European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 19, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Inside stripes o n the Good old wintertime Page 3 d 4 await armed services vote in House Page 5 o hot food module rates High among airmen Page 9 the a am gripes authorized unofficial full cation or the v t. Aimed forces vol.45, no. 274 monday january 19, 1987 d 8693 a German kidnapped in Beirut Beirut Lebanon up unidentified gunmen kidnapped German citizen at gunpoint shortly after hear Rived in moslem West Beirut apparently at a hostage to Force release from Ger Man custody of a suspected palestinian Hijacker lebanese Security sources said sunday. Rudolph Cordes s3. Business manager of us giant Frankfurt based chemical and  company Hoechst was seized by a group of gunmen at 7 45 a to saturday As he was on hit Way to his hotel in the commercial Hamra District. They said conies was abducted Only 15 minutes after he arrived at the syrian guarded Cir i International Airport aboard a lebanese Middle East airlines Light from Frankfurt. The gunmen in a speeding car spotted Cordes who was in a stack Mer cedes with his lebanese Driver on the Mouzai Road in the shiite Southern suburbs of Beirut the sources said. The gunmen brandishing automatic rifles intercepted cordes1 car ordered him outside at Point Blank Range and bundled him into heir own vehicle and sped off 10 an unknown destination they said. The lebanese Driver was set free unharmed the sources added. Codes Atso the manager of Hoe fist in Syria and Jordan usually came to Bei rut by car from Damascus a spokesman at the German embassy said. The German foreign ministry issued statement saying it had been informed hat a German citizen had been Kidnap Ped in the lebanese capital and that it had organized a crisis staff to Deal with the situation. It said its Beirut embassy received an Anonymous Telephone Call late saturday in which it was Lolet thai a German Citi zen had been abducted. Lebanese political and Security sources believed the latest kidnapping was linked to the arrest in Frankfurt last tuesday of Mohammad Ali Ramadei who was identified As one of the Hijack ers of Twa flight 847 on june 14,198s. Ramadei a 22-year-old Leban be born palestinian was arrested on his arrival Onan Mea flight from Beirut when police found bottled liquid explosives disguised As grape drink in his hand Luggage. Meanwhile the Justice department said sunday it will not seek be death Penally against Ramadei paving the Way for Germany s extradition of Ramadei. Because this is the Only Means by which the United Stales can obtain Cus Tody of this suspect we have agreed to waive requesting imposition of the death Penally in this Case said j Uslice depart see German on Pago 26 . Officers led Contra shipments reports maintain Washington up the com Mander of . Military forces in Al Sal Vador and his Deputy were among those directing arms shipments to Nicaragua Contra rebels last year although con Gress barred such action. Knight Ridder newspaper reported saturday. The report detailed extensive inter views with Crew men in the private sup i operation noting the accounts contradict repeated administration assertions that no . Official actively participated in the arms Supply network. One eyewitness said army col. James Steele commander of . Military forces in Vej Salvador guided secret air drops of arms into Nicaragua last april. Susie also reportedly handled thousands of dollars in Cash paid to the salvadoran military for air plane fun used during the Covert missions. Steele s Deputy. Air Force it. Col. David Rankin jr., personally approved the acquisition of spare pans and other supplies needed for the operation s Fleeto facing air planes a Crew member said. Contra leaders id the Supply nights were assisted by Cia officials in Costa Rica who relayed the location of rebel units inside Nicaragua. A 1b84 jaw. Passed by Congress when coven Cia activities in Nicaragua were revealed banned any direct or indirect . Military help to the contras Acla formed Force fighting to overthrow Nicaragua s sandinista government. In 1985. Congress passed another Law allowing some sharing of intelligence in , reached by Knight Ridder re porters at fort Leavenworth kan., declined to answer questions but defended his actions As certainly , who now works at the state department declined comment. The Crew members told Knight rid Der that sleeve and Rankin were involved from the operation s inception helping obtain trucks and lumber from the salvadoran military to build a Ware House o store arms and supplies for the contras. Steele also called a special meeting of All members of he operation Las july to make in run More smoothly. He Wimch Supply Crews against taking wallets or other identification on lights implying that carelessness with Security could jeopardize then pending congressional Aid to the  s name was on a list of key contacts each Crew Man was Given upon his arrival in �1 Salvador and Rankin see Contra on Page 28 Surfside shivered photo Boh wish do of Seal Bench calif., bundles up against the Early morning chill saturday. Wearing hut gloves and Scarf be sets in Hii chair on the Sarid and Sylvera. Why he s watching Hii son and few other dedicated surf ers defy the Chili to engage in their port. Overnight temperatures in the area dipped below freezing with Little harming in Light related Story. . Bachelors turn hosts for officers wives group is Joe Mapother Brett Rte in Burnt Karlstedt. Germany when capt. Chris mud Ler look command of a company in october i decided one thing he Oulu he to do limit in on to tits battalion Zuffi. Cen i m group month Coffta. One of the wives said when Are you going to hold your Coffee " the Oung Bachelor said. I said Amnun Mumm. Mueller who commands cod lstbn.4lstrcgt.2nd army div fwd got together with co e commander Cape. Edward Jozwiak. Also a Bachelor and 1 hey hatched a plot to invade the traditionally female preserve. This month s Coffee featured male officer hosts who sported Black Bow ties and White shins Valet parking a dining room table Laden with edibles and of course Coffee. I wanted to show that us Guys the men could put on just As Good a show Mueller said. Bui it was More than just a gesture. Mueller said one big reason for hosting the wives group is the role the informal organization plays in the unit As a Center of social activity. Especially when that unit is stationed overseas. That description particularly fits the 1st in. Mem Bers arrived at Clay Cavern in june As part of the army s cohort program under which units not individuals arc transferred to new duty stations. As far As the women s group is concerned the Rota Tion boosted it importance because nearly everyone in the battalion arrived Ai the same time and had to cop with the same adjustment to a foreign environment. Not being married myself i Don t have the link into these shiites Mueller said. He could have relied on the informal system of a company fint lady for exam ple the wife of his executive officer to make Contact Wenli he wives group. Or he could have done it himself. Mueller employed the calligraphy he teamed in col see hosts on Page 26