4 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, August 2, 1995
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420 Maynard
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
RONNIE GLASSBERG
Editor in Chief
ADRIENNE JANNEY
JOEL F. KNUTSON
Editorial Page Editors
Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of g
the Daily's editorial board. All other articles, letters and cartoons do not
necessarily reflect the opinion of the Daily 's editorial board.
NATO, the United States and the United
Nationshave beenhumiliated by theSerbs
in Bosnia since war erupted in a land rife of
ethnic hatred five years ago. The price of ap-
peasement, inaction and false security in peace
plans have manifested themselves in the fall of
the "safe havens" of refugees in Srebenica,
BihacandZepa.Thehumiliating defeatofUnited
Nations peacekeepers in Srebenica is resulting
in perhaps the single greatest massacre during
the war in Bosnia. And this time, the stains of
blood are on the hands of the United Nations -
and the United States.
Thepolicyofletting Serbiangenerals dictate
which cities are safe havens for refugees -
while Serbian artillery surrounds the area-has
resulted in the shepherding of thousands of
refugees into the city of Srebenica. Now, as
thousands are raped and massacred by invading
Serbs - egregious to the point of forcing U.N.
soldiers to disrobe so that the criminal acts can
be committed by Serbs wearing the U.N. uni-
form - there is nothing left for the West to do.
The arms embargo must be lifted. Bosnia must
have the opportunity to defend itself.
Ironically, as Croat and Serbian hostilites
increase against each other, Bosnian Serbs are
calling on the remnants of the Yugoslav army to
assistthem,as the army is predominantly Serbian.
Lift the arms embargo
U.N. and NATO inaction provides no alternative
The aid will likely come. At the same time, as
markets and safe havens have been shelled by
Serbs, cries for help from Bosnians in the form
of weapons resulted in nothing more than a few
ineffective air strikes.
The arguments against lifting the arms em-
bargo on Bosnia at one time held water. Given
the current situation, however, they are out-
dated. Lifting the embargo would not be unilat-
eral, as France and Britain may follow suit. The
contention that lifting the arms embargo may
result in an even more widespread war is igno-
rant of the reality of the situation. Croatian and
Serbian hostilites are increasing. Serbians have
been slaughtering ethnic Muslims for the past
three years. Given the opportunity to defend
themselves with full military support from pre-
dominantly Muslim countries will provide
Bosnians the opportunity not to be herded into
cities and then picked apart. It may also be the
incentive for the Serbians to cease hostilities.
Unlike yearsofempty threats with no backbone,
returned fire may change the situation and force
the Serbs to the bargaining table for real.
The only country in NATO that has the
power to stop the genocide in Bosnia is the
United States. By voting to lift the embargo,
Congress realizes that the threat of a full-scale
U.S. invasion is not as applicable as it once was.
It will be far easier to sustain massive air strikes
akin to attacks on Libya or Iraq aimed at crip-
pling the sustained Serb attack, while immedi-
ately withdrawing all U.N. and NATO forces.
Of course, the withdrawal of forces would leave
a well-armed enclave capable of sending a
message back to Belgrade and Pale that the time
has come to negotiate a real settlement-not an
appeasement of Serb aggression.
The proposal in Congress will allow for 30-
day periods to postpone the lifting of the em-
bargotoallowforthesafeevacuationofexisting
U.N. troops. Clinton's concern over having to
send in American troops is largely justified, but
is no longer a pragmatic approach. The U.N.
troops must leave eventually. Further delay will
only increase the slaughter. If the United State_
continues toleavethe"peacekeepers"inBosni
to appease NATO countries' unwillingness to
prevent genocide in their own backyard, the
one-sided war will drag on indefinitely.
The embargo may formally ban all weapon
sales to the former Yugolsav republics, but it is
clear that the only ones who are not getting the
supplies they need are the Bosnian Muslims.
Bosnian Serbs are well-equipped to carry out
violent acts with the help of Serbia. That has not
changed, and as the enclave of Bihac is laid t
siege by an additional Serb front, there is no
reason to believe that it will in the future.
Aninvasion force of Americantroops should
prove to be unnecessary. But Americans must
be willing to accept the specter of a few body
bags returning home if the price to be paid is
intensive support and airstrikesofthe aggressor.
Peace has had a chance, and it has failed. The
cynicism that has resulted from inaction has led
to international apathy about the situation. Coin
tinued apathy will only mean a continuation o
the genocide.
Running wild
Regents review 'autonomy' of Athletic Dept.
T eAthletic Departmentwrongfullyexcluded of the Nike contract, was also "very angry" that
the Board of Regents in a secret locker- he was not informed of the Moeller buyout until
roomhuddlethat awarded formerfootballcoach it was too late.
Gary Moeller $386,026 after he voluntarily The regents have every right to be irate. It
resigned. After much ballyhooing,the regents was a flagrant abuse of power for the Athletic
have dropped aflagontheplay.The University's Department to keep the contract negotiation a
review of the department is a reminder that secret. The department is not an autonomous. It
Athletic Director Joe Roberson should not call should be commended in that it is financially
the plays without first consulting the regents. self-supporting- but that does not give it the
The buyout of Moeller's buyout was not the right to go above and beyond the University's
first time the department stretched the rules for governing bodies in making important deci-
its own benefit. Earlier this year, they signed a sions that affect the entire University commu-
lucrative deal with the Nike Corp.giving the nity. Regent Deitch said last week, "The rela-
company rights to the Michigan logo. The con- tionship of the Athletic Department to the Uni-
tract was signed without consulting or even versity of Michigan administration should look
notifying the regents. While neither of these like the Medical Center model, with a direct
decisions were necessarily wrong,the precedent representative relationship ... to the regents."
of autonomy and miscommunication the de- The.Moeller buyout represents more than
partment is setting is a bad one. mere miscommunication as it has been previ-
PresidentJames J.Duderstadthasbeenasked ously suggested.The situation provides danger-
on behalf of the board to investigate the relation- ous proof that it is indeed possible to bypass the
shipbetweenthedepartmentandtheUniversity. regents' permission to approve questionable
The inquiry does not place blame, nor is it a measures. Moeller's voluntary resignation fol-
hastily conceived review -which makes it the lowed a highly publicized drunken night out
right course of action. After all, the University is that ended with him being charged with disor-
a public school and its finances are well within derly conduct and assault. Many regents, fac-
the public'sinterest.The Board of Regents is the ulty and staff expressed dismay over a buyout
body that shoulders the responsibility of issues indicative of a person who has been fired from
as large as Moeller and Nike. his post, rather than a resignation.
Yet, regents did not discover the buyout or Like it ornot, education is the primary goal
Nike deal until news of the deal hit the press. of the University -not the well-being or image
Regent Andrea Fischer Newman (R-Ann Ar- of the Athletic Department. Every move made
bor) originally told the Daily she found out by the department reflects on the University
about the deal by reading about it in the newspa- academic community, as well as the Board of
pers. Regent Laurence Deitch (D-Bloomfield Regents. Financial solvency does not make the
Hills), who led the criticism of the Board in AthleticDepartmentaseparateinstitutionwithin
Control of Intercollegiate Athletics in the wake the University immune to the regents.
Lingering doubts
Abu-Jamal case exemplifies problems with death row
e case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, an ex-Black Faulkner was killed; Abu-Jamal was accused
Panther and journalist, currently on death of murder.
row is evoking wild emotions on both sides of In the trial that followed, Abu-Jamal's
his notorious case: Scheduled to die in attorney was grossly incompetent and was
Pennsylvania's electric chair Aug. 17, his later disbarred. Evidence supporting his plea
case brings to light many issues representa- of innocence was suppressed. Some facts are
tive of the injustices of capital punishment. not in dispute: Witnesses placed Abu-Jamal
The systemofcapital punishmenthas along at the scene; his gun was found there.
history of problems: racism, in that it dispro- The circumstantial evidence against Abu-
portionately executes minorities - particu- Jamal in itself seems to concur with the initial
larly when the victim is white. It is not a guilty verdict. But the manner in which the
deterrent to murder, as the states that execute proceedings were carried out clearly were n
the most criminals historically have the high- indicative of a fair trial. Abu-Jamal's beatin
est murder rates. It is reactionary rather than at the hands of police at the scene was ig-
punitive and it can be cruel and unusual - a nored. A mostly white, middle-class jury was
convict in Mississippi once took 14 minutes subjected to tales of his involvement as a
to suffocate to death in the gas chamber. teen-ager in the Panthers to stir fear during the
Incredibly, the case of Abu-Jamal is so sentencing as evidence - in perspective, it is
warped that it not only stands to reason that his irrelevant bias. Furthermore, Judge Albert
death sentence should be commuted, but it also Sabo, who remains on the case during its
asks questions as to his very conviction. numerous appeals, admits that he is a police
The facts surrounding his case in itself sympathizer, and coerced the jury into hand-
should point to a life sentence over a death ing down a death sentence on the basis that 0
sentence. If there is the slightest doubt as to would be overturned in appeal. Despite evi-
whether the defendent received a fair trial, a dence that supports the contention that eye-
death sentence should be commuted. Cur- witnesses who testified against him were co-
rently, it is as if the state of Pennsylvania is erced, and that others were forced to be "un-
trying to execute Abu-Jamal before the truth available" for the trial, Abu-Jamal is being
about this situation is revealed in court. denied a retrial.
In 1981, Abu-Jamal was a predominant That there can be any question of Abu-
Black activist and journalist, and supporter of Jamal's innocence should leave Gov. Tom
the Philadelphia MOVE organization, a mili- Ridge with the responsibility to commute the
tant Black group bombed by police in 1985. sentence as reasonable doubt. It is unconscie
Working as a cab driver, he witnessed officer nable to limit appeals that may keep an inno-
DanielFaulkner beating his brother. During the cent man from being murdered by the state. If
confrontation that ensued, Faulkner and Abu- he is guilty as charged, then the state should
Jamal both sustained gun shot wounds. still recognize fault in the course of the trial.