laws of this country and changing
my parole would not prove anything
either."
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Volunteer at the UM Psychiatric Hospitals
Want to gain experience in the mental health field or simply to
help other people. We have volunteer openings in:
" The Child Psychiatric Hospital's Family Therapy Program, the Day
Treatment School, and the Lobby Recreation Program
" The Adolescent Day Treatment Program
" The Adult Psychiatric Hospital's Recreation Therapy Program, Beha-
vioral Medicine Clinic, and Clinical Studies Unit.
CALL 763-1580 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
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