Show Balt fake Sribtnu Sunday August Section A Hofmann Interview Results Fall Short on The Murders e 541-pag- ma lingers Not least among the gaping holes is the need for more information about the homicides The crime of theft by deceptive forgery doubtless concerns those who get bilked by forgmurers But deliberate der since it deeply troubles and alarms the entire community deserves just as much detailed examination and probably more explanation When Hofmann's prosecutors obtained a bargained plea of guilty from him that included a formal agreement he would provide necessary information about his crimes The public was assumed by its law enforcement officials that this killer forger and swindler would not escape the punishment of openly acknowledging the full extent of his wrongdoing But 541 pages of disclosure later it can be legitimately wondered if such an exegesis occurred Both Salt Lake County Sheriff Pete Hayward and Salt Lake City Police Chief Bud Willoughby angrily charge that the “interviews” shortchange the homicides Even Salt Lake County Attorney David Yocom while defending his office’s interview efforts concedes: “we should have provided for at least one law enforcement officer in the interview” when the plea bargain was arranged The terms of the agreement are crucial to critiquing the interview results In exchange for guilty pleas cold-blood- Hofmann said he would “ answer truthfully and completely all questions (prosecuting) attorneys may have on any or all of the charged of” So if interview results fenses are incomplete or insufficient the prosecution’s questioning is the reason As a matter of fact the 14 pages of the official "Mark Hofmann Interviews" actually devoted to the murders stem not from post-ple- a bargain interviews at all Called a “supplement” they were distilled from investigator notes made before the guilty plea Since “charged offenses” to which he pleaded include homicide Hofmann following the plea bargain should have been as close questioned on his killing as on his forging Now precious little public information exists about the motives He’s permitted to say he changed his mind and tried to warn the victims before the bombs exploded with no accompanying interrogator’s dispute And police are quoted as dubious about Hofmann’s claim that the third bomb was ignited in his car as a suicide attempt If there’s a justifiable objection to plea bargaining it’s that the procedure allows criminals to avoid facing up to their crimes In court trials obliging premeditating murderers to confront evidence and hear accusers sometimes including their victims’ surviving family members society can at least confront those who take life with the full horror of their cruel bomb-planter- Tribune Editorials 16 Page Is it over? Is that it? Did publication of the anxiously awaited Mark Hofmann plea bargain interviews answer all the questions so ominously created when bombs started killing Salt Lake people on a somber autumn morning 21 months ago? Hardly With release of the two volume seven pound "confession” the world now knows that Hofmann did indeed kill Steven F Christensen and Kathleen Sheets with home-mad- e explosives October 15 1985 And that he successfully hoodwinked experienced document collectors with his skillful forgeries Yet plenty of enig- Opinion 2 1387 ’s Letters Common Carrier Aquino Winning Hearts Not Minds of Filipinos By Trudy Rubin Newspapers As President Corazon Aquino of the Philippines prepares to hand over many of her "revolutionary” lawmaking poweis to a newly elected Congress her popularity remains high Yet 17 months after the February "revolution” that ousted Ferdinand Marcos she has failed to translate her standing into an effective attack on the Philippines’ problems Says one military critic reflecting sentiments heard often these days in Manila "Mrs Aquino has an image of being clean honest and straight but this isn't enough to confront the problems of the country” The diminutive Aquino has a complex hold on the Philippine imagination But her strength seems to lie less in what she does than in what she symbolizes Though she comes from a prominent political family and married into another the "housewife” as a public sees this cut above the routine corruption of Filipino political life “The people suffered so much Knight-Ridde- r self-style- d Trudy Rubin a member of the Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board recently returned from the Philippines under Marcos that they don't want to believe anything bad about Cory” says Amando Doronila editorial board chairman of the Manila Chronicle "They want to keep the myth” Aquino’s presence also conjures up the memory of her martyred husband Benigno and the “miracle” of the ouster of Marcos In fact her appeal sometimes seems more like a mystique linked to the na quasi-religio- violence The Hofmann case the evidence not being altogether iron-cla- d suit- ably qualified for a plea bargain It retained however a rather unique and completely appropriate addendum The murderer and forger was required to publicly tell how when and why On the theft by deception charges he may have been compelled to comply On the murders he wasn’t and consequently naturally regrettably challenging questions corrosive doubts and damaging supposition can now continue unrefuted tion's strong Roman Catholic faith than like traditional political charisma That personal popularity has proved a formidable political tool It has protected her from any serious coup attempt so far and made Marcos’ dreams of a comeback look foolish Her draw brought 90 percent of Filipinos to the polls in May in congressional elections It virtually guaranteed victory to most of her candidates whatever the truth to allegations of fraud and brought out a vote even where the communists were strong “She's won again and again” points out Minister of Information Teodoro Locsin Jr "That’s her fundamental achievepro-Aqui- ment” But the Philippine president's unassertive style has left the country adrift She has been unwilling to impose order or clear lines of authority on a quarrelsome Cabinet leaving critics and backers alike yearning for a stricter hand “It would be nice to have Marcos’ authoritarianism with the holy spirit of Mrs Aquino” sighed one prominent supporter “What we would really like is a benevolent dictator but unfortunately there is no such thing” Even a dictator would have had trouble dealing with the economic mess and growing communist insurgency left behind by Marcos Much of the government’s attention has been preoccupied with rebuilding democratic institutions and organizing a constitutional referendum and congressional elections But the lack of organization in the presidential palace and the absence of coordination between Manila and the provinces has meant that useful programs don’t get off the ground Few expect the situation to improve now that the president has to compete for influence with presidential hopefuls in Congress and with the distraction of local elections in the fall Aquino’s reluctance to take charge has been most evident when she has been squeezed between demands from different sectors On the explosive issue of land reform caught between landlords and small farmers she hesitated until this week and then chose a compromise that dissatisfied all sides In fighting the communist insurgency she has failed to knock heads to get the squabbling civilian and military sectors into line A National Security Council set up to link military planning with the civilian side has minimal staff and almost no power Nor has her authority been sufficient to halt the series of theatrical but disruptive minicoup plots by disgruntled military officers that have kept the government on edge Of late Aquino’s strongest suit — her squeaky clean reputation — has been chal lenged by press hints of corruption linked to a brother No one accuses Aquino of wrongdoing but some question why she doesn’t investigate the charges Others again including critics fashion excuses for her One commonly heard is that in Filipino culture a sister even if she is president can't tell a male family member what to do That public willingness to forgive the president — even while people grumble increasingly about governmental anarchy — is the source of her greatest strength Like the American public’s long romance with President Reagan the Filipino public — and even many political opponents — seem reluctant to wish Aquino ill Cory Aquino — who has shown sharp political instincts at moments of crisis — could still capitalize on that strength Like Reagan however she could also watch her Teflon wear thin if the whiff of corruption becomes a stench or if the communist insurgency gets out of hand Should doubts arise that the public would rush to the streets if she called she could become vulnerable to political or military challenge How she chooses to use or to squander her mystique will have a critical impact on the Philippines’ future Let it Be The Bee national insect? Ugh who needs that? Why honor any of those creepy crawly biting slimy creatures? That was our initial reaction to news that Congress is considering legislation to name a national insect — to rank with the majestic bald eagle the national bird and the brilliant American Beauty Rose the national flower On further consideration after reviewing the arguments of Sen Larry who introduced the Pressler legislation in the Senate designating the honey bee for the distinction the proposal is not without merit Honeybees after all are rather significant direct contributors to this country’s economy producing says the senator about $100 million worth of honey and other products annually Its role in the pollination of crops cannot be overlooked either While some other insects are involved in the process the honey bee is a chief instrument in this vegetative cycle To document the important agricultural role of the honey bee Sen A R-S- D Pressler cites a four-yeexperiment on crimson clover in Alabama The study showed that by using two honeybee colonies per acre the seed yield was increased from 280 pounds per acre to 510 pounds The Alabama study was scientific confirmation of what farmers and ranchers in Utah and throughout the West have long known and practiced That is the reason a motorist will see beehives in so many hay fields The busy bees provide more than just their honey they bolster the yield per acre The honey bee is also an important perhaps vital adjunct to the fruit industry The nation’s harvest of apples apricots cherries peaches pears etc would be greatly diminished if the pollination of such trees were totally dependent on the vagaries of the winds So on second thought if some creepy crawly biting slimy creature is going to be singled-ou- t for national recognition and honor the honey bee is by far the best choice ar Gun Trouble? Inviting early tragic In light of the events Thursday in West Valley City when Brent' H Russell was shot to death during a scuffle one must wonder if it is circumstances like these that the 24 percent of Utah Poll respondents had in mind when they said they bought handguns for protection West Valley Police Department reports indicate that when Mr Russell and a mechanic he had hired to work on his truck argued to the point of wrestling on the floor of an apartment house a young woman pointed a revolver at the victim and told him "Get out of mv house or I’ll er blow your head off” Subsequently that is pretty much what happened Under the circumstances as they have been publicly reported so far the dispute between Mr Russell and his mechanic would certainly have been less tragically resolved had that gun not been so near at hand fully loaded Certainly the bickering over the repairs to Mr Russell's truck had reached a very volatile stage nevertheless both parties in all likelihood would still be alive if that revolver had never been brought into the apartment The situation in that apartment from all accounts had not become so as to require anything as drastic as pulling a gun Better would have been a hurried call to police a course of action that most likely would have been taken had the gun not been so readily available W’hat took place in West Valley City in this instance is what law enforcement people typify as a “friendly homicide” ie the victim and assailant were acquainted “Friendly homicides” reports the Federal Bureau of Investigation account for the majority of murders and other homicides in the United States and generally involve the use of handguns Considering the circumstances of this latest Utah handgun tragedy why not wonder if those among the 24 percent of Utahns who say they bought handguns for protection aren't inviting even worse trouble? Khomeini Creates Hell on Earth Editor's note: As an Iranian political prisoner Robabeh Boudaohl 26 spent nearly three years In Ayatollah Khomeini's prisons Her account of torture by the Khomeini regime was provided to The Miami Herald by the People's Molahedln of Iran The People's Molahedln led by Massoud Raiavl was formed In 1965 to floht the shah's dictatorship It describes Itself os a democratic nationalist and Islamic organisation and "the principal resistance movement fighting to overthrow Khomeini's tyranny" Boudaghl's husband Jahangir Banafshl was hanged In the Guard's Prison In Rasht In November 1983 With the help of doctors and nurses she escaped Aug 7 1985 She come to the United States last November for a UN General Assembly debate on human rights People's Molahedln says there have been 70000 political executions since June 1981 and that 140000 “prisoners of conscience" remain In Iran n By Robabeh Boudaghi Knight-Ridde- r Newspapers It was the 22nd or 23rd day of December 1982 We had just arisen for morning prayers when I heard the sound of the doorbell That instant passed like lightning The house was surrounded escape was impossible Bullets were flying everywhere Khomeini's guards were firing RPG rockets sections of the walls collapsed on all sides and the house was aflame When it was over they burst through doors and windows and appeared over my half-deabody One of them was a mullah with a black turban and a brown robe "May God favor you brothers God willing may you always be successful in putting down unbelievers and hypocrites May God reward you in the hereafter” he said triumphantly At the mullah’s order the guards began finishing off the dying One of them aimed his gun at my forehead I had been holding my breath until then but I could no longer contain myself The pain had become unbearable When I finally moved he pulled back "She's alive let's bring her around” he shouted After searching me for weapons they tied a loop to my feet and began pulling me over mud wood broken glass and rocks I passed out In January 1983 1 was taken from a hospital to the prison in Rasht in northern Iran The extent of my wounds should have made a routine transfer impossible But despite protests by the nurses two carloads of armed guards equipped with walkie-talkie- s came in the middle of the night and took me away I had had surgery only one week before and still had my stitches One of my arms was in a cast One bullet was lodged in my leg and shrapnel remained embedded in my face and neck There were openings on two sides of my stomach that required 20 stitch d es One side of my intestines had been severed I could not relieve myself naturally and my severed intestine protruded through the stitches in my side They threw me into Cell No 3 Without medicine food treatment or a colostomy bag I lay screaming in pain until the next day Then guards took me from the cell It was snowing outside and I lay on a stretcher wearing only a dress My wounds were burnin stomach twinged my ing The bullet hole with a sharp pain They were preparing to send me off to Evin Prison in Tehran Sometime before the Feb 11 anniversary of the revolution we were told they wanted to clean up and paint the infirmary They took me to Cell Block 209 The deeper into the building I was taken the clearer the situation became Cell Block Khomeini’s crimes and 209 epitomized atrocities The corridors were overflowing with prisoners Some had broken hands and feet or broken backs others had been whipped or suspended with handcuffs from the ceiling Interrogators ran to and fro like rabid dogs some torturing and beating their victims right in front of other prisoners I was left to lie by the basement door from 3 pm until 11 pm the next day The pain was excruciating I really thought I was going to die I saw with my own eyes that just as man is capable of highest virtue he can also become something more vile and vicious than a savage predator The goal of the interrogators and torturers was to break the spirit of the resistance as personified by tens of thousands of political prisoners “Saleh” was the chief interrogator “I’m proud of being an executioner for the Islamic Republic” he boasted The situation was especially critical in the women’s section There were absolutely no hygienic facilities for the women or their children Everyone with mutilated feet contracted infection Before using newspapers for sanitary purposes we were ordered first to cross out or tear out the names of clergymen My own wounds became infected Blood trickled from my intestines and I had no access to colostomy bags I reused the only one available to me The prison continued to fill The prison wings could not hold any more condemned or untried prisoners on death row The murderers resolved this problem through a course of action feasible only under the Kho- meini regime With every new series of arrests other prisoners were executed Perversion was one of the most prominent characteristics of the regime’s agents particularly its “religious judges" These sick men roamed the women’s section of the prison at all hours of the night molesting and raping the women and girl prisoners The intense heat and humidity during the spring and summer caused widespread skin diseases Prisoners with respiratory problems really suffered Hundreds of children under 10 and infants many of whom were born in prison were held hostage in this hellish atmosphere Most died Due to torture and lack of medical attention I developed internal infection and lapsed into a coma To keep me alive for further interrogation they took me to a hospital The nurses and doctors deeply moved helped me contact resistance cells who arranged for my escape I remained in hiding for some time I constantly thought about my fellow combatants in the prisons I could always see in my fellow captives’ eyes their certainty of Khomeini’s overthrow They longed for the day when the doors of Iran’s prisons would be opened and the depth of Khomeini’s depravity could be revealed As I was about to cross the western border of Iran I knelt on Iranian soil and kissed the ground vowing that I would take the message of 140000 prisoners for all to hear Their message is this: The Khomeini regime is criminal in its totality and the world must not remain silent in the face of such brutality I |