European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 10, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Mother of All role reversals american teens learn to defend Saddam by Rosemary Sawyer Brussels Bureau my my my Hen 17-year-qld Robert Radcliff raves about the . Military having a oppressed and terrorized Iraq for a the last two years he ought to know. M one of the imperialistic pilots who flew a-10 tank killing missions against we. My. The nation during the Gulf War shares a the dinner table with him each night the son of air Force col. Roger Radcliff played the role of Iraq s ambassador to the United nations in a mock Assembly last week in the Hague Netherlands. His research into the role began last fall however when he and fellow students from England s Woodbridge High school Learned they would represent the country led by former president Bush s Archenemy Saddam Hussein. Radcliff said his father s role in operation desert storm gave him a different perspective while he was preparing for the we Klong role playing event. He does t get real upset about it Radcliff said but he does t like to talk about it  fellow senior Mathew Woodlee recalls watching news of . Bombings on television with his parents in the weeks leading up to the Model United nations gathering. I d say i can t believe they re bombing the Sovereign state of Iraq " said Woodlee 17. My parents did t mind but they were always having serious discussions with me. They d say make sure you Don t go around the base like this because there Are people who Are really Touchy about it despite these sensitivities the 11 closet iraqis in England played the part to the Hilt upon arriving in Holland signing notes in the name of Allah turning their backs when israeli delegates spoke and taking every Opportunity to scorn the Good or . Of a. Lori Elmore a senior at Woodbridge even stood up and cheered in response to Radcliff s venomous attack on the United states in the opening Assembly. Everybody turned around and looked at me and said you must be Iraq " said Elmore 17. The team expressed disappointment that other nations did t play their roles As Well however. The United states delegation for example wanted to befriend the iraqi team and certain allies failed to support them. I was surprised that we weren t condemned As much As i thought we would be Bart Coppin 15, said of opening speeches delivered by each nation. When Woodbridge students submitted their country wish list to Maxiel . Organizers they did t especially ask for Iraq. They simply listed 50 nations in the news with . Security Council nations on top followed by Iraq Iran and Israel. I guess we were just Lucky enough to get Iraq or unlucky depending on How you look at it said 16-year old Christopher Delgado. Being assigned Iraq was both Lucky and unlucky said Woodbridge teacher and Model . Sponsor Ralph Blake. Teams representing controversial countries Are More Likely to be win honors As one of the conference s top three delegations said Blake who Lias been taking teams to the Hague conference for 25 years. On the other hand Iraq s enemy status made the research task a lot tougher he said. The delegation also had to forego visiting an embassy in London As Woodbridge students had done when representing above a Delegate addresses the general Assembly while others left and right keep track the numerous resolutions. Is photos by Dave Casey Model in. Friendly countries in past years. Nevertheless Blake said the team did an excellent Job of representing the interests of Iraq. Delgado said he found it easier to play the part after the team left Trie air base at Woodbridge where he said you see signs of americana All Over the  in the Hague s unfamiliar environment you Don t identify yourself psychologically As an american Delgado said. So when you re out Here saying the United states is bad sometimes you almost believe it. You almost believe it but you Don  continued from Page 17 visit their nation s nearest embassy or consulate. This year at Shimun students could sit Down at a computer and pull information from data bases containing hundreds of thousands of pages of news and research articles and . Documents. It pays to prepare said Lara Bandler a three year Shimun Veteran from Bonn american High school. If you Don t know what you re doing the scary thing is that you re shot Down immediately said the Delegate of Togo. It can be embarrassing so you have to know exactly what you want to say.". Delegates also have to remember to shed their personal beliefs about issues and try to think of them As a country said Bonn senior Katie Fitzpatrick. That was something Bandler said she forgot when she signed a x petition protesting female genital mutilation Only to be reminded that Togo practices the ritual. Sand said the conference expands students awareness of other cultures and teaches them the world s people Are interdependent that a starving child in Somalia does affect  it also helps build their self esteem and self in Tidence. Lastly he said it teaches them the process which can to applied to a Pat meeting to a Union meeting to a political convention or  student journalist Marya Goga a Sophomore at the american Community school in Abu Dahabi use works on the computer at the mock . Newsroom. The students put out an eight Page daily paper. Learning the ropes As the fourth estate by Rosemary Sawyer Brussels bureaus bout the time National delegates to the Model United nations were retiring their neckties and nylons for sweaters and jeans each Day the Pace was picking up for six of their fellow students. The students simulated the United nations press corps at the we Klong mock . Assembly in the Hague Netherlands. While delegates from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe relished a few hours of free time the press delegates battled nightly deadlines to get out their newspaper called Unity. Each morning about 500 copies of the letter size eight Page paper awaited ambassadors and school sponsors who then shared them with their delegations. Although 12-hour Days became routine for the newspaper staff members they said the rewards outweighed their  heavy eyelids. When you re tired and you have All this work you do think gee it would be Nice if i were a Delegate " said Marc Graser a Mannheim High school Junior who designed the newspaper pages on a computer. But he added the thought goes away and then you have the finished paper and you re Happy Unity offered readers a mix of real and simulated news feature stories and editorials submitted by delegations. The Jani 28 edition for example included a real article on Pige one about the conference s opening ceremonies followed by a Story on Page four about a japanese ship Laden with weapons Grade plutonium running aground in Miami Beach Fla. The latter Story formed a basis for a simulated crisis that was being handled by student members of the . Economic and social Council. Whether reporting fact or fiction however newspaper sponsor Mary Stein called the staff s Job of reporting daily on the 2,300-student conference an enormous  we had never met each other until the Day we were supposed to put out our first newspaper said Stein who teaches English at an International school in Caracas Venezuela. The press corps was selected based on the student applications which included a Sample of their writing and recommendation letters from their school s Model United nations sponsor. Kaiserslautern High school senior Toni Thompson said she was glad to have been Able to take part in the mock United nations activities As a reporter for a second year. I like being Here knowing what s going on and being on the inside but not part of the action said Thompson adding that she does t consider herself especially skilled in debate or Public speaking. Claudia Mayer of the German school of the Hague said she would never have participated in Model . As a  but she enjoyed working on the Unity staff because it gave her a glimpse into what newspaper reporting was All about. The staff was undecided Over whether their responsibilities resembled those of their real life counterparts who report on . Activities in new York. Unity mainly provides relatively Light Reading for delegates said Deepika Mohan who attends Lisbon american International school in Portugal. Whereas real reporters Are covering Earth shattering  reporter Marya Goga of the american Community school in Abu Dahabi United Arab emirates agreed but added that if Earth shattering news does occur during conference we can cover  18 the stars and stripes wednesday february 10, 1993 the stars and stripes 19