WEEKEND EDITION FEATURES INSIDE ■ TV listings grids /Pages 12,13 ■ Religion and seniors news /P age 5 Support ■ Games and hobbies /P age 6 our ■ Com ics /P age 7 troops! ■ Reader’s forum /P age 4 What's News Manchester’s Award-Winning Newspaper Saturtjay, Feb. 23,1991 Power outage MANCHESTER — Parker Street-area residents were incon­ Ground war deadline looms venienced for more than 30 Iraqi pullout within eight days, and a Soviet airmen on call at desert bases — all stood by minutes Friday as high winds By CHARLES J. HANLEY on the Iraqi defense lines in Kuwait. proposal for a three-week pullout, a plan that Friday as decisions on all-out war or sudden ripped down power lines causing The Associated Press The Iraqis wielded the fire weapon, too, set­ might relieve Iraq of responsibility for war ting more than 140 oil wells ablaze in Kuwait, peace were made in distant capitals. They 173 homes to be without reparations. U.S. military officials said. Blankets of black sounded uncertain but “good to go,” in the lan­ electricity, a Northeast Utility President Bush and the allies Friday gave As if to address that concern, the Iraqis ap­ guage of the foxholes. spokeswoman said. Iraq 24 hours to begin a pullout from Kuwait smoke spread through the desert skies. pealed for United Nations intervention to deter­ The dying also continued. One U.S. Marine “After six months at sea, we want a piece of The power outage began or face a final all-out attack. The Iraqis mine war damages in both Kuwait and Iraq. was killed and five others were wounded him,” one eager Marine, Lance Cpl. James about 2:10 p.m., Friday. By, denounced the “shameful” U.S. ultimatum and While rapid-fire diplomatic developments Friday in an artillery duel across the border, the Hartzog, said of Iraqi President Saddam Hus­ 2:53 p.m., all power to the area aligned themselves instead with a Soviet peace held world attention, the 205-day-old crisis slid U.S. command reported. Twenty Americans sein. was restored, the spokeswoman plan. hour by hour toward a fateful, bloody ground have been killed in action in Operation Desert Diplomacy, declarations and denunciations said. battle. But Iraq did not clearly reject the possibility Storm, 30 are listed as missing and nine as had produced an explosive showdown by Friday’s high winds caused of a quick withdrawal. The U.S.-led coalition’s preparations for a several other outages in towns prisoners. Friday afternoon. The Gulf War stood at a crossroads between major assault on Kuwait went on, in fiery Marines afloat in the Persian Gulf, throughout Connecticut as well, a U.S. demand for an immediate, unconditional showers of napalm and fuel-air bombs dropped paratroopers poised at the northern battle line, Please see WAR, page 8. she said. Arguments in gay scout case Troops Bush stakes LOS ANGELES (AP) — A civil liberties lawyer argued Friday that the Boy Scouts of await America should not be allowed his presidency to exclude homosexuals any more than Rotary International is allowed to exclude women Iraq’s from membership. But a lawyer for the Scouts on war outcome said that admitting homosexuals the president may be on shakier contradicts Scout policy that decision By FINLAY LEWIS homosexuals are poor role political footing if he orders a . ■ m Copley News Service models. ground offensive against well By MARTIN MARRIS ^ o entrenched Iraqi positions in the m m J. The conunents came in final WASHINGTON — President The Associated Press Kuwaiti theater involving over arguments at the second phase Bush’s unyielding insistence on 500,000 battle-hardened enemy sol­ IN EASTERN SAUDI ARABIA of a trial in which Timothy Cur­ Iraq’s unconditional withdrawal diers and the possibility of chemical — American soldiers said Friday ran, a former Eagle Scout, is from Kuwait indicates that he may challenging the organization’s warfare. in.' they hoped Baghdad would answer be betting his presidency on the anti-gay policy. Most analysts agree that the key positively to Washington’s ul­ willingness of Americans to endure Curran was expelled from variable in determining the public’s timatum about an Iraqi withdrawal, a potentially bloody ground war reaction in that case involves the but insisted they are ready to drive Scouting in 1980 after Scout of­ rather than settle for an unsatisfac- ficials learned he had taken a numbers of American casualties, Iraq from Kuwait if necessary. male date to his senior prom. He with support likely to drop if the “It’s about time we do someth­ sued and has since sought the fighting proves unexpectedly lethal. ing,” said Air Ftorce Staff Sgt. Trent right to rejoin as an adult Scout Analysis For example, a poll earlier this Maness, 27, of Selmcr, Tenn. “They leader. month by Louis Harris & Assoc, for either move out or face the conse­ National Public Radio shows that 68 quences. We’ve been carrying this tory diplomatic solution that falls percent of the country would oppose on too long now, as it is.” School principal short of national objectives. So far, Bush has enjoyed nearly “ordering American ground troops On Friday, President Bush set a deadline of 8 pjn. local time Satur­ poison attempt unprecedented popular support for into battle, if it is likely to involve day for Iraq to begin withdrawing its SUMTER, S.C. (AP) — An his conduct of Operation Desert heavy American casualties.” forces from Kuwait or face a ground 11-year-old girl tried to poison Storm, with most public opinion The definition of “heavy” in the war. minds of Americans, however, her principal in an attempt to polls showing that over 80 percent of Americans approve of his remains unclear. Most of the U.S. soldiers inter­ prevent her parents from learn­ viewed at an air base in eastern ing that she had been in a fight decision to take military action For example, a Los Angeles against Iraq’s occupation force in Times poll earlier this week shows Saudi Arabia said they were relieved at school, police said. Bush finally had issued a deadline Kuwait. that 60 percent of the respondents The fifth-grader had a because they were tired of waiting As a result, political experts allied expect that 10,000 Americans will classmate deliver a cupcake con­ with both parties agree that Bush die in the war still support the effort. for Iraqi Ic^er Saddam Hussein to taining three pellets of rat poison pull out. has been operating so far from a And while only seven percent of to Zona Jefferson, principal of position of considerable strength in those polled favor launching a Tha Asaoclatad Pros# Some soldiers went further, Alice Drive Elementary School, however, saying U.S. ground forces conducting the war, enjoying con­ ground attack “as soon as possible,” MISSILE BIDDING — A crowd surrounds a claimed allied on Feb. 12, said Police Chief should attack anyway. siderable latitude in the pursuit of 78 percent of the respondents said missile, reportedly recovered in Iraq, during an auction of the Harold Johnson. “I don’t think wc should give him Ms. Jefferson did not eat the his war aims. These include his in- they would back Bush if he decides missile in Amman, Jordan, Friday. Missiles and other allied anything,” said Spec. Mary Lipsett, cupcake because another student sistance that Iraq not be rewarded on an infantry assault. war debris have been auctioned in Jordan recently to aid the 29, from Louisiana's Pbrt Polk. warned her. Johnson said he did for its invasion of Kuwait and that “It depends on how it plays out,” Iraqi war effort. This auction raised $30,000, the organizers “We’ve given him more than not think the dose would have its retreat be unconditional. been enough to kill the principal. However, some polls show that Please see BUSH, page 8. said. Please see TROOPS, page 8. Boiled body acquittal Prayer sought NEW YORK (AP) — A man Offshore energy drilling accused of killing his girlfirend and boiling her body down to a pile of bones was found in­ spares region — for now for graduations nocent by reason of insanity Friday, a verdict two jurors said sive new exploration around Alaska, which is “Wliatcvcr special concerns about was delivered to end a standoff By CHRISTOPHER ROSCHE By RICHARD CARELLI subtle coercion may be present in with a lone holdout. predicted to hold large oil reserves, and the Gulf of Herald Washington Bureau The Associated Press Mexico, where some of the nation’s most significant Under the state Supreme the classroom setting — where in­ discoveries of natural gas have taken place in recent Court jury’s verdict, Daniel WASHINGTON — The Bush ad­ culcation is the name of the game — WASHINGTON — Shamly scaling back the of­ years. Rakowitz, 30, could become fshore areas available for oil and gas exploration, the ministration urged the Supreme they do not carry over into the com­ Even with the reduction in total number of tracts. In­ eligible for release in six 1 mencement setting, which is more federal government Thursday announced a new five- Court on Friday to allow prayers at months. terior officials expect the new five-year proposal properly understood as a civic year plan that proposes no new development off the public school graduations, arguing would produce the same amount of resources as cur­ Rakowitz, who claimed he that courts have gone too far in oust­ ceremony than part of the education­ northern Atlantic coast. was the Messiah and had come rent plans by tapping larger reserves with greater suc­ al mission,” they added.