European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 28, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 the stars and stripes sunday december 28.1986 Iraq claims 32,000 iranians killed by United press International Iraq said saturday the iranians lost More than 32.000 men in i hair Christmas Day offensive across the strategic shut Al Arab waterway and Teh run said More than 9,500 iraqis were killed or wounded in the fighting. Tic iraqi news Agency quoted a Spiik Tih it by the general command of the armed forces As saying 32,344 Irani an soldiers were killed in the dec. 25-26 fighting and 1,048 boats and 107 Mili tary vehicles were destroyed. Baghdad radio Friday said iraqi forces crushed the iranian offensive across Shatt Al Arab and recaptured he Strate Gic umm rawas Island cast of Basra Iraq s second largest City after 39 hours of heavy fighting thai ended in a real massacre Lor the iranians. The Shatt Al Arab a strategic 75-Milc Long Estuary is Iraq s Only water link to the vital persian Gulf. Iran however dismissed Iraq s claims of Victory calling the iranian attack across the waterway a Small and limited  the islamic Republic news Agency saturday quoted a commander of what i called the "karbala-4" offensive As say ing that six iraqi brigades were destroyed and one tank company was totally mashed in the fighting. The commander whose name was not Given said that during he offensive some 100 military vehicles were set on fire and More than 9,500 enemy troops were either killed or wounded. There was no Independent Confirma Tion of the iranian and iraqi claims. Western journalists have rarely been Al Lowed at the Bat Lafront since the War erupted in september 1980. Fighting in the War has been concentrated around both countries Oil refineries and ship Ping depots near the Shatt Al Arab. Artillery sounded a 21-gun Salute i Baghdad Friday to Mark the Victory but nato and Arab diplomats in Athens reacted cautiously to the iraqi claims Baghdad appeared to have won some kind of Victory but the Success was unlikely to have a significant effect on the War s outcome a Diplomat said. Each Side reportedly has about 700,000 men under arms. Military analysts said the equation did not favor an attacking Force the position in which Iran has placed itself. Iranian president All Khamenei told a congregation in Tehran Friday that Iran s a orcs attacked in retaliation for iraqi air raids on residential areas hospitals and  Iraq has repeatedly called for peace talks but iranian spiritual Leader Ayala a Lah Ruhollah Khomeini has said he will not negotiate until iraqi president sad dam Hussein is overthrown. Reagan from Page 1 organized crime to  despite the controversy swirling about his secret foreign policy and Covert Deal Ings to free american hostages in Iran Reagan said "1986 has been a Good Yea for the cause of human Freedom and Good for the cause of world  the president also said his Summit meeting with soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev at Reykjavik Iceland in october showed thai differences Between the two superpowers Over nuclear arms reductions have narrowed  referring to a song made Papular by his Friend Frank Sinatra. Reagan said As the song puts it it was a very Good year " the president and mrs. Reagan plan quiet vacation beginning with a week end in los Angeles. After Reagan presents the presidential citizens medal on monday to Globe girdling voyager aviators Richard Rutan and Jeana Cuger and Rutan s brother voyager designer Hurt Rutan the first couple will Fly 10 Palm Springs for their traditional new year s Holiday in the privacy of publisher Walter Annc Sherg s sunny lands estate. Except for an evening with old friends at a nearby country club in the desert playground of the Rich and famous the reagans Are not expected to leave the Annan Borg property which features it own nine Hole Golf course shielded from Public View. The reagans Are scheduled to return to Washington on Jan. 2, and the presi Dent enters Bethesda naval Hospital two Days later for prostate surgery and a examination to Check for any recurrence of the cancer removed from his Colon in july 1985. Trains in France eccentric still sidetracked Paris a French trains continued to run at about a Quarter of Normal Levels saturday As the rail strike that began 10 Days ago showed no signs offending and the country s largest Union called for demonstrations around the country in the coming week. The management of the state run railway system said it remained ready to discuss labor s main de mands working conditions and a new pay scale As soon As the workers return to the Job. The unions continued to demand immediate talk with no preconditions. The conservative government of Premier Jacques Chirac says salary increases Mustbe limited in Accord with a strategy to control inflation and increase employment. Management invited the unions to a meeting tues Day afternoon if the strikers prove their Goodwill in by ginning return to work by  Union reaction was immediately negative. The communist led general confederation of labor France s largest Union called on its members to participate in demonstrations tuesday in Paris an major provincial cities. The socialist led French democratic confederation of labor was to Vole sunday on demonstrations. Merchant seamen and dockworkers also continued their strike action keeping ship traffic out of most major Pom at a trickle. The maritime workers arc protesting plans to let foreign sailors Man some French ships. The Premier s office announced that Chirac had cancelled plans for a week s vacation Over the Holiday Sand would remain in Paris. No reason was Given but it was assumed it was because of the strikes. From Page 1 server said in a report published Friday. Paget said his unique ideas partly account for disclaim to the title. He originated concepts such As an irregularly bouncing Ball on electric cab Blanket that regularly delivers a mild Shock to keep babies Active and artificial lights that allow homeowners to change the seasons in their Yards at will. And following his theory that brain decay is to blame for Many of the world s troubles Pagel has writ ten each . President since Richard Nixon request ing that he submit to an infrared examination of his brain to determine if he is i to hold office. So far no one has taken Pacl up on hat or any of his other ideas and he has gained Only a mild amount of Fame around Pike s Peak in Colorado for climbing the 14,110-foot Mountain a record number of limes. Despite the failure of his ideas to capture popular attention Pacl remains undaunted. You be got to play the percentages in life he said i used to Tell my students if you want to marry a Beautiful girl make a list of Beautiful girls and Start proposing to them. One of them will have such poor taste Shell think you re handsome " Abshire from Page 1 had gone much beyond describing Casey s condition As stable since the dec. 18 operation. When asked whether the Cia chief 73, was Able to talk Payes said this is All we have so  a source in the intelligence Community who declined to tie identified said Friday "1 understand that or. Casey is in very bad shape and is recovering very slowly Senate Republican Leader Bob dote of Kansas one of several lawmakers who suggested naming an outside Counselor on the Issue said David Abshire has what it takes both the respect and the experience to be the president s Point Man on the Iran  sen Patrick Leahy d-vt., also praised the appoint ment of Abshire nuclear protesters police clash a Eckersdorf West Germany a militant anti nuclear protesters battled with German riot police Over the Christmas Holiday and 51 Peop e were arrested and 22 injured 12 of them policemen authorities said saturday. The disturbances thursday and Friday followed a peaceful demonstration by about 5,000 people against Germany s first nuclear waste recycling Plant now under construction outside the bavarian Village of a Eckersdorf after the Christmas Day rally in the Village about 400 protesters marched out to the construction site in the bavarian Forest and 50 of them attacked police guarding the area said a bavarian state police spokesman. Ten people were arrested thursday and 41 on Fri Day for assault and other offences he said. Alt were released on their own recognizance pending court dates later. Pilot co Pilot among plane explosion survivors Amman Jordan up the Pilot and co Pilot of a hijacked iraqi plane were among 44 people who survived the shoot out crash and explosion in saudi Arabia that killed at least 62 people civil aviation sources said saturday. The sources said the Pilot had Man aged to control the plane for 15 minutes after one of the hijackers hurled a hand grenade into the cockpit during the Nbattle aboard the iraqi airways Boeing hijackers of lebanese nationality seized the Jet with its 91 passengers and15 Crew members and Security guards s3 minutes after it left the Baghdad Airport thursday on a Normal flight to Amman. Survivors said that a gun Battle had erupted on the plane Between the Hijack ers and the Security guards during which one of the gunmen threw a hand grenade into the cockpit. Shortly afterwards the plane crash landed overturned split almost in half and blew up in a Ball of lire in the desert near a Small saudi arabian Airport in Arar about 250 Miles Southwest of Bagh dad. The Pilot and the co Pilot were slightly wounded by the hand grenade explosion the civil aviation sources said. After the plane cashed they were the third and fourth people to slide Down from the aircraft their clothes Black from smoke. In another development saudi authorities reacted sharply to a purported statement by the lebanese pro iranian islamic jihad group circulating in saudi Arabia that blamed the High number of casualties on saudi commandos who stormed the plane. A spokesman for the saudi govern ment called the claim ridiculous  How could a sane person believe that saudi authorities would storm a plane that had already hit the ground and caught fire the spokesman said. He said the authorities knew of the hijacking after the drama occurred and not before As alleged by the Beirut base islamic jihad group. In Amman official sources could not confirm a Washington Post report thai two hijackers survived and were in saudi custody. The newspaper quoted informed sources in Amman As saying one of the commandos admitted that his group planned to Force the plane first to dam ascus Syria and then to Tehran Iran. No motive was Given. The report conflicted with an account by a survivor who said Only one of the four hijackers escaped death