Arizona Daily WildcatBy Erik Flesch Friday March 28, 2003

What do the UA Young Socialists, Students Against Sweatshops, the Alliance for Peace and Justice in the Middle East, Refuse and Resist, Beyond Tolerance, Heatwave and a motley group of campus pacifists all have in common? Contempt for the absolutism of reason, the inalienable morality of individual happiness, and the defense of intellectual and political liberty — in short, contempt for the founding principles of America’s capitalist social system.

Though the style and particular emphasis of these UA organizations vary — for example, on whether armed revolution is the means to dismantle the U.S. capitalist establishment (Heatwave), or if rallying the public around “labor rights” is sufficient (SAS) — their hatred for the war has brought these squadrons together in a united “24-hour anti-war Infoshop,” an anti-war sit-in of sorts disguised as an “information center,” here at the UA.

Members of these groups mobilized Monday and moved in to occupy three study rooms on the fourth floor of the Main Library, where they vow to squat until further notice. Security guards who intended to toss them out threw up their hands when the members threatened to call the media. (They would prefer, but have thus far been prohibited from, holding this continuous occupation on the UA Mall. Rachel Wilson of SAS revealed to me yesterday, however, that their ACLU lawyer may be able to score the location for them later this week.)

They also have received extraordinarily over-generous special permission by Vita Kowalski, our dean of students, to protest outside Speaker’s Corner — the area in the center of the Mall set aside for such public forums — with an imposingly amplified open mic right on the steps of the Administration building every day from noon to 1 p.m.

They are protesting the U.S.- and British-led campaign to topple the totalitarian regime of Saddam Hussein, a butcher who ordered munitions be concealed in heavily populated areas to deter Western forces — who Saddam knows are loath to put civilians in harm’s way — from disarming his regime and ending its reign of terror. The Arizona Daily Wildcat reported Wednesday that, according to one protester, “The original goal (of the demonstration) was to show solidarity with the people who are dying in Iraq.” But since Greg Knehans of Refuse and Resist stressed that “everyone is actively against Saddam Hussein,” I think it is fair to ask: Just exactly who, then, are these Iraqis being targeted by coalition troops with whom these protesters stand in solidarity? Erik Flesch

By default, they stand in solidarity with the Saddam Fedayeen — Iraq’s paramilitary “secret police” who torture Iraqi citizens who dare to criticize their dictator, and who dress in U.S. military uniforms only to slaughter any fellow countrymen who attempt to surrender to them or try to flee their city. Reports Thursday indicate these Fedayeen thugs are kidnapping children from their homes and holding them hostage to force their parents to fight for Saddam.

They stand in solidarity with Saddam’s Republican Guard, who are lining up women and children ahead of their units as human shields, who shoot at coalition troops while waving the white flag, and who film and release to state-owned propaganda television for broadcast throughout Arabic nations the execution and humiliation of prisoners of war.

They stand in solidarity with militant Islamic radicals whom Iraq calls brothers, and who demand the destruction of the state of Israel and the extermination of Jewish people — which they call Palestinian liberation.

They stand in solidarity with Saddam’s role model, Josef Stalin — the Soviet dictator who forced the collectivization of agriculture and industry, attempted to eradicate by force the separate identities of his nation’s minorities, invaded neighboring countries, and maintained absolute power through a powerful secret police, informers, mass deportations and executions.

They stand in solidarity against the United States with Saddam and his political allies in Iran, Cuba, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela, Syria and other socialist nations who advocate and orchestrate the nationalization of private property — starting with foreign-owned businesses and any other money-making ventures created by productive, rational men and women — and the forced labor of its citizens according to the orders of its ruling party.

Consistent with the collective-rallying tactics of the regimes they are defending, this union of UA anti-war activists has chosen to coerce students into listening to them via a pseudo-blockade of library study rooms and the entrance to the Administration building and the brute physical intimidation of mob gatherings.

By such means, these so-called peace protesters show their contempt for the individual rational mind, which requires the freedom to weigh the evidence without such obnoxious intimidation.

And Dean Kowalski et al. have not defended the interests of students by closing their eyes to such violations of campus rules.

Erik Flesch is a geosciences junior. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu

Reference By TOM JONES © St. Petersburg Times published March 28, 2003

CLEARWATER -- The Devil Rays' opening-day starter might be struggling, but their No. 2 pitcher looks in regular-season form.

Make that fine regular-season form.

One day after staff ace Joe Kennedy finished a dreadful spring by getting pounded by the Yankees, Victor Zambrano was just about perfect against the Phillies on Thursday at Jack Russell Stadium.

Zambrano retired the first 12 batters and didn't give up a hit in five scoreless and impressive innings as the Rays no-hit the Phillies 8-0.

"I'm glad for the opportunity to be the No. 2 starter, and I have felt good all spring," Zambrano said. "The team has played (well) behind me, and tonight the defense was really good."

It really didn't need to be.

The only hiccup Zambrano suffered came in the fifth inning. After retiring the Phillies in order through four, Zambrano hit Pat Burrell in the head on an off-speed pitch that got away. He then hit the next batter, David Bell, on the thigh. But a double play and a popup got him out of trouble.

The performance capped a solid spring for Zambrano. In 22 innings against major-league lineups, Zambrano allowed 11 hits and five runs with 16 strikeouts and three walks.

"When I was back in my country (Venezuela), I worked very hard to get ready for spring training," Zambrano said. "And I've been getting better each (start) all spring. I'm ready to go."

JONNY BE GOOD: What a night for the Rays' Jonny Gomes, who is expected to start the season at Double-A Orlando.

Called up for Thursday's game, Gomes homered in his first-ever spring at-bat, a three-run blast on the second pitch.

He then made a diving catch in left with two outs in the eighth to preserve the no-hitter.

This comes after the 22-year-old has a heart attack Christmas Eve.

When the game was over, Rays manager Lou Piniella said Gomes had tears in his eyes.

"Back at Christmas, I was laying in a hospital bed for five days," Gomes said. "I didn't know if I was going to get shut down. To be here, it was a pretty emotional night for me."

It isn't sure if Piniella was serious, but he said he was going to take another look at Gomes and might use him as a designated hitter today.

"Hey," Piniella said. "We keep saying we're looking for right-handed power."

THANKS BUT NO THANKS: The Rays will not be bringing back outfielder Adrian Brown. The Rays rejected the tender of his contract after he was offered back by the Red Sox as a Rule 5 player.

His contract stays with the Red Sox, who likely will send Brown to the minors.

STOLEN MOMENTS: Perhaps the brightest, and certainly the fastest, star for the Rays this spring has been outfielder Carl Crawford. Entering play Thursday, the leadoff hitter was batting .303 with a .343 on-base percentage.

Most impressively, though, he stole his ninth base of the spring Thursday. That's tops in the majors.

That fits in well with Piniella's style. Over the past four years, Piniella's teams have attempted and stolen more bases than any team in the majors.

GAME DETAILS: The Rays took a 4-0 lead with two runs each in the first and second innings. Former Phillie Travis Lee, booed by the Clearwater crowd, delivered a two-run double in the first. Crawford and Rocco Baldelli, who went 3-for-4, had run-scoring hits in the second. ... Catcher Javier Valentin had a pair of singles. ... Rey Ordonez went 3-for-4.

MISCELLANY: Pitcher Dan Reichert, released by the Rays two weeks ago, signed a minor-league with Toronto on Thursday. ... Damian Rolls returned to the Rays. He missed Wednesday's game to attend the birth of his daughter.

Source FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2003 By ELIZABETH DONALD

As part of a resolution to participate in community outreach at least once a month, the Student Assembly (S.A.) dined with Intensive English students in place of their usual weekly meeting.

The Intensive English Program (IEP) is "a program that helps [students] learn our customs and how 'normal' Cornell students talk," said Katie Howell '04, vice president of communication for IEP.

During the dinner, S.A. members and IEP students had a chance to discuss a wide range of topics, from the national health care system in South Korea to housing problems to the current political situation in Venezuela.

"The best experience [as a student in IEP] is seeing how different people look at the world -- maybe things that are right and normal for you are taboo for others," said Chriss Ruiz, a student from Venezuela. "Being a foreign student is hard, but it is very fun at the same time."

The IEP is made up of 49 students who speak a total of nine different native languages and have 39 fields of study. The students are non-matriculated, though many are applying to Cornell now or are considering doing so in the future.

"It's like a study-abroad experience [and] the majority of them have come here with the intention of going into some higher education institution in America," said Richard L. Feldman '69, director of the Language Learning Center.

Feldman gave a short speech during the dinner, expanding further on the goals and methods of the IEP.

"One of the things we do as teachers is encourage [the students] to find their places in the community. ... The program tries to provide a kind of transitional community for the students," Feldman said.

He also commented on the new complexities involved in obtaining international student visas.

"It's become much more difficult to come here -- a lot more paperwork," he said.

Though IEP students stay at Cornell for a relatively short time, "they're bringing to the Cornell community their experiences, backgrounds and perspectives," Feldman added.

Howell was pleased with the turnout of both S.A. members and IEP students, and S.A. president Noah Doyle '03 expressed his satisfaction with the way the S.A. has carried out its community involvement resolution.

"I'm really proud of the work [Howell] has done in reaching out to the community. Service is an intricate part of leadership; I'm proud the S.A. has taken part in a service event every month this year," Doyle said.

The S.A. hoped that the resolution would have a broader effect as well.

"We really wanted this to have a domino effect on our campus leaders to reach out and benefit Cornell and the surrounding community," he said.

<a href=www.qctimes.com>Source Last Updated: 10:14 pm, Thursday, March 27th, 2003 By Thomas Geyer .  Gasoline prices at many Quad-City area stations fell by as much as a dime per gallon Wednesday and Thursday as wholesale prices plummeted. . A number of stations in the Iowa Quad-Cities were selling regular unleaded at between $1.43 and $1.47 a gallon Thursday, a day after at least one Moline station dropped its price to $1.50, a level last seen in the area during January. . Analysts say the primary reason prices at the pump have plummeted is because crude oil, the largest cost component of gasoline, has fallen after reaching more than $37 a barrel March 12 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, or Nymex. . “The Midwest is faring a lot better than the national average right now,” said Doug MacIntyre, an oil analyst with the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Energy. . But he warned consumers energy prices are volatile in the short run and that things could change. . While the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, has promised to make up any shortfall of Iraqi oil during the war, it was expected that Iraq would be able to export some oil in the Oil for Food Program. But that has been put on hold. . And civil strife in Nigeria has caused the African country’s production and exports to drop. . “Normally, Nigeria produces about 2.2 million barrels a day,” MacIntyre said. “Currently, we have them down to about 1.4 million a day.” . In 2002, he added, Nigeria exported 1.85 million barrels a day worldwide, making that country the seventh-largest oil exporter in the world, according to the DOE. Last year, Nigerian crude accounted for about 6 percent of U.S. oil imports, or about 600,000 barrels a day. . But there is some good news, he said. . During the week ending March 21, the United States received normal imports from Venezuela, the first time that has happened since the week of Dec. 6, and it appears production is back up to 3 million barrels a day there. . Production at the South American country’s state-owned oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, the parent company of Citgo, was crippled after a nationwide strike. . Before the strike, Venezuela provided about 15 percent of U.S. crude imports. . “It’s an encouraging sign,” MacIntyre said. “But one week does not make a trend, so we’d like to see a few more weeks before we pronounce them back to normal.” . Still, said Greg Bereskin, an economist at St. Ambrose University, Davenport, and president of the National Transportation Research Forum, oil had nowhere to go but down since it reached a price no one wanted to pay. . “That’s why our stocks were so low,” he said. “Nobody was buying it.” . Venezuela, he added, was a large reason why crude prices were so high. . As for the war, the Arab members of OPEC are willing to make up the difference for Iraq, not just because they fear Saddam Hussein, but because they have a chance to make money, he said. . “Publicly, they pay lip service to Saddam,” he said. “But all of them in one way or another are either supporting, or at least not fighting, the war effort in Iraq. And simply by not going against it is tacit support. Underneath it all, the rulers in all those countries are probably just as scared of Saddam as anyone in this country is.” . And while those rulers might be scared of democracy as well, the oil producers are businessmen, he added. . “They’re profit maximizers,” he said. “Even though the price has come down, they have an incentive to keep producing because they’re picking up the profit. OPEC is profiting off of Saddam’s loss.” . Thomas Geyer can be contacted at (563) 383-2328 or tgeyer@qctimes.com.

The Associated Press By Amy Baldwin

NEW YORK — Inertia settled over Wall Street yesterday, leaving stocks little changed as the market waited for news indicating allied forces were making progress in Iraq. The major indexes closed slightly lower.

Stocks are expected to remain vulnerable amid uncertainty about the war. Wall Street's chief concern is that the fighting could last months, posing an additional risk to the economy as uneasy businesses and consumers curtail spending.

"Every delay in ending the war is just going to be negative for the market," said Stephen Carl, principal and head of equity trading at The Williams Capital Group.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 28.43 at 8,201.45. The Dow retreated 50.35 on Wednesday and shed 307.29 on Monday, the market's worst day in six months.

Dow components Microsoft and Boeing went in opposite directions, as Microsoft edged 21 cents lower to close at $25.04 per share and Boeing added 12 cents to $26.52.

The market's broader gauges also posted modest losses. The Nasdaq composite index fell 3.20 to 1,384.25. The Standard & Poor's 500 index declined 1.43 to 868.52.

In the past 2-1/2 weeks, investors have gone from feeling euphoric and optimistic the war would be over soon, to deeply fearful that fighting would drag on. Yesterday, they seemed almost detached in the absence of significant war developments.

The market again saw some profit-taking yesterday, as more investors sought to preserve the gains they made when stocks surged higher in the optimistic days leading up to the war and the first few days of fighting. The Dow has given back about 386 points, or nearly 40 percent, of the 997 points it gained over the course of eight sessions.

Once again, the economy gave investors reason to be pessimistic. The Commerce Department reported yesterday that the economy as measured by gross domestic product grew at a lackluster 1.4 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2002, meeting analysts' expectations. Many analysts predict the economy could fare worse in the current quarter as the sluggish job market and war uncertainties make consumers and businesses even more cautious.

Gold/oil

In U.S. trading, gold continued to slip, giving up $1.70 to $328.40 per ounce.

Oil prices gained $1.99 to $30.47 a barrel, the first time they've been above $30 a barrel since war broke out in Iraq.

Prices have climbed nearly 13 percent since last Friday, when they hit a three-month low as concerns about worldwide supplies replaced early hopes for a quick end to the Iraq war.

Traders, who expect the volatility to continue at least until the end of fighting in Iraq, have plenty to worry about:

• Commercial inventories of crude are extremely low in the United States at a time when refiners are cranking out gasoline for the summer driving season.

• Iraqi exports have ceased and supplies from Nigeria and Venezuela are down because of labor strife, taking more than 3 million barrels a day out of the market.

• Finally, analysts said the extra petroleum being pumped by Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members to offset that shortfall hasn't entirely reached U.S. shores and might not be enough to calm markets when it does.