European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 3, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday May 3. 1986 the stars and Stripe Page Chevron Oil contract spurs Dod review Angola dealings assailed by conservatives by Norman Black a military writer Washington defense Secretary Caspar w. Weinberger has ordered u Legal review of the Pentagon s authority to with hold Oil contracts from the Chevron co. Because of the company s dealings with the marxist government of Angola a spokes Man said thursday. The directive by Weinberger issued within the past week wus prompted by a letter from Howard Phillips chairman of the private conservative caucus said Rob in Sims the Pentagon s chief spokesman. The activist group has mounted a major publicity Campaign in recent months to Challenge the presence of Chevron s Gulf Oil subsidiary inside Angola. The United states has publicly pledged its support to Joseph Sav Imbi and his unit a resistance forces which arc attempting to overthrow the angolan government. Sims said the Reagan administration had made no decision to directly pressure Chev Ron to withdraw from Angola and Wein Berger had simply requested a review of the suspension and Debar Mcnol authorities of the defense  any attempt to withhold Pentagon con tracts from Chevron however would rep resent a change in . Policy on the giant Oil company s operations inside Angola. The slate department has previously said Only that it wanted Chevron to Lake into account .  Lurry Shusan a spokesman for Chevron said thursday the company had been unaware of Weinberger s directive until que Ries were received from reporters. We certainly have no knowledge of any change in policy in the Way bids arc awarded or handled by the Pentagon he added. A second Chevron executive who agreed to discuss the matter Only if not identified said he doubled the department had any Legal basis for withholding contracts. And if we left Angola tomorrow another Oil company would step in immediate and pick up where we left off the executive said. Chevron leaving Angola would t Hurt  government or its econ omy or help Sav Imbi. There s no question another company would come  according to Shusan. Culf Oil has been operating in Angola for More than .10 years and holds a -i1 percent interest in Oil operations there. Chevron and the angolan National Oil company together Are pumping roughly 200.000 barrels of Oil a Day he said. The company paid the angolan govern ment about $600 million in taxes and royalties last year. What he Weinberger has done in response to a letter asking about Chevron s status he s asked his staff to review the suspension and do Barmont authorities of the department to determine whether they could be applied to the situation with the Chevron co.," spokesman Sims said. Thai is All that he has done. The review is ongoing. There is no existing Legal basis for excluding Chevron As a bidder at the present  Sims said Chevron had received several urge Pentagon contracts for Oil from its Domestic refineries since l �2. At the moment its outstanding defense contracts Are Worth s.1s2 million he added. The spokesman said Phillips raised the Issue of suspending Chevron s right to bid on contracts in a letter to Weinberger dated april 2. Weinberger responded to Phillips in a letter april 24. Sims said writing i appreciate the concern for the Success of Jonas Sav Imbi s Freedom fighters in Angola. I want you to know that i appreciate the importance of the Issue you raise. Accordingly i have asked my staff to review the suspension and Debar Mcnol authorities of the department. I will advise you of the results of this  . Prison guard dispute Sparks riots escapes London up police searched thursday for about two do in convicts who escaped during a night of rioting at prisons across Britain and prison guards suspended a work slowdown that played a key role in the disturbances. Prime minister Margaret Thatcher praised the prison guards for stopping their appalling Job action a refusal to work overtime and said the night of violence it understaffed prisons had a very Salu tary effect on the officers. Police set up roadblocks and used Heli copters to search for 26 prisoners who escaped during the riots. At least seven escapees were believed to be armed with knives and other weapons seized in a prison can teen and workshop. The situation in All establishments has now been brought Back under control Home Secretary Douglas kurd told parliament. Although some of the violent action by prisoners May have been imitative kurd said there is Little doubt that the occasion for it was the overtime ban instituted by the. Prison officers  the refusal to work overtime he said both increased the Prospect of trouble in the prisons and reduced resources Able to Deal with it.". He called for an investigation into these  the disturbances erupted wednesday night and raged into the Early morning hours after prison guards imposed on Over time Bun in a dispute with Thatcher s government Over Low Manning Levels. Prison officials Cut Back the visitation time and other privileges of inmates be cause of staff shortages sparking wide spread rioting and arson by prisoners. At Issue is the government plan to Cut guards average 16 hours a week overtime to 10 hours. The guards who earn an average annual salary of $23,250 for a 55-hour work week that includes 16 hours overtime said the cuts would leave too few on duty to contain potential violence. The Home office said 18 prisons across Britain were rocked by violence or disturbances and eight guards and five inmates were slightly injured. The prison officers association the Union that represents 18,000 guards told its Mem Bers at midday thursday to suspend the Over time ban immediately to allow constructive talks to Lake place with the government. Kurd said he invited Union leaders to his office to hold talks. Worst hit in the rioting was the mini mum Security North cye prison in Boxhill 55 Miles Southeast of London where in a prisoner hurls a naming Sheet through a barred window of Horfield prison in Bristol England. Males torched the prison Hospital an administration building the Chapel and most of the wooden Barracks. Police were called in but 10 prisoners were believed to have slipped put of North cye Dur ing the night armed with knives and other weapons. Three of those were later captured. In addition 34 prisoners broke out of the Erlestoke youth detention Center in de sizes 80 Miles West of London during disturbances. Many were caught or surren dered within hours. The Home office said 26 prisoners were still missing As of late thursday 16 from Erlestoke and seven from North cye. North cye Warden Danny Ozanne said Only half the regular staff were on duty. We were Short of staff. But even if there had been a full staff i doubt whether things would have been very much  he blamed the Media attention on the Union dispute for starting the trouble at his jail. The prisoners read the news and wanted to join in he said. About 100 riot police regained control of the High Security Horfield prison in Bristol Early thursday after inmates held two wings for More than 12 hours. The prisoners went on a rampage setting fires smashing furniture and seizing two wings after visiting hour was cancelled because of the overtime ban. Just nine prison officers had been left in charge of 640 inmates. The guards Union imposed the overtime ban at 134 jails in England Wales and North Ern Ireland arguing that there should be More guards to Deal with inmate overcrowding. The government contends the prisons current sys tem of Manning is wasteful and scheduling practices must be changed