European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 9, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 Fli the stars and stripes monday March 9,1987 conflicting claims made in Iran Iraq War Nicosia Cyprus a Iran said its forces wiped out two iraqi brigades in the Snow covered Kurdistan Mountain sin Northern Iraq on saturday the fourth Day of an offensive  the Southern end of the 730-mile front Iraq claimed its troops backed by fighter bombers helicopter gunships and fierce artillery barrages repulsed an at tack by two divisions of iranians in heavy fighting near the iraqi port of Basra. Baghdad s official iraqi news Agency monitored Here also said iraqi War planes attacked two Large naval tar gets which usually Means tankers carrying iranian Oil in the Northern Persingul saturday. Neither vessel was identified but the Agency said hits were reported on both vessels. News briefs Iran s official islamic Republic new Agency said about half the soldiers from the two brigades fighting in the Kurdis Tan mountains were killed or wounded. An iraqi brigade usually numbers 4,000soldiers. Irna reported that heavy Artiller Battles were still raging in the Mountain Ous Haj Omran Region about 90 mile Northeast of Iraq s Kirkuk oilfields. The iranians claimed they have seize about 20 Square Miles since the Northern offensive began late tuesday around Haj Omran. Iraqi military communiques claimed that All iranian assaults have been beaten  called the Southern Battlefront a graveyard for iraqi troops and said iranian forces had knocked out scores of Iraq s soviet made t-72 tanks. But Iraq s new Agency claimed Twotwo iranian divisions totalling about 8,000 men and several Independent companies were smashed in the latest  rival claims could not be independently confirmed As correspondents another observers Are Seldom allowed into the Battle zones of the 6 a year old  fighting on both ends of the front spurred speculation that the iranian were intensifying pressure on the iraqis to stretch their  s leaders have been warning for some time that they planned a major blow before the persian Calendar year ends March 21. Western military analysts said they expect further iranian assaults All along the Battlefront in the coming weeks. The iranian strategy appears to be to Stab at several sectors at once in the hop of finding a Hole in the formidable iraqi defense system then Send in their Over whelming numerical superiority. But Western analysts doubt that the iranians despite recent injections of new hardware have the firepower to match the iraqis or make any sizeable break  iranians main aim appears to be to intensify the political pressure to topple iraqi president Saddam Hussein who ordered the invasion of Iran in sep tember 1982. The conflict by Western estimates has killed or wounded More than one million people. An iraqi spokesman said Friday that continued iranian shelling of iraqi cities including Basra could prompt Iraq to resume bombing raids on iranian cities after a two week halt. Iver transplant patient offers minor set bulk Burgh a liver dts Plant a tie Konnie Dewillers underwent or minor medi Cal paced re saturday to relieve fluid buildup Roui � his pancreas his Mother Jed. I at children s Hosp Job of Pitts Burghley 7-year-old Miami Why then inserted his stomach to Reid ave the fluid said Illers. The Drainas Jube will be left Inse Daia tube Maria and attains gone thet he s in lers said the boy operation that financed by co silent Reagan plight after s4j transplant fund. 2 killed in of single Edgewood civilian plane the Aberdee pie author Tii the left Mander 11 banked Yards or Lovelady grounds. Thep Fairfield utes to a suction id. Lure lasted Alin but he i son s nine until the fluid it an ," Maria Desil ital  liver in a 12-hour idea Fly. 25. The surgery Wasti cans including pre. Touched by Ronnie stolen from the youth s try crash Fine plane a single engine burned saturday at id killing two peo Wing Grid. Of the Low truck a Lane hit the military police in affairs Oft Rockwell com Jne As the plane and about 100lion, said Jim it the proving Eide army10 min had taken off Fiche proving grounds. Lovelady  did were identified As Georgo Doxzen a retired Mir Force master sergeant by  said he did not kno Wio the , but the plane was owned % the area flying association. Economic forecast will predict continued slide in Dollar s value London up talking will not Stop the Dol Lar s slide for Long according to a forecast to be re leased monday by the economist intelligence unit a recent Paris meeting of the eau produced Little Promise either of a decisive shift to More expansive policies in Germany and Japan or of a tighter  policy the organization says. The eau is predicting a 13 percent decline in the Dollar this year after the 18.4 percent drop in 1986, with a further 5 percent fall to come in 1988. The average German Mark Dollar rate was predicted to be 1.80 this year and 1.70 in 1988, while the Japa Nese yen Dollar rate is expected to average Iso in 1987and 146 in 1988. World Trade prospects in 1987 Are deteriorating with projected growth revised downward from 4.5 per cent to 3.8 percent according to the forecast. Weakness in the German Economy is the Mai cause with the Gross Domestic product growth kept above 2 percent this year Only on the Assumption thata Long heralded but modest policy stimulus will be enacted eau said. Oil prices will no hold at $ 18 per barrel the organization s forecast says. Increasingly ragged adherence to open policy will result in average prices of $16.50 per barrel in 1987 and si5.50 in 1988, the forecast says. This was expected to contribute to some weakening in the Pound s value to an average of $1.50 in 1987and $1.47 in 1988. After an 18 percent Rise in 1986, the Dollar Price of internationally traded manufactures was forecast to Rise by 8.5 percent in 1987 and 5 percent in 1988. Eau said 1988 could witness a modest Dollar Price increase in non Oil commodity prices for the first time since 1984. Despite stronger Export growth and moderating import growth the . Trade deficit was projected to improve Only marginally to $125 billion in 1987. Irth from Page ution allows such judicial rants clause on appointments. Meese whose do Fin Myrias constitutional objections to the ethics Law emed Manuan Independent counsel within the Jewice department order to dispel Lega bairns tha Road no authority to . And Meese both contend Tea won s lawsuit Dur missed on the procedural us that the Tuti Onaley of a grand jury  Bej Only after an indictment has been i Shultz outlines focus of Moscow talks Hois Shultz said his trip to Moscov Chance to move the Ball along toward an eliminating . And soviet medium a missiles from Europe. Shultz Saidh Juu a in twide Range of arms issues with soviet for Hister Eduard Shevardnadze on april 13-16, but the talks Are not expected to produce a Date for a r Summit Ansof. -___.___. Of . Arid soviet intermediate nuclear Narb a Taope Shultz said. Agreeing on a Means to  a agreement could also Speed Progress superpower arsenals of longer Range missiles r ferry from Page 1 Miet Smet said she was concerned about reports that two of the 36 trucks on the ferry were carrying toxic chemicals. Officials at the scene said there was no Dan Ger to the Rescue workers and no Indica Tion of leakage. Nonetheless belgian state radio warned people to avoid near by beaches. On the subject of Why the ship keeled Over Townsend Thor sen chairman Peter Ford told a Zeebrugge news Confer ence there was a massive amount of water that came into the front of the ship through the bows. We Don t know How that  vehicles were loaded via the Bow door he said. No holes were found in the vessel s Hull after the Accident. Ford said. Belgian state radio said it was custom Ary to leave a ferry s vehicle loading doors open up to the last moment to Clear exhaust fumes. The ferry was surrounded by warships and tugs As divers using blow torches Cut holes in the Bull above the waterline then lowered themselves into flooded compartments to search for  Elizabeth ii sent her son Prince Andrew and his wife Sarah to Belgium to Comfort families and survivors most of whom were British. Flags flew at half staff Over european common Market Headquarters in Brus Sels. Belgian radio stations played sol emn music. British prime minister Margaret Thatcher flew in Zeebrugge then flew Over the vessel in a helicopter. She de scribed it As a horrifying  the question you Are asking is the question i am asking Thatcher told re porters. How could it have happened at the moment it seems a  interviewed by the British broadcasting corp. Speculated that the ship hit an underwater object allowing water through the Large doors through which cars and trucks drive. However survivors said they Felt no collision be fore disaster struck. The Basic design of Roll on Roll of ferries makes them vulnerable said give Langmead a former ferry  s National Union of seamen called for a review of the design of the Stan Dard ferry vessel unlike passenger decks on Linen a Large ferry s vehicle decks Donot have watertight compartments to con Tain flooding and limit  diver involved in the Rescue Effort la. Cmdr. Alfons deems told the associated press that divers found bits of clothing porthole windows smashed some corpses wearing life jackets and hundreds of other life jackets still stowed Way. The doors for loading cars and cargo were wide  of the passengers were britons returning Home. Also identified were 18dutch, four poles three or four Austri ans one swede and Uncertain numbers of Danes germans and italians. The list of nationalities provided by authorities did not include any americans. Thatcher said the loll could have Bee worse if Rescue workers had not acted quickly. I understand that after that first alarm helicopters arrived within six minutes she said at a crisis Center near  reception Center was ready within 17 minutes and All ambulance were on the quayside and the first people taken Oft within 20 minutes of this occurring she said. I understand that had they not been so courageous expert and so skillful Many Many More lives would have been lost because the waterway so