European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 25, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page. 98 the stars and stripes wednesday March 25.1987 Assad tells Carter Syria trying to free hostages Amman Jordan apr former president Carter arrived in Amman tuesday from Syria where he said president Hafez Assad assured him lie was working to free foreign hostages in Lebanon. I received inc fullest assurances that every possible Avenue is being explored to locale and obtain the release of the hostages safely he told a Newt conference in Damascus Syria before flying to Jordan. The former president who was the a Emitett of peace Between Israel and Egypt White in office arrived in Jordan aboard a Small business Jet. He is scheduled to leave thursday for Israel the filth and last Stop in his private Middle East tour. He is accompanied by his wife Rosalynn. Carter met Jordan s Crown Prince Hassan to discuss details of the situation in the Middle East and current efforts to establish a just and comprehensive peace in the area through the convening of an International conference the government radio said. 6 Pershing us launched to test missiles Crews Cape canaveral Fla. A the army tuesday launched six Pershing Al Battlefield mis Siles from Here to targets in the Atlantic Ocean in a test of the weapon and Crew preparedness the army missile cored said the 35-foot missiles were fired Over a 2vt hour period from Mobile launch vehicles. Each propelled a Dummy warhead to the targets sever Al Hundred Miles away. Dave Harris a spokesman Tor the missile come said a preliminary look at tracking data indicated All is performed Well. The soldiers who conducted the tests Are members of a battalion of the 56th Field arty come stationed in Germany. There Are 108 perching ii missiles based . Troops in Germany. The army periodically brings soldiers to Cape canaveral to launch the missiles to give them experience handling them. Shamir refuses talks on hostage prisoner Swap Jerusalem a prime minister Yitzhak Shamir an tuesday rejected Ngoi Illions with a lebanese group that offered to Swap an american hostage it said h ailing for 100 Arab prisoners held by Israel. It is Clear that this is blackmail and we won t enter into talks with these types of organizations Shamir told reporters a statement issued monday and signed by the pro iranian islamic jihad for the liberation of Palestine said professor Alann Steen 47, had become ill and could die within 10 Days. Shamir said this does not change israeli policy of refusing to negotiate with terrorists. It s not our fault. We would like to help him but 1 Don t think we can help him by negotiating he said. Steen was one of four professors abducted from the Campus of Beirut University College Jan. 24 by gunmen posing As lebanese police. Soviet strides in missiles highlighted in Dod report by Chuck v1nch Wmk Tinglan Burnt Washington while the soviet Union up. Graded almost every component in its military Arsenal fast year the most worrisome aspects of the buildup Are advances in Mobile strategic missiles laser weapons and anti ballistic missile defences. That s the assessment of soviet military Power the Pentagon s annual status report on the military trends and capabilities of ils chief adversary. It was released tuesday by Secretary of defense Caspar Weinberger the sixth edition totalling 159 pages of facts charts and photos is designed to keep free nations informed about the soviet military Force modernization their activities throughout the world and the threats posed by these developments to our allies and friends Weinberger said tuesday in a news conference. One of the most significant soviet military Initia Tives it the commitment to hardening the silos of some of its strategic missiles while increasing the mobility of others Weinberger said it will become increasingly difficult for the United states to Tamel the Mobile systems such As the rail based ss-x-24, and the Road based ss-25, the Book states. Test firings of the soviet ss-x-24 appear to have been completed and the system is expected to be deployed this year while 100 launchers for the ss-25 system known to operate As far As 100 Miles outside its base Garrison Al ready have been fielded Weinberger said. Hardened silos for systems such As the highly accurate follow on to the ss-18, the world s largest nuclear missile will require More precise targeting and greater firepower to overcome Weinberger said. This makes a Good argument for rail deployment of the my and Midge Man missiles