European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 12, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 28 the stars and stripes monday. January 12,19b7 nukes suspected on British truck that overturned Salisbury. England up a 20 ton military truck believed to be carrying nuclear depth charges skidded and Over turned on an icy country Road prompt ing a major Security Alert involving armed soldiers sunday. No one was hurl and there is absolutely no danger to the Public said a defense ministry spokesman. But an opposition labor politician termed it the most serious Accident involving the transport of nuclear weapons in Britain in 25 years. The truck was travelling in a military Convoy escorted by police outsiders and a lire Lender when it skidded Oil the Road and overturned in a Field sat urday afternoon a second truck also skidded blocking the Road As it came to rest with its wheels overhanging ditch. Royal Marine commandos in Arctic survival gear ringed the area backed up by about 40 police officers they cordoned off i Square mile of Countryside overnight As military Engineer worked tinder arc lights to recover the trucks which were finally Lowed away at mid Day sunday. Anti nuclear protesters and local Resi dents said they believed the vehicles were carrying nuclear weapons Proba Bly nuclear anti submarine depth charges to a Royal Navy armaments depot in the Village of West Dean near Salisbury the Cathedral City 85 Miles West of Lon Don. The defense ministry refused 10 confirm or deny the vehicles were carrying nuclear weapons in line with its Long standing policy of never com menting on the location of nuclear warheads. Weapons experts said nuclear weapons in transit Are More stable than conventional bomb and could not be detonated in a Road Accident. There Are different vehicles that carry different types of ordnance and these vehicles Are specifically designed to carry nuclear weapons said a spokes Man Tor Polaris watch an anti nuclear protest group. The Convoy had Sel out from the naval dockyard at Portsmouth Polaris watch said. Nuclear anti submarine depth charges Are the Only nuclear warheads stored there. The Accident happened barely one mile from the West Dean armament depot. The vehicles were finally Lowed away at midday sunday some 18 hours after the Accident. A few protesters unfurled banners and Sang peace songs us the be Hick drove away. Martin o Neill a labor party defense spokesman said he believed this was the most serious event of its kind re corded in Britain in 25 ii is incumbent upon the government to be far More forthcoming than they have done. The nuclear state that we live in is a dangerous secret stale he said Ina bbl radio interview. One Accident of a serious nature would be enough to wipe out an area he said apparently referring to possible radiation Hazard in a catastrophic Acci Dent. Snow Boogie Kerry Olson leftist. And Ricky bar Ker 18, dance their boards on new Flint Snow in so Louis. The area was one at Many bit by tills Winter i won storm which spread Taoa the nation stranding Cuury motorists. Cohen from Page 1 Boren and Cohen were inter viewed on the Abc to program meet the Boren was More cautious than Cohen in concluding that Reagan provided the impetus Tor continuing the Sale of arms to ran but said that decision was the president responsibility. Weinberger interviewed on the Abc to program this week with David Brinkley confirmed that he had scrib Arab group claims it set san Juan fire Beirut Lebanon up a pro libyan shadowy group in statement published sunday claimed responsibility for starting a huge fire at a hotel in san Juan in which at least 90 people were killed on new year eve. The Arab commando cells in a statement published by the inde pendent an Nahar newspaper said we announce Hal we destroyed the Dupont Plaza hotel. In retaliation for recurring raids on palestinian and islamic resistance bases in the group said its agents Trig gered the fire to kill Cia agent who were at the hotel. Bled absurd on the margin of a memorandum outlining the arms sales proposal. The document said that we should try even through transferring arms to try to gel a better relationship with particular factions in Iran. And i just did t believe that those factions existed Sai Weinberger. In another development the new York times reported that . Officials were dropping an investigation of two former army colonels who allegedly plotted while on Active duty to sell munitions to Iran. The report said col. Ralph Mark of Man and col. William h. Molt in were linked to Paul s. Cutter a former Diplo mat who is now serving a five year sen tence following his conviction in a Flor Ida Federal court in october 1985 for trying to smuggle Tow anti tank weapons to Iran. Brosnan and Mott now retired from the military were involved in a plan to sell Iran f-4 fighters and other munitions which they allegedly intended to obtain illegally from . Stocks in Europe the newspaper said. The paper said it was unclear Bow Many weapons May actually have reached Iran. Broman and Mott denied the allegations against them the time said. Army investigators Learned is month Sago of the alleged scheme and turned the information Over to the National Security Agency the Central intelligence Agency and the defense intelligence Agency the report said. They were not interested in pursuing said one government official quoted by the times. The investigation is a Pentagon spokeswoman la col Edwina Palmer said the defense department had no comment on the time report. Officials meet to end currency dispute Brussels a european finance ministers and Central Bank governors seeking to end a political confrontation Between France and Germany opened talks sunday on a readjustment of cur Rency values. The session was called late saturday after lower level monetary officials meet ing in Brussels failed to agree on which of eight european monetary system currencies should be adjusted upward in value. Edouard Balladur the French to minister told reporters As he i closed door meeting mistic about cd Pace my Kemel. Ger Man finance Foj Fuerhardt stolen Berg said to Rady to negotiate in a Good s no a break in the talks Mcm Treasury minister Jacques Poos told reporters the officials were consid ering a 3 percent increase in the value of the German Mark. Several sources speaking during sat urday s meeting on condition they not be identified had said it appeared Germany was ready to accede to France s thai the Mark be officially i against most of the " aes leaving fihe currencies of eight an economic Comra it nations setting prearranged limits on How much each currency can move up or Down in value in relation to the seven others. The dec nations not in the system Are Britain Greece Spain and Portugal because the United states is not in the Ems the outcome of the Brussels deliberations would not directly affect the value of the Dollar. The finance ministers and Bank governors faced an line Lor reaching a morning. Fifty a tact by the Start of the Mai Ramg Day the wide a Ailion of an official increase German Mark would be expected to trigger a wave of Mart purchases pos Sibly forcing the Bonn government to accept an even More drastic upward revaluation. The strength of the German currency f is due in part to the continued decline ocl the Dollar which is under pressure frown investor concerns about the Large Amer can budget and Trade deficits. Invasion often shill their Money into Marks we the Dollar is falling. The gov Emmen of Chancellor Hel Mut Kong which faces a general election in two weeks had wanted to avoid a Mark revaluation until after the voting
