thebattalion
news for you texas Gov. Perry promotes Texas in China Gov. Rick Perry said his first trip to China has led to increased exposure for Texas in Asia. Perry, in a conference call from Taiwain on Monday, told reporters that he spoke with two Chinese companies that are interested in making investments in Houston and Corpus Christi.
● tuesday,
june 22, 2010
● serving
service
A different kind
of combat Student in the US Army works to improve medical care in Afghanistan
More than three dozen brown pelicans were cleared for takeoff Sunday when they were released along the Texas Gulf Coast after rehabilitation from a soaking in oil from the BP spill. Federal wildlife crews have released 38 brown pelicans and one Forster’s tern at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas Gulf Coast. They were cleaned, treated for ingested oil and had their waterproofing restored.
Megan Ryan | The Battalion
W
hile some people announce a desire to change the world, Capt. Jerry Webb, senior nursing major, acts on it. Webb is a student at the Texas A&M Health Science Center who is serving in Afghanistan through Operation Tribute to Freedom. “Operation Tribute to Freedom is an Army community relations program that’s designed to share the stories of soldiers who have or are currently serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Tara Clements, program manager for Operation Tribute to Freedom. Webb is leading a team of five medics in assisting the Afghan National Army’s 209th Corps to increase medical readiness throughout Afghanistan. As the senior medical mentor to the 209th Corps Surgeon General, Webb works with the highest ranking Afghan military medical professional, in the northern portion of the country. When Webb is at A&M, he spends time working on his bachelor’s degree in nursing. When in Afghanistan, he is forwarding the medical capabilities of the Afghan people. “It’s kind of broken up into two parts,” Webb said. “We spend the morning with our
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nation &world Whaling decision divides nations
BP releases total cost of spill BP released its latest tally of response costs, including $105 million paid out so far to 32,000 claimants. The figure does not include a $20 billion fund that BP PLC last week agreed to set up for Gulf residents and businesses hurt by the spill. Staff and wire reports
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academics
Pelicans released from oil rehab
The International Whaling Commission begins a five-day meeting Monday in Morocco. A compromise that would suspend the 1986 whaling ban was drafted by the agency’s chairman, but it’s an unhappy option for nations that abhor whaling. The deal would legitimize commercial hunting in exchange for a drop in the number of whales killed by those claiming exemptions to the ban — Japan, Norway and Iceland.
texas a&m since 1893
see Webb on page 2
Tim Isaac — THE BATTALION
Honors program recruits students Jessica Funke Special to The Battalion High school seniors from all over the nation will be coming to campus June 28 to participate in the Summer Honors Invitational Program. The program is invitation only and those selected are identified nationally as high-achieving students. “[The Summer Honors Invitational Program] is a program where we invite some of the brightest minds from across the nation to come to A&M to learn about opportunities available on our campus” said Casey Ricketts, director of the program. This year is the first time the event will be a one-day program, as opposed to an overnight event. Due to this change and the program giving out fewer invitations, the number of participants has dropped from 800 to 150. This will benefit the Summer Honors Invitational Program in that there will be more personal attention given to individual students. The program has two goals in the program, the first is to educate the students about honors programs. The participants will be informed of what questions to ask when deciding where to attend and encouraged not to base the decision on the prestige or name of the school. “There is more to look into than just the degree offered, like whether they have the opportunity to advance the field or do research,” Ricketts said. The second goal is to have the See Honors on page 6
technology
Aggies build robots Jessica Funke
nation&world
Times Square car bomb suspect pleads guilty NEW YORK — A Pakistan-born U.S. citizen pleaded guilty Monday to carrying out the failed Times Square car bombing, saying he wanted it known that unless the U.S. stops attacking Muslim lands, “we will be attacking U.S.” Faisal Shahzad, 30, entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Manhattan just days after a federal grand jury indicted him on 10 terrorism and weapons counts, some of which carried mandatory life prison penalties. Shahzad made the plea and an accompanying statement as U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum began asking him a lengthy series of questions to ensure he understood his rights. She did not immediately accept the plea. Cedarbaum asked Shahzad if he understood he might spend the rest of his life in prison. He said he did. At one point, she asked him if he was sure he wanted to plead guilty. He launched into a statement, saying he wanted “to plead guilty and 100 times more” to let the U.S. know that if it did not get out of Iraq and Afghanistan and stop drone attacks and meddling in Muslim lands, “we will be attacking U.S.” The Bridgeport, Conn., resident was arrested trying to leave the country May 3, two days after a gasoline-and-propane bomb failed to ignite in an SUV parked near a Broadway theater. Authorities said Shahzad immediately cooperated, delaying his initial court appear-
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ance for two weeks as he spilled details of a plot meant to sew terror in Times Square on a Saturday night when it was packed with thousands of potential victims. The bomb apparently sputtered, emitting smoke that attracted the attention of an alert street vendor, who notified police, setting in motion a rapid evacuation of blocks of a city still healing from the shock of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. According to the indictment issued last week, Shahzad received a total of $12,000 prior to the attack from the Pakistani Taliban through cash drop-offs in Massachusetts and Long Island. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Pakistani Taliban “facilitated
In this courtroom sketch, a U.S. Marshall removes Faisal Shahzad’s handcuffs Monday in New York. Shahzad pleaded guilty to carrying out the failed Times Square car bombing in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
Faisal Shahzad’s attempted attack on American soil.” Shahzad was accused in the indictment of receiving explosives training in Waziristan, Pakistan, during a five-week trip to Pakistan. He returned to the United States in February. The indictment said he received $5,000 in cash on Feb. 25 from a coconspirator in Pakistan and $7,000 more on April 10, allegedly sent at the co-conspirator’s direction. Shahzad, born in Pakistan, moved to the United States when he was 18. Pakistan has arrested at least 11 people since the attempted attack. The Associated Press
Special to The Battalion Science-fiction is turning into reality as a group of undergraduate students work with rescue robotics used to save lives. These robots operate not only on land, but also in the air and sea. “Most people think of robots like Wall-E, but we are trying to make them friendlier,” said Robin Murphy, professor of computer science and engineering. The motivation behind enhancing the social capabilities of robots stems from people being stuck in places such as mines and waiting to be rescued. Even though they are healthy, boredom becomes an issue. The idea is to design robots that have MP3 players and TVs Most people attached. These think of robots robots are like Wall-E, called Survivor Buddy Robots. but we are trying to Murphy’s team also works make them on robots used friendlier. in search and Robin Murphy, rescue. Murphy professor said the goal is of computer science and to make them engineering effective and efficient. “We are concentrating on those that can be carried in a backpack or the back of a suburban,” Murphy said. The students have several See Robots on page 6
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