European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 14, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday september 14, 1978 the stars and stripes Page 5 red threat Haig says soviets have greatly expanded heir stockpile of various chemical weapons by Drew Middleton Casteau Belgium not Gen. Al expander m. Haig or. Said Here monday that the soviet Union has greatly expanded its stocks of chemical weapons and introduced chemical rounds for Field guns Frog and scud missiles and the bm-21 multiple rocket launcher. The commander of North Atlantic Alli Ance forces told a news conference that the chemical weapons would serve the soviet Union in a manner similar to that As the enhanced radiation weapon or Neutron bomb was intended to serve the West they would Knock out or kill soldiers and civil ians while leaving Industrial Plant and transportation systems  a prolonged Exchange Between the . And the european allies president Carter decided not to proceed with the production of the Neutron bomb. Talked to Media Haig talked to Media representatives As a series of exercises covering nato Europe from Denmark s Jutland Peninsula to the Mediterranean sea accelerated. The largest of these autumn forge exercises involves the Airlift of mechanized in Fantry and artillery from bases in the . To West Germany. There the troops pick up repositioned tanks Field guns and trucks and move into an exercise designed to test nato s defences against possible soviet invasion. Haig commented that the fact that we Are now witnessing the greatest propaganda attack against these exercises Ever mounted by the Eastern bloc is itself the most explicit and powerful recognition of the contribution of autumn  the Allied commander sited the Readi Ness of forces already on the ground the rationalization of doctrine tactics and procedure and vast improvements in reinforcement capabilities As the continuing goals of these yearly exercises. Must communicate the purpose he said is to place land sea and air forces of 13 nato allies in situations where they must communicate with each other where they would be forced to rely on each other for logistical support and where they would have to operate to Gether if were to operate at  one of the problems faced by Haig and other Allied commanders is the rapid expansion of soviet chemical warfare capabilities. The russians have expanded their stocks of Sarin Soman and vex gasses which attack the nervous system. These chemical agents Are absorbed through the respiratory system As vapor or through exposed skin As moisture. According to a defense department report enemy personnel can be killed or put out of action for a few Days or weeks according to the amount of the agent employed. In the soviet army chemical warfare units Are attached to every unit from army Down to regiment. Intelligence sources report that there Are Between 70,000 and 100,000 chemical warfare officers and men deployed by the soviet army. The chemical weapons can be delivered by bombs missiles rockets shells and landmines or sprayed from the air by fixed Wing aircraft and  Sharp contrast to most Western armies the soviet forces Are equipped and trained to fight in a chemical warfare envy Ron nent. All of the newest soviet armoured vehicles Are equipped with filters to pro vide Protection from chemical or even Bio logical contamination. Other vehicles carry protective clothing and Gas masks for the troops and every soviet division has its own chemical decontamination unit equipped with a vehicle designated tvs 65 which has a Turbo Jet Spray mounted on a  soviets also have developed Chemi Cal rounds for their 122 and 152 millimetre artillery and for the Frog Short Range and scud Long Range surface to surface missiles. Western officers Here regard the bm-21 As a formidable weapon. This is a multiple rocket launcher. A single Volley from this launcher would drop 720 chemical rounds on an enemy  a Short life agent like Hydrogen cyanide the rockets could eliminate a de fending Force allowing advancing Armor to Roll through in a Short time because Hydro Gen cyanide dissipates quickly. The military implications of the soviet emphasis on chemical warfare Are regarded As serious by Haig and other senior officers. They fear that chemical agents would eliminate the missile and artillery units on which the Alliance counts in the initial encounter with soviet Armor an area of weaponry in which the russians Are quantitatively Superior. Chemical agents used in the first wave of a Surprise attack remains one of the Alli Ance s military nightmares. Haig said he believed that the West would have from 8 to 20 Days warning of a soviet attack although we Are training on the Assumption of Only 48 hours  he argued that if the russians were to launch an attack on nato s Central front they would have to deploy other assets such As the submarine Fleet at Murmansk and the soviet Squadron in the Mediterranean to avoid their destruction in port. They cannot attack with two thirds of their nuclear submarines moored in the Kola Peninsula he said. We would get the signal from purely military Indica  panel focuses on pilferage waste Dod is being ripped off7 by John Hart Washington Bureau chief Washington is the defense department s Supply system is being ripped off in Many ways such As by Pil Ferage and waste according to a congressional committee report. In a report filed by the House appropriations committee on defense a number of deficiencies in the military Supply system were  example the committee said that from 1970 to 1977, the Navy issued 31,000 leather flight jackets to Only 15,000 person Nel assigned to flight status in that period. In one Navy unit with 18 flight personnel assigned committee investigators found that in a 20-month period excessive amounts of flying equipment were issued As follows 217 pairs of sunglasses 75 flight jackets 53 pairs of boots 181 pairs of gloves. The committee charged the services with excessive purchases of sunglasses annually when considering the number of personnel eligible to receive them free. The air Force purchases 136,000 pairs of sunglasses annually for 91,500 personnel the report said. By comparison the army buys 63,000 pairs for 54,000 eligible personnel. The Navy purchases 65,000 pairs of the glasses for 33,000 flight personnel including marines. In another area the committee found that every year the defense department spends $314,000 annually to Purchase 48, 000 leather holsters for Colt .45 handguns. The problem with this is that the depart ment has not purchased Colt .45 handguns since 1945, but Only the holsters according to the report. Significant savings can be achieved through elimination of such waste and a reduction in alleged pilferage in the Supply system the report said. Muhammad quits As Muslim chief Atlanta up Wallace d. Muhammad has stepped Down As chief minister and spiritual Leader of the nation s 70,000 Black muslims and will devote More of his time to evangelism another of the sect s leaders said tuesday. Muhammad s resignation made before a stunned gathering of 1,500 muslims in at Lanta sunday and disclosed via a Telephone Hookup to about 200 mosques around the country places the leadership in the hands of a new 10-member Council. Reaction from muslims around the country was Swift with Many expressing Surprise Shock and sadness. However Ibrahim Pasha of Atlanta one of the imams or religious leaders who will now govern the sect said tuesday he disagrees with published statements that the announcement left the muslims Sha  i think the reaction has basically been one of acceptance said Pasha 36, who will represent the Southeast Region on the new  has been some sadness but not Overly so he said adding that the Resig nation will not mean a problem of adjust ment for members. It was a Surprise move in that people have come to love him very much he  Pasha said he believes Muhammad Felt members had become too dependent on him and Cut them Loose so they could learn to  he said Muhammad is expected to develop and expand a role As an evangelist. He will be an evangelist for the mus Lim Community and Hopes to be Able to spread our message outside thex group said Pasha. He has also expressed for a Long time the desire to do a comparative study of the Bible and the holy Koran and write a commentary on  he has also received invitations to visit and teach his message in seven or eight countries said Pasha India Turkey Greece South Africa Nigeria and most of the Muslim , 44, took Over As the group s spiritual Leader in 1975, on the death of his father Elijah Muhammad founder of the Chicago based sect. Pasha said Muhammad s decision to step Down is in line with islamic teachings which hold that National leadership should be in the hands of several members instead of  Cuba-. Airlift to begin Washington a the state department said tuesday that 66 . Citi Zens along with 64 cuban family Mem Bers will Fly from Cuba to Miami on thursday in what is the first stage of a repatriation program agreed to by president Fidel Castro. Department spokesman Hodding Carter also said a team of six . Officials is in Havana processing the first group of 48 cuban political prisoners who will be granted permission to come to the u.  family members of this group included 150 persons will make up the initial contingent Carter said. There is no Date set for the arrivals of the prisoners and their families. The . Citizens who will return on thursday Are also cuban citizens. They Al ways have been free to emigrate to the . But Castro had refused them Permis Sion to take family members. In an interview with expatriate cuban reporters last week Castro said that there Are approximately 3,000 political prisoners in Capa but it is unclear How Many would be eligible to leave the country under the new policy. Of time Wallace d. Muhammad sept. 14, 1948 an american Rescue team has gone into the russian zone of East Germany in search of two american fliers whose c-47 cargo plane went Down while carrying supplies to blockaded West Berlin. The Pilot was reported Safe but captured his co Pilot was unaccounted for. Sept. 14, 1958 nationalist chinese forces have successfully unloaded a land ing ship on the Beach of Quemoy Island. It was the first Load of supplies to reach the beleaguered Island in More than a week. American sailors supervised the action which was conducted during a heavy communist barrage. Sept. 14, 1968 Denny Mclain became major league baseball s first 30-game win Ner in 34 years. He is the first Man to accomplish the feat since dizzy Dean in the 1934 season