European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 8, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 8 a a a the stars and stripes thursday november 8,1990 i i crisis in the Gulf saudi women hit the Road to protest ban Riyadh saudi Arabia apr about 50 saudi women saying the kingdom s ban on female Drivers would leave them helpless in the event of War took to the streets for an unprecedented protest tuesday a behind the wheel. The women Many of them completely veiled except for their eyes piled into 15 cars anti took a drive through the capital. For them it was a daring act of protest. A this has nothing whatsoever to do with politics a one woman explained. A if a crisis erupts we must drive for the Sake of our families. We cannot stay immobile like sitting All the women taking part in the protest were experienced Drivers having Learned the skill outside of saudi Arabia. But they were unfamiliar with their own cars. One woman turned on her headlights and Windshield wipers while trying to Roll Down her electronic window to speak with a reporter. Most of the women had Only Ridden in the Back seats of their luxury sedans driven by foreign chauffeurs. The driving ban has been a topic of heated debate with conservative citizens arguing that the islamic prohibition against men and women mingling in Public included women Drivers. Others have pointed out that women were allowed to Lead camels in the Era of Prophet Mohammed the founder of the islamic Faith so modern women should be Able to drive cars. Having a chauffeur especially a foreigner was a form of mingling with strange men they Point out. The women met in a supermarket parking lot on Riyadh a King Abdel Aziz Road. In a flurry of excitement they Reed their engines just As the Call came ending the afternoon prayer. Husbands Brothers and a crowd of filipino Drivers stood watching with open admiration. Passing motorists stared in disbelief As the women drove expertly Down Riyadh a highways. Some joined the Convoy and pulled Over to the Side of the Road when the women were finally stopped by the police after they had driven for about 30 minutes. The policemen also blocked observers trying to speak with the women. A we done to know what will happen next a said a woman in one of the cars. A this is just the first Little bit of one informed source told a that the women had written a letter to Riyadh gov Prince Salman bin Abdel Aziz informing him that the a drive in protest would take place but not revealing the Date or place. A Vigil for peace 5&s Effia Baleen Elisabeth Mcavinue and her 11-year-old son Sean Bow their Heads during a prayer Vigil held in Furth Germany last week for service members in operation desert shield. Mcavinue said she came a to Pray for peace because the Only solution is to Pray for peace a she has a special interest in the persian Gulf crisis. Her other son Steven is a member of the 82nd airborne div from fort Bragg n.c., and was deployed to saudi Arabia a month ago. The six hour Vigil took place at the William o. Darby Cavern Chapel. . Sues Tennessee for not accepting 3 Absentee ballot requests sent by fax by Chuck Vinch staff writer Washington a a Federal court on monday ordered the state of Tennessee to accept three faxed Absentee ballot applications from service members involved in operation desert shield. In a suit brought by the Justice department a Federal judge also required Tennessee to Send Absentee ballots to the applicants by the quickest Means possible. In addition the decision required that the service members votes be counted As valid. The applications came from army maj. James l. Snyder Marine capt. . Durham and Marine staff sgt. Danny l. Kilgore an official said. Tennessee and North Dakota argued that their Laws require that the applications be sent by mail. North Dakota was hot sued because it did not receive any applications said Henry Valentino of the Federal voting assistance program. In its lawsuit the Justice department claimed that it had the Overall authority to prescribe the form of the ballot application and that the state had no right to refuse the faxed forms. The lawsuit was filed in . District court in Nashville tenn., and charged the state with violating the uniformed and overseas citizens Absentee voting act. Faxing of voting forms was authorized recently by Valentino a office because of the unique situation in the Gulf area. The lawsuit is the second brought against Tennessee this year to enforce voting rights for military personnel. An earlier lawsuit charged the state with failing to mail Absentee ballots for its primary election Early enough for military and overseas americans to receive vote and return the ballots in time to be counted. Twenty two lawsuits have been filed on behalf of military voting rights since 1976.army s engineers Hove a blast in saudi Arabia by Vince Crawley staff writer with the 20th engr brigade saudi Arabia a army combat engineers Are making themselves at Home in the desert paving it and blowing it up. A a that a the highlight of my Job a said pvt. 2 Eric Carle 25, of Yucaipa Calif. A that makes it All worthwhile to blow something his unit co a of the 27th engr in from fort Bragg n.c., was getting its first shot at live demolitions training in saudi Arabia last week. They exploded paths through a barbed wire Fence and blew a Crater in the desert floor. Even on quieter Days they keep themselves Busy said capt. Dave Weston company commander of the airborne unit. Staff sgt. Eliud Guzman also likes demolitions. I like to blow it up myself a said the 32-year-old from Aguas Brenas puerto Rico. A and i like to supervise people blowing it up. That thrill just goes through your spine when you see Guzman is with a sister unit co c of the 37th engr in. This is his second trip to saudi Arabia. He was Here a couple of years ago doing classified signal work a Job he said was too relaxed. Plus he wanted to Lead a whether its digging somebody a garbage pit or building showers we have a lot of real world things we can do that a even if there a not a conflict can help out a said Weston who a 28 and comes from san Angelo Texas. The first sergeant Johnny Joyner said his soldiers do Odd jobs in Exchange for supplies. For instance digging another unit s trenches might get them five blocks of ice. Sometimes they agree to work for soda pops even though they Are plentiful be in the states chilling out in an air conditioned room.�?�. But Guzman said a this is my Job. To be out Here. That a what 1 get paid Guzman a company was building a 3,000-foot Road leading to an air Force ammunition storage site. The Sand in Ccoy a area is so soft that ammunition trucks would have gotten hopelessly stuck. Capt mite Huber of c co said his men discovered a Clay and Sandstone substance called Marl deep below the arabian Sand. A when you mix it with Sand and water its very similar to the unit borrowed some full size bulldozers making the digging easier. The fort Bragg engineers usually use tiny bulldozers that can be parachuted in. Standing in the units Quarry Huber kicked the White Chal like Marl with the. Heel of his Boot barely making a indentation. A you can see How hard this he repeated the gesture out along co cos Road. A unless there a a major rainstorm this Road will last forever said the 29-year-old Captain from Anchorage Alaska. The work took thousands of Gallons of water a Day which the unit got by re digging an abandoned Well. The Well water also is used for the menus showers and Huber said that sometimes hell let one or two soldiers take a dip in the Reservoir. Many engineers said they joined the service to get experience in construction work and that jobs like Road building Are the Best part of their work. They can see the Progress they make and it keeps their minds occupied. A a it a something to keep us Busy so time goes by a said sgt Patrick Meyers 23, of Erlanger by a the More time you got to yourself the longer time lasts out aside from roadwork combat engineers in wartime Are used to both build and demolish obstacles like minefields. In some cases As in the 1944 a Day invasion of Normandy this puts them in front of the combat troops. Back then co c of the 37th engr hit Omaha Beach with the 1st inf div against withering German gunfire. Weston of the 27th engr guessed that in an open desert War his men would be farther from the front. A a we a be used however they Tell us to be used a he said. But they a probably be a making sure Supply routes will be the multinational forces have an advantage in that department said spec. Lee Vanness of the 37th engr. A the iraqis have More manpower than we do a he said. A but the logistics Are on our unlike some infantrymen and tankers in desert shield most of the engineers Arentt straining at the bit to fight and get it Over with. A hopefully they can do it by peace a said Vanness a Foreman at the Marl digging site. A a in a Tike to leave with everyone we came a a in a More than willing to go a said Carle the private from California. A because in a Here. But id be just As Happy a More so a to say a hey lets go Home. We worked it a still he added a a in a a combat Engineer. Combats kind of like my
