U.S. Hostage Freed by Iranian-Backed Captives IDAMASCUS, ) / \ L\/1 / \ ^ F I I ^ Syria1/ 1*1 II (AP) ( a P I — a a Briefing Byun U.S
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The Observer VOL. XXIII NO. 129 MONDAY , APRIL 23, 1990 THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME AND SAINT MARY’S U.S. hostage freed by Iranian-backed captives DAMASCUS,I ) / \ l\/1 / \ ^ f I I ^ Syria1/ 1*1 II (AP)( A P I — AA briefing byUn U.S. IT C intelligenceininll irf of nl' captivity andorifl tried f»*inrl to keepi 1/his ZA zx n Viin I ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ gaunt, pale Robert Pol hill was ficers at a U.S. military hospi mind off the possibility of free Robert Polhill freed Sunday by pro-Iranian tal. Other American captives dom. Kidnapped Shiite Moslem militants in freed in the past have also gone “ I strived to continue to be Jan. 24, 1987 Beirut after 1,182 days as a there. angry, knowing at all times Released hostage, and he said his anger President Bush thanked Syria that if I began to lose that April22, 1990 kept him alive. and Iran for their roles in free anger I would just sort of be He was the first American ing Polhill, and called for the come a vegetable and I didn’t hostage to be released in nearly release of all the hostages. want that to happen,” he said 31/2years^_________^_ Seventeen Western hostages in the interview. Polhill was held hostage ■ Bush's reaction/ page 6 remain missing in Lebanon, in The terms of the release, by the Islamic Jihad for cluding seven Americans. which followed a series of the Liberation of Palestine. In Iran, a newspaper close to Polhill, a professor of business communiques from the Shiite ■ Age 55, New York Iranian President llashemi studies and accounting at Moslem kidnappers, were not ■ Professor of business Rafsanjani said Monday that Beirut University College, and known. studies and accounting at the Lebanese kidnappers should Robert Polhill two other U.S. educators, Jesse Guards outside the release another American happy man tonight,” Polhill Turner and Alann Steen, were Summerland who witnessed the Beirut University College hostage immediately without told a news conference in held by the Islamic Jihad for release said Polhill stepped out ■ Currently married to his conditions. Damascus, looking dazed but the Liberation of Palestine. of a car that screeched to a second wife, Feryal. Polhill Polhill, 55, of New York, was elated. In a Syrian TV interview, halt about 50 yards from the has two children from his freed near the seaside Polhill said he was grateful to hotel. first marriage. Summerland Hotel in Moslem Early Monday, he and his those who helped him, but He was immediately picked up ■ Polhill Is a diabetic who west Beirut at 5:15 p.m. (11:15 Lebanese wife, Feryal, took off added: “ I’m still deeply con by a three-car Syrian convoy requires daily medication. a.m. RDT) and driven immedi from the Syrian capital in a cerned about my two friends and driven off at high speed. ■ Attended Cornell University ately to Damascus where he U.S. A ir Force C-131 transport and others who are still held in The Syrian TV footage and graduated from New was tu rn e d over to U.S. for Weisbaden, West Germany. the conditions I was held in." showed Polhill being driven York University in 1961, Ambassador Edward Djerejian. In Weisbaden, Polhill will un Polhill said he played cards after which he began work as a New York accountant. "I want to tell you I’m a very dergo medical checks and a de with other hostages during his see Hostage / page 6 ■ AP Coup attempt in Nigeria crushed LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — The m ilita ry govern ment said it crushed a coup attempt Sunday after heavy fighting with renegade troops who wanted to break up Nigeria’s federation of states to end Moslem domination. The rebellious soldiers battled troops loyal to President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida for control of the capital Sunday after radio reports said that a coup was under way in this sprawling West African nation. But 11 hours after the fighting began, Lt. Gen. Sani Abacha, army chief and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, went on the radio to say the coup was smashed. He also said Babangida was safe. Abacha’s declaration that rebels not already in custody should give themselves up suggested that pockets of resistance remained. The rebellion appeared to be led by middle- ranking officers opposed to traditional domina tion by Moslem northerners over the central and southern states, which are mainly Christian and animist. Early Sunday, a man identifying himself as Maj. Gideon Ngwozor Oka announced on the Lagos station of Radio Nigeria: “ Fellow Nigerian citizens, on behalf of the pa triotic and well-meaning peoples of the Middle Belt and southern parts of this country, I ... Spring comes to ND The Observer/Kevin Weise wish to happily inform you of the successful ousting of the dictatorial, corrupt, drug-baro- Many students enjoyed the beautiful weather this past weekend by participating in activities such as the Fisher Regatta, Hog nish, inhumane, sadistic, deceitful, homosexually stock,and St. Ed's carnival or just by stretching out on the quad to catch some of the------------ first -rays ■ of the' tanning seasonII ivy iuimiim^ ocaouil. centered----------— ■ and unpatrioticU1 I(JUUIUUV; administration UUIIIIIMOU of (UIUIIGen. 1 / 1 well. ________________________________________ IbrahimIbrahim Babangida." Babangida.” Canadian air force jet Sandinistas content with electoral process fighter crashes in Pacific in Nicaragua, official says; wants peace Chamorro, is scheduled to take EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Comox on the British By peterPETER LOFTUSloftus im S L Assistant News Editor control of the Nicaraguan gov — A Canadian air force jet Columbian island were ernment Wednesday, April 25. fighter crashed Sunday into searching for the jet. The Sandinistas, whose ideol the Pacific Ocean about 18 The fighter is part of the Although he will be out of a ogy is based on a Marxist-so miles west of Vancouver 441 Tactical Fighter job by April 25, one Nicaraguan cialist foundation, have been in Is la n d , a m ilit a r y Squadron based at CFB Cold government official is content control of the government since spokeswoman said. The fate Lake. their revolution in 1979. In of the pilot was unknown. The CF-18 is a version of ■ Story on lecture / page 7 1984, they also won a free The one-man CF-18 the American-made F-18 election which allowed them to crashed shortly after 2 p.m. fighter, built by St. Louis- that the democratic electoral retain power. PDT, said Maj. Jan based McDonnell Douglas. process was successfully car Bendana, 39, who received a Martinson of the Canadian The crash was the second ried out, and that the first Ph.D. in history from Harvard Forces base in Cold Lake, involving Canadian Forces F- peaceful transfer of power in University in 1979, said that he, Alberta. He did not release 18s in five days. One pilot Nicaraguan history will take “can’t pretend not to be disap the pilot’s name. was killed and another place. Alejandro Bendana pointed” that Chamorro won The aircraft was on a rou slightly injured after two of Alejandro Bendana, the secre the current situation in the presidential election on tine training mission with a the Canadian jets collided tary general of the Nicaraguan Nicaragua. February 25. second CF-18, she said. over the West German city of foreign ministry, answered The United National Opposi Search and rescue aircraft Karlsruhe, showering the questions at a Friday press tion (UNO) coalition, headed by from the forces’ base in city with flaming debris. conference about his views on president-elect Violeta see Bendana / page 4 Monday, April 23, 1990 Pag9 2 The Observer I n s id e C o l u m n W e a t h e r Forecast for noon, Monday, April 23. Yesterday’s high: 73 Urgent Lines show high temperatures. Yesterday’s low: 42 Nation’s high: 94 (Chamberlain, SD and messages for Presidio, Tex.) Nation’s low: 26 urgent times (Bradford, PA) Forecast: Mostly sunny and warm today with a high around “Because something 75. Tonight will be fair is happening here and and warmer with a low in you don’t know w hat the middle 50’s. Partly it is, do you, Mr. sunny Tuesday with a 30 Jones?" was a ques percent chance of after tion asked by those noon thunderstorms. The “in” during the 60s high will be in the 70 s. and is being asked again now by pilgrims Joe Moody returning from Med- jugorje, Yugoslavia. Assistant News Editor While most of the FRONTS. campus will be racing to get away from academia as soon as possible, or just plain getting sloppy, thousands of peace-loving, COLD WARM ST/IT,OAMRY O1990Accu-Weather.,nc. Rosary-praying people, either in-touch with Pressure or searching for God, will be streaming to © (D (vvl [v q P i Notre Dame to keep-up or find out what is HIGH LOW SHOWERS RAIN T-STORMS FLURRIES SNOW ICE SUNNY PT. CLOUDY CLOUDY happening. The University’s own JACC is the location Via Associated Press GraphicsNet of the 1990 National Conference on Medju- gorje. It begins the last day of finals (May 11) and continues until Sunday. O f I n t e r e s t The uproar began nearly nine years ago when the Virgin Mary was reported to be An exchange of ideas among liberal and conserva Interested in teaching in Japan? come talk with appearing to six children (called visionar tive students and professors will take place at 7:30 p.m.