European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 1, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Side stripes d Dodds students do Well on sat.,. Page 2 d Meese favors on the Job drug surveillance Page 5 pigs give saw High Marks. Pages b-9 thes and authorized unofficial publication for the . Aimed for ii vol. 45, no. 197 saturday november 1, 1986 in Tau no r d 8693 a soviets Back Syria in Damascus Syria the soviet Union Friday pledged its support for Syria in a political dispute stemming from British allegations that it was involved in an attempt to blow up an israeli air lint in London. The syrian Arab news Agency said the soviet pledge was contained in a Lei tar from the soviet leadership to presi Dent Hafez Assad. Britain and Syria dosed the embassies in each others Capi tals Friday a week after Britain severed relations with Syria in what appeared to be a warning to Britain to Back off from its Campaign to isolate Syria and organize economic sanctions against Syria the syrian news Dollar rallies against most currencies London a the Dollar Rose Friday against All key currencies in euro Pean trading except the British Pound boosted by improved is. Economic Fig ures and a Cut in japanese interest Ratet. Gold prices till sharply. The Dollar soared live pfennig in Ger Many. Com Rosinn rates. Sri 17.j 7 to Dollar ended the week higher Chanall key foreign currencies compared Vith Lasi Friday s late rates. Foreign Exchange dealers said the Dol Lar s upward swing was propelled by in Commerce department s report that its Index of leading indicators., the govern ment s main gauge of future economic activity Rose 0.4 percent in september. The increase was in line with what Man economists had forecast and came after thursday s report that the merchandise Trade deficit dipped to s12.6 billion in sep tember its Best live in five months. Given the strength of the figures Iwasyn t surprised at All to see such a Strong Dollar said a dealer in  said the Dollar also appeared to he helped by Japan s decision to cuties 3.5 percent discount rate to j percent effective today. The discount rate is the interest rate charged by Central Banks on joans to commercial Banks. Agency quoted the soviet Union As say ing. The . Is following the Situa Tion very closely As Well As the development of the pressures to which Friendly Syria is being  the new Agency did not say who signed the letter or if it spelled out what was meant by pressures. The British have been seeking support from euro Pean allies for sanctions against economically strapped Syria. On thursday the United Stales said i would halt wheat exports to Syria. The european commission ruling body of the 12-nation european economic Community earlier this week announced it would Cut special Export subsidies to Syria. Britain a leading dec member has said it will veto dec financial Aid for  was expected to receive around s250 million under a five year Aid agreement that comes up for renewal soon. The news Agency said the letter stressed that the . Stands firmly on Syria s Side in confronting the Campaign led by London in coordination with Washington and Tel Aviv Israel / the soviet move was reported As Brit ish ambassador Roger Tomys icel syrian Friday. The British claimed they had evidence syrian intelligence was involved in an april 17 attempt to smuggle a bomb aboard an Al Al jumbo Jet at London s Heathrow Airport to blow up the plan with 357 people aboard. The allegations came after a Jordani an Nar Hindawi 32, was jailed for 45 years in London for planting the bomb inthe suitcase of his pregnant Irish girl Friend. Syria has denied the charges. The syrian ambassador in London Loutfallah Snydar who the British alleged played a Central role in inc plot Lef London by plane for Frankfurt on Fri Day proclaiming his innocence. Tomys among inc lost group of Brit ish diplomats and their families to leave Damascus said before flying to Amster dam. Netherlands he believed the Diplo Matic rift will last for some Lime. Sherrl non from coordinator of the Mansfield mass., Jaycees haunted halloween hangup House hangs up another unfriendly Dice on a clothesline my of ghouls and ghost Appato lies u the helps gel my for some halloween fun. . To Cut minimum rates for be Bonds Washington up the mini mum guaranteed interest rate on popular series be . Savings Bonds was slashed from 7.5 percent to 6 percent effective today the Treasury depart ment announced Friday. The new rate will not effect be Bond purchased before today officials said m a statement and the Rale will remain i effect until such time As Market conditions May require a  the present change in the current minimum rate reflects the decline in Market interest Rales during the Pas year the statement said periodic changes tip or Down in the current mini mum raw we Likely in the future As mar Ket interest rates continue to fluctuate. The new Bonds which mature in 12years instead of 10 years must be held for at least five years la qualify for the minimum guaranteed Rale. If surren dered in less than live years the rate slower. Like the previous series the new ebon is Are exempt from state and local income taxes and the Federal tax May be deferred until the new Bond is redeemed or reaches maturity. The Rale change was widely expected10 be announced on wednesday during the Treasury department s regular quarterly refinancing. Assistant Treasury Secretary Charles sethness had said the change was under consideration. He also said the. Reagan administration was weighing several factors including the Cost effectiveness for Treasury of the popular savings Bond program. Sethness conceded savings Bonds Are probably not the most attractive Way in which we Are financing the Public debt. Savings Bonds Are offered in ban Sand through payroll deductions in de nominations As Low As 125. Bonds have proved enormously popu Lar since the decline on interest rates on Bank certificates of Deposit Money mar Ket funds savings accounts and . Securities. Treasury department figures show Strong increase in Bond sales in recent sales had averaged $621 million a month Between february and april the leaped to $750 million from Between May and july and averaged $1.2 billion in August. Banks reported brisk Bond sales again this week due to the anticipated Rale Cut. President Reagan in an Effort to make securities More appealing to the Small investor announced in 1982 thai for the first time interest rates on savings Bonds would fluctuate with Market interest ales. The government reports an estimated$86 million in series be and other Sav Ings Bonds Are currently outstanding. The maximum Legal Purchase of Sav Ings Bonds by an individual in a Calendar year is s 15,000 or 130,000 face value