Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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University of South Carolina PD IHAV OPTORDD 1 1 OOHO . Vol.96,No.26 www.dailygamecock.com rrAlUnl, I vJDLlx J. i., Since 1908 .House grants war powers If Senate passes resolution, Bush will have more latitude in Iraq BY TOM RAUM TUB ANSOCIATK1) I’llKSS WASHINGTON - The House vot ed 296-133 Thursday to give President Bush the broad author ity he sought to use military force against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein — with or without U.N. P support. The Senate was poised to do the same and to deliver Bush a major national security policy vie tory. “The House of Representatives has spoken clearly to the world and to the United Nations Security Council: The gathering threat of Iraq must be confronted fully and finally,” Bush said immediately after the vote. Senate sponsors later succeeded in defeating all efforts to weaken the proposal, opening the way for a final vote late Thursday or ear ly Friday. “It is clear that we have lost this battle in the Senate,” said Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., the most outspoken Senate foe of the resolution. Byrd accused Congress of “handing the president unchecked au thority.” While Bush hailed the strong showing, a major lty ot House Democrats voted Bush against the reso lution — even though their leac er, Dick Gephardt of Missour: was one of its authors. “The issue is how to best prc tect America. And I believe thi resolution does that,” Gephard said. The Senate was working on th same resolution, voting 75-251 choke off delaying tactics and move toward a final vote — ex pected late Thursday. It voted down a series of efforts to weaken or block the resolution, as did the House. Senate leaders of both par ties predicted easy passage. The administration got a big boost when Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle announced he was putting aside his misgiv , ings to support the president. “I believe it is important for America to speak with one voice,” 5 said Daschle, D-S.D. “It is neither a t Democratic resolution nor a Republican resolution. It is now a 3 statement of American resolve ) and values.” “The gathering threat of Iraq must be confronted fully and finally.” GEORGEW. BUSH But some influential Democrats remained opposed. “The power to declare war is the most solemn responsibility given to Congress by the Constitution,” said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. “We must not delegate that responsibility to the president in advance.” The resolution gives the presi dent wide latitude in defending the United States against the “contin uing threat” posed by Baghdad. In a concession to Democrats, it en courages that all diplomatic means be exhausted before force is used, and requires reports to Congress every 60 days once ac tion is taken. .„ Bush has said he hopes to work with the United Nations, but want ed congressional authority to act independently if necessary. The strong congressional backing he was receiving could bolster U.S. efforts before the U.N. Security Council. At the State Department, spokesman Richard Boucher said ♦ CONGRESS, SEE PAGE 2 Halfway done and ready for a break ~. I PHOTO BY FORD DAVIS/THE GAMECOCK Andy Buchanan, a first-year biology student, studies for midterms in his dorm room. Some students find the weeks before and after fall break to be highly stressful when many teachers try to fit in exams. Slaying Js tied to *D.C.-area shooter Man shot in Va. brings death toll to seven BY MATTHEW BARAKAT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MANASSAS, VA. - The death toll from the Washington-area sniper rose to seven Thursday as authorities said ballistics ev idence had linked the killer to a man gunned down at a Virginia gas station. Dean Meyers, 53, of • Gaithersburg, Md., was felled by a single shot Wednesday night, moments after filling his car’s tank. Six other people have been killed and two have been wounded since the attacks be gan Oct. 2. Prince William County Police Chief Charlie Deane said the re sults of an autopsy on Meyers and ballistic evidence had linked the cases. He pleaded for ♦ SNIPER, SEE PAGE 3 . * kiHBHMHi Cameras to monitor student mailboxes USC staff hopes surveillance will curb thefts BY COREY GARRIOTT the HAM [SHOCK Reacting to a rash of thefts from student mailboxes, univer sity staff will soon install secu rity cameras over the halls of the Russell House basement. The Russell House already has four cameras on its first floor and four more on the second that were put in place six years ago. The solution comes shortly af ter the Five Points Association elected to use cameras to moni tor Five Points’ street corners. In both cases, video footage will be archived to replay the time period before a reported theft and sometimes will be moni tored live. The university union is tak ing some precautions to deter criminals, said Jon Ogle, assis tant director for operations at the Russell House. “Facilitators drew holes on Monday to see where cameras could be run,” he said. The cam eras will point into the side halls vvrli dents pick up their mail. Ogle said he hopes the prominently placed cam eras will elim inate a lot of . temptation. d “Public dis- I play, we hope, ^ will minimize crime,” he said. But not only will the cameras them selves be pub- — licly displayed, but their feed will be as well. The live video will be sent to television screens near the second-floor information desk. It should inform potential thieves that they are being watched. One camera will be on each aisle. Ogle said they should make students feel less afraid of checking their mail at night. ' Director of Postal Services LaDonna Moss said students who don’t secure their mailbox doors could be the cause of the -1 “The only thing we can re ally say is that students are not making sure their doors are properly closed,” she said. “You can go down there after night fall and hear peo ple jiggling the mailbox doors.” When stu dents close their mailbox doors, she said, they should remember to spin the dial because closing the door does not always reset the lock. “Also,” she said, “please don’t give out your combination, even to a boyfriend or girlfriend.” First-year concurrent student Aleta Amonson, who attends the ♦ SECURITY, SEE PAGE 2 : Bush taps professor for board Law professor studies W. Coast labor dispute BY ALEXIS STRATTON THE GAMECOCK President Bush has appointed a USC law professor to a presi dential board of inquiry that is investigating a contract dispute between union members and West Coast port owners. Dennis R. Nolan, a Webster la bor law professor at USC since 1989, was appointed to the board earlier this week. Bush fears that, without intervention, the West Coast lockout that began Sept. 27 will cause national and interna tional economic damage. The dispute,' which began af ter the Pacific Maritime Association accused members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union of an illegal slowdown during contract talks, centers on the use of a new wa terfront technology that the union says would take away jobs. The board worked to assess the situation before it invoked the Taft Hartley Act on Tuesday. The act, which passed Congress in 1947, al lows the president to ask a federal court for an 80-day injunction on strikes or lockouts that threaten ♦ NOLAN, SEE PAGE 2 In faith, fellowship Students share their beliefs at interfaith meal BY WENDY JEFFCOAT THE (iAMECOCK The mood was laid-back and friendly as nearly 30 people gathered in the basement of the PALM Center on Wednesday night to share stories of their faith and foods native to their culture and to gain an under standing of each other’s beliefs. “People tend to fear what they don’t understand,” said Clay Gilbert, who is a graduate student pursuing a master of fine arts in creative writing and a member of the Wiccan Intra Collegiate Coven Association. “You can tolerate and understand someone else’s beliefs without agreeing.” The Interfaith Potluck Storytelling Dinner was an infor mal way to promote dialogue among the different religious or ganizations on campus, said Rachel Rosansky, USC’s student body chaplain and head of the Interfaith Council. The stories varied from per ♦ POTLUCK, SEE PAGE 3 Index Comics and Crossword 6 Classifieds 8 Horoscopes 6 Letters to the Editor 4 OnlineJ’oll 4 Police Report 3 Weather TODAY TOMORROW ' ‘ j ' ■ I High 79 High 82 Low 67 Low 70 Inside ♦ NEWS Student Government seeks to improve the DSC campus for disabled students. Page 2 ♦ VIEWPOINTS Brook Bristow suggests causes for activists to take up. Page 4 ♦THE MIX Djoliba Don imports West African music and dance to Columbia. Page 5 ♦ SPORTS The Gamecocks play Kentucky Saturday in a key SEC matchup. Page 7