European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 17, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday May 17, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 5 Navy keeping tabs on by Norman Black a military writer. Washington the . Navy is not attempting a escort every american merchant ship sailing in the persian Gulf Region but it has stepped up us monitoring of their movement and us Vista commercial shipping lines to maintain radio Contact the Pentagon says. Robert Sims the Pentagon s chief spokesman also said that by the defense department s count Iran has boarded or seized 90 commercial ships since april 1985 to search for War Materiel that might be bound for Iraq. Iranian warships also have approached and asked at least 40 other ship sailing in the area about their nationality and cargo. So the iranians have come in Contact with something like 130 merchant vessels since april or last year Sims said. And that is a fairly significant amount of activity. Bui so tar we Don t feel that the rights of our Mer chant shins1 have been violated and we would Hope that Ihal would be the Case in the  he was questioned about Navy procedures thursday following an incident Ott tuesday in which a . Destroyer prevented an iranian frigate from intercepting a . Cargo ship in the Gul f of Oman. Iran which has been fighting Iraq for More than five years slopped and searched on american vessel Jan 12 in the Gulf of Oman. During that incident no . Navy ships were close enough to the cargo ship to intercede. Theln1csl incident involved the cargo ship president Mckinley owned by american president lines lid. A spokesman for he company. Sieve Potash said wednes Day that shortly after the vessel entered the Gulf Early this week the Mckinley came under the escort of a Nivy  we Don t escort All of our merchant  Sims said thursday but we do Monitor heir movements through the area and Usk them to stay in touch with our military1 ships in the  have been in Contact Slih commercial lines and they know what our policies arc he said. The Navy now routinely establishes Contact with . Ships sailing n the area and they can make decisions on their own us to what they wish to do if approached by iranian vessels we Are there and we will take whatever actions arc Nec Siary to ensure that their rights Aren t violated.". Asked then if Navy ships had been authorized to use Force to protect .-Flag vessels from boardings Sims replied All i will say is that . Forces will take what Ever action is necessary to ensure the rights of u.5. Mer chant ships and to  that those rights Are not Vio lated.". He did not elaborate last january following the first iranian Burding Ofinn american ship the state department said Iran had the right under International maritime Law to conduct reason. Able searches for War contraband on Neutral ships. Sims refused to say whether thai . Posh Ion had changed since january but he said the United Stales docs believe iranian naval vessels can be assured verbally that there is no contraband on Board and that that can be accepted by a  vital Gulf shipping lanes arc in turmoil As the War Between Iran and Iraq explodes into new new areas. Noone is entirely sure where it is Safe to go. We pore Over Muiir maritime maps Murk off with red the channels we know i Ranian helicopters or worn lands can no thick and suddenly the iranians spread out to other channels said a shipping executive based in Kuwait. Most of the waterway is gradually becoming a no Jjo zone added the executive. He like others interviewed in Bahrain . Shipping companies which have Ken a tally since the so called Tanker War erupted in february 1984, say the iraqis have crippled or destroyed 73 vessels and the Irani ans have hit 53. Dozens of mariners have died. The iranians initially attacked ships just South of the War zone in kuwaiti and saudi territorial Waters. But when the saudis shot Down one of Tehran s Phan. Torn jets in june 1984, the iranians shifted their attacks southward. Libyan connection hampers Fiat Allis Weinberger blocks Dozer Deal Washington a defense Secretary Caspar a Weinberger has invoked National Security concerns to Block indefinitely a Pentagon contract to the Fiat Allis co. Because of its partial ownership by Libya his chief spokesman said thursday. We have Security concerns about the libyan participation in thai company s ownership and until those arc satisfied we will not go Forward with the contract on the basis of National Security said the spokesman Robert Sims. The Secretary has decided As of today that he will use the National Security clause in the contract to avoid award ing it until Here has been some Resolution of the Issue our concern is that Libya might get some Money out of this contract.". The associated press quoting Pentagon sources reported earlier this week that Weinberger had intervened to Block the award of a $7.9 million contract for combat bulldozers to Fiat Allis a subsidiary of fial spa of Italy at the time. Sims confirmed the contract had not been awarded but refused to discuss Weinberger s decision. The government owned libyan foreign investment co has held a 15 percent interest in Fiat spa since 1977 and has two scats on the company s 15-member Board of directors. Since 1984, the Pentagon has awarded contracts to taling s23.6 million to Fiat or its subsidiaries. Fiat Allis was the Law bidder on the Bulldozer contract Sands of time in the stars arid stripes 40 years ago today. May 17,1946 the trial in Dachau involving crimes against the us. Army opened against 74 Farmer German is members charged with murdering . Prisoners and Allied civilians during the Battle of the bulge 30 years ago today. May 17, iw6 Wes Saitee j Hopes of regaining his Amateur status and running in the olympic games apparently were crushed when the state supreme court upheld the lifetime suspension imposed on the Kansas Miler by Therau. 20 years ago today. May 17,1966 students in the Buddhist stronghold of Hue called on America to oust South vietnamese pre Mier Nguyen by whose lightning seizure of Danang threatened to touch off civil War Between anti communist political factions. To years ago today May 17, 1976 in los Angeles Ronald Reagan saying he has proven the ability to woo the democratic and Independent crossover votes needed to become presi Dent blasted critics who claim his nomination would de stroy the Republican party. Which is being overseen by the Marine corps. Pentagon officials had testified on Capitol Hill earlier this month they did t know if the defense department had the Legal authority to Block in award to the lowest bidder. Sims said thursday he was not aware of any other bids submitted by fial on defense programs. He said he would not discuss hypothetical questions about whether the company would now be blocked from receiving any future Pentagon work. When asked if Weinberger s con Cerns could be resolved Short of Libya giving up its investment in Flat Sims replied that is a Good question that i will leave to the Law  Weinberger he did indicate however that Weinberger s concerns might be Satis Ifird if fial could show that profits from . Defense work were not being shared with Libya. Of course Well talk to representatives of the company or the government of Italy if desired to resolve those concerns Sims said. But we will not go Forward with it until they Are  he would t say How Long the contract might be held up for Legal review before it is awarded to another company. Sinai troops to Fly on military planes Washington a the . Army a decided that american soldiers flying to or from peace keeping duty in the Sinai or Ert will Fly on miliary air planes and not chartered civilian airliners a defense department spokesman said thursday. The decision follows the dec. 12 crash of a civil Ian dog in cinder Newfoundland that killed 24s soldiers returning from the Sinai the crash of that Arrow air plane was the worst single air plane Acci Dent involving military personnel. The army s decision on the matter was disclosed thursday by Robert Sims the Pentagon s chief spokesman in the course of announcing the next rotation of roughly 800 soldiers to the Sinai was to begin Friday. The spokesman said soldiers from the 82nd air borne at fort Bragg. , will replace soldiers fro the 9lh inf div at fort Lewis Wash. The soldiers from the 82nd will Fly on c-s41 transport planes operated by the air Force s Mili tary Airlift come he said. The same planes will be used to bring the members of the 9th inf div Home Sims said the decision to use military aircraft was made because of a review that followed the Gan Der accident.". Plastic handgun beat Security at Capitol f says congressman Washington up rep. Mario Blag i d no testified thursday he and an aide smuggled an austrian made plastic gun past Security checkpoints at the Capitol but the weapon s maker said an efficient Security system could detect it. Piuggi told a House judiciary subcommittee he look apart the handgun called a clock 17 and had an aide walk through a Metal Detector at the capital carrying the nonmetal parts. He said two Metal pieces of the weapon were concealed in a briefcase which was passed through after an a Ray inspection. This lest proved to me that the clock 17 can beat . Capitol Security Biaggi said and if it can beat . Capitol Security it can certainly beat . Airport Accuri Biaggi s aide Craig Floyd said the test was conducted in february under the supervision of the Capitol police to show the problems with plastic guns. Biag ii appeared at a hearing on a Bill that would ban the manufacture import or Sale of weapons that cannot be selected by conventional Airport Security devices. The legislation is directed at so called plastic weapons. Security at the Capitol has been tightened in the past few months in response to threats by Libya s mop mar khad Afy to stage terrorist acts in the United states. Biaggi showed enlarged pictures of the Glock 17 concealed in Luggage and suggested that terrorists could Dis Mantle the gun and sneak it past Security with ease. The weapon is made mostly of a hardened plastic but has a Metal barrel slide and Spring. Karl Walter vice president of the clock inc., which makes the handgun said the weapon includes a Pound of steel that can be detected by proper screening devices. Any magnetometer which does t set alarms off when the gun passes through it ought to be scrapped Walter told United press International there Are magnetometers that can pick up a tooth  the clock 17, now being used by More than 100.000 officers of the austrian armed forces has never been used in any terrorist activity he said Phillip Mcquire an official of the Bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms supported Waller s position and told the subcommittee there is nothing about the clock disassembled that should make it harder to