The O bserver VOL. XXIII NO. 76 FRIDAY , JANUARY 26, 1990 THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME AND SAINT MARY’S Colombian jet crashes on Long Island; many dead, injured COVE NECK, N.Y. (AP) — A all over the place. ... It was the there. The FAA knew of at least said Port Authority Police cording to the National Colombian Boeing 707 with worst thing you ever saw,” an 30 survivors, Bergen said. Officer Phil Montouri. Weather Service. more than 140 people aboard unidentified young man who Many ambulances and heli­ M ontouri said “ there was no Steve Ulman, a Cove Neck crashed in fog and rain arrived at the scene told copters were at the scene, radio communication at all to resident, said the plane nar­ Thursday night while on ap­ WNBC-TV. where bloodied victims were the tower. It just went down.” rowly missed a house and pro a eh to Kennedy At least nine people were con­ lined up on stretchers. Some The plane had missed one ap­ crashed three houses away International Airport, killing at firmed dead, said Kathleen passengers were seen lying proach to Kennedy and gone from one owned by tennis star least nine people and injuring Bergen, a spokeswoman for the motionless. Others, including around a second time, accord­ John McEnroe. dozens, authorities said. Federal Aviation children, were conscious and ing to the FAA’s Bergen. CNN The airliner went down in the Avianca Flight 52 en route Administration. Early reports apparently not seriously hurt reported that the plane ran out town of Cove Neck, located at from Bogota crashed at about from hospitals had at least 33 as they were helped from the of fuel before it crashed. about the same place where the 9:45 p.m. in a sparsely popu­ people hospitalized and others wreckage. The jet broke into four pieces tower lost contact, said Officer lated area of northern Long en route. Kennedy’s control tower lost upon impact, said Coast Guard Peter Franzone of the Nassau Island, breaking into several contact with Flight 52 at 9:34 Petty Officer' Jeff Crawley. County police. The plane car- pieces, Kennedy airport offi­ CBS-TV reported that doctors p.m. when the Boeing 707 was There was less than half a mile cials said. on the scene said at least 80 about 15 miles northeast of the of visibility and it was raining “ There were just dead bodies survivors were being cared for airport after a five-hour flight, at the time of the crash, ac­ see CRASH / page 7 Warring Soviets call cease-fire MOSCOW (AP) — W arring nationalists agreed Thursday to a cease-fire along one of the tense battlefronts of the bloody conflict between Ar­ menia and Azerbaijan, Tass said. The announcement came as Baltic activists, worried that the dispute might affect their own peaceful push for independence, offered to help mediate the blood feud between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Iran, which has ethnic and religious ties to Azerbaijan, also offered to help settle the crisis. There were fewer reports of fighting Thurs­ day. Tass said life was returning to normal in Baku, the Azerbaijani capital that was the scene of much of the violence. _______________________ ■ Conflict has deep roots / page 6 During talks in the Armenian town of Yeraskhe, representatives of the Armenian All- National Movement and the People’s Front of Nakhichevan agreed to lay down their weapons, the Soviet news agency said. “ According to the agreement ... along the en­ tire border between Armenia and the Nakhichevan Autonomous region all exchanges of fire between opposing informal groups must stop,” Tass said. Nakhichevan is culturally and politically a part of Azerbaijan, although it is physically sep­ arated from the republic by Armenia, which lies on its northern border. It is bounded by Iran on the south and a small section in the west bor­ ders T urkey. Tass did not say whether the truce was hold- AP Photo see TRUCE / page 6 Azerbaijanis angered by the Soviet government's use of Baku. A cease-fire along the border of Armenia and the troops tear up their Communist Party membership cards in Nakhichevan Autonomous region went into effect yesterday. $10.6 million drug plan China veto upheld by Congress WA8HINGTON (AP) — The country as well as the goal of for democratic reform in unveiled by Bush $enate on Thursday narrowly improving relations with Eastern Europe, “ this veto upheld President Bush’s veto of China.” sends a contrary message to a bill protecting Chinese stu­ WASHINGTON (AP) — Judiciary Committee, Sen. Bush then invited the 37 the millions of students and dents from deportation, leaving President Bush, vowing “ to Joseph Biden, D-Del., Republican senators who voted workers in China who are do whatever it takes,” would cost $14.6 billion, his China policy intact and giv­ with him, and the 25 House struggling for democracy in ing him a victory in the year’s proposed a $1.1 billion give the president’s drug Republicans who stood with their country.” first test of strength with the increase Thursday for the policy coordinator Cabinet him on Wednesday, to the But Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., Democratic-controlled war against drugs, target­ status and outlaw White House for beer and pret­ the minority leader, said the Congress. ing more money for a semiautomatic weapons. zels. congressional showdown was $enators voted 62-37 to over­ Pentagon attack on cocaine Bush said he expects the Haiching Zhao of the the equivalent of “ throwing out traffickers and urging the Senate w ill try to approve a ride Bush’s veto, four short of Independent Federation of the first ball” of the 1990 elec­ the two-thirds necessary. death penalty for drug higher budget than he is Chinese 8tudents and Scholars, tion season and was being used kingpins. asking, but said, “We do The action came a day after which represents Chinese stu­ by Democrats to force GOP se­ the House had voted over­ sense a desire on the part dents studying in the United nators to cast “ a tough politi­ Democrats, big-city mayors whelming to reject Bush’s veto, of the Congress to co­ States, said he was “ gravely cal vote” to support the presi­ and followed an intense White say drug plan is inadequate/ operate. ... disappointed” by the vote. dent. House lobbying blitz that in­ page 8 ______________ ___ “In terms of the In Newton, Mass., Harvard “ It’s not China policy, it’s cluded telephone calls from Overall, Bush’s package objectives of this strategy, graduate student Xiaxia Gong American politics,” Dole said. would total $10.6 billion we’re in pretty close accord Bush and former President said, “ How can we believe Just before the vote, Bush Richard Nixon. and boost the cost of the with both Democrats and someone who has already had publicly renewed his In a televised appearance just nation’s drug-fighting Republicans on the Hill, so cheated and sent high-level of­ promise that the 40,000 after the vote, Bush said, “ We strategy in fiscal 1991 by I think we can get early ficials to China when he said he Chinese students in the United 11.6 percent over current action,” Bush said. Early will continue to urge China to would not?” States would be fully protected respect the human rights of its spending of $9.5 billion. congressional reaction split Before the Senate roll call. even without the legislation. citizens.” He hailed the vote as A rival plan from the predictably along party Senate M ajority Leader George “ No student, as long as I ’m “ reaffirming our commitment chairman of the Senate lines. Mitchell, D-Maine, said that to Chinese students in this while Bush has voiced support ____________ see DRUGS / page 8 see VETO / page 4 page 2 The Observer Friday, January 26, 1990 I n s id e C o l u m n W e a t h e r Forecast for noon, Friday, January 26. Graduation is Lines show high temperatures. all a matter of Nation's high: 85 (Fort course(s) Myers and Orlando, FL) Nation’s low: -10 (Gunnison, CO) It is every student’s nightmare. It is every Forecast: Becoming parent’s greatest mostly sunny Friday. fear. Highs around 35. Becom­ It is THE PHONE Chris Donnelly ing partly cloudy late Fri­ CALL. Editor-in-Chief day night. Lows around “ Mom, Dad, this is 25. Mostly cloudy and Phil. I have some warmer Saturday with a good news and some 30 percent chance of rain bad news. The good or snow showers. Highs news is you’ll be sav- ___________________ in the lower 40s early, ing $400 in plane FRONTS: then temperatures falling fares for graduation.” into the 30s. “That’s great, son. We’re glad to hear you finally got that job with United Airlines. COLD WARM STATIONARY What a great salary bonus. We’re so proud ©1990 Accu-Weather, Inc. of you." Pressure “No, Dad, that’s not it. You won’t need ® © E 3 fvvj p q a tickets because I won’t be graduating this HIGH LOW SHOWERS RAIN T-STORMS FLURRIES SNOW ICE SUNNY PT. CLOUDY CLOUDY year.” “ You WHAT? How did you *#@% this up? Via Associated Press GraphicsNet I thought you told me you wanted to be in that whatyacallit American program be­ cause it was easy.” “ No Dad, it’s not grades. I have a 3.7.” “It’s drugs, isn't it? $60,000 of my money O f I n t e r e s t and you’re not graduating because you’re a druggie.