European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 12, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 4 the stars and stripes Friday Juna 12,1987 the space Shn Lut Enterprise like a Fly in spider web is snared by in arrest emergency network ing net. The net was tested on the tar Mac of Dulles Airport in Chantilly a wednesday As Nemer gency stopping device for the of Bettr. White House drops proposal to sell anti tank missiles to saudi Arabia Washington a the White House in the face of overwhelming con Gressional opposition thursday announced it is dropping plans to sell $360 million in Maverick Ami tank missiles to saudi Arabia. The announcement of the withdraws was made in a letter signed by air Force Gen. Philip c. Cast. It was Given to the Senate foreign relations committee by assistant Secretary of state j. Edward Fox. Fox said the decision had been made because of the Strong interest an concern expressed by one member of the committee. Helms r-n.c., told Fox the administration has reacted wisely to the apposition that was staring it in the face on the Questi a congressional opposition had focused on Fean that the weapons might be used against Israel and on criticism of the saudi for Dot intercepting an iraqi Jet fighter shortly before the Jet attacked the its. Navy frigate Stark but month in the persian Gulf killing 37 . Seamen. At least 67 senators bad co sponsored a Resolution by sen. Robert Packwood r-ore., to disapprove the Sale. Rep. Larry Smith d-fla., e leading House opponent of the plan called the decision smart. It was a bad Deal Ata bad time. And i think the White House people knew they were going to get their brains beat in up before the Stark was attacked in the Southern persian Gulf on May 17, the iraqi Jet was tracked by a . Airborne warning and control system radar plane flying above saudi Arabia. A saudi Biswas with the Azacs plane but did not intercept the iraqi plane even though . Officials say the f-i5 Pilot knew about the iraqi Jet. Richard Murphy assistant Secretary of stale defended the Sale wednesday in testimony to the committee and defended the saudi actions. Murphy said the saudis were acting in accordance with longstanding informal arrangement to protect their airspace. When the saudi air controllers aboard the Azacs plane sought authority fro their superiors on the ground to intercept the iraqi Jet there was no answer from the ground until it was too late said Murphy. Some members of Congress including Helms have also complained that the saudis have done too Little to Advance the peace process in the Middle East and have continued to subsidize the Palestine liberation organization to the amount of some 585 million a year. There was the possibility the Sale could resurface. Fox told the committee that at this Point i Don t have clarification As to whether the Sale will be re instated in the the saudis had sought the 1,600 air to ground anti tank missiles to offset a perceived military threat from Iran another neighbors along the persian Gulf. The United slates earlier sold 1,500 of the missiles to saudi Arabia and opponents of the new Sale said that bringing the total number of the weapons to about 4,000 would give the saudis far More than they needed. The Mavericks that would have been sold to the saudis would have had enhanced guidance capability including a radar attack system allowing the missile to be used at night As Well As during the Day. Retail sales Register downturn Washington Fuji a dump in audio sales pushed Down Overall retail salts by 0.6 percent from april to May the com Merce department Saidt misday Advance estimates for retail sales inlay were a seasonally adjusted $124 Bil lion. Despite the downturn from april sales were 3.7 percent higher Hun in May 1986, according to the department1 census Bureau. In Dollar terms retail sales have bad Little change since february but Are Well below the $129 billion Peak of but sep. Tember. On a monthly basis retail tales were up 0.2 percent in april up 0.3 percent i March and up 4.8 percent in february allowing a 7.1 percent decline in Jan uary. Excluding the automotive sector Ian month sales increased 0.3 percent from april the department said. Automotive sales sagged 3,8 percent in May the sharpest decline since a 26.7 percent for Mcfall in january. Sales of durable goods big ticket items designed to last several years were off 2.5 percent in May. Furniture Home furnishings an equipment store sales dipped 0.8 percent while building materials hardware Gar Den supplies and Mobile Home sales rose0.3 percent in May. The strength in May sales came Pri Marily in the area of non durable goods which Rose 0.6 percent. Department store sales increased 0.3percent, food store sales Rose 0.3 percent gasoline service station sales were up 0.8 percent apparel sales jumped 1.3 per cent sales at eating and drinking place increased 0.6 percent and drug store sales were up 0.1 percent. Over the first five months of 1987, retail sales were up 4.3 percent Over the same period of 1986. Excluding aulos sales Are up 4.9 per cent from january through May. Durable goods sales in May were 1.4 percent higher than May 1986. Non durable goods sales a res i percent above May of last year. Raf hero Gray Dies Victor Over mad Mullah London a air vice marshal John Ashley Gray who had a. Major role in the 1920 defeat of an african rebel known As the mad Mullah is dead at 87, a family death notice said wednes Day. In the arid terrain of British somali land in the Horn of Africa Cray and bit fellow pilots frying two Seal dh-9 bomb in of the Young Royal air Force look Only three weeks to defeat the Force of the rebel chieftain Mohammed bin Abdullah army investigating some no. Recruiting offices Newark no. A army investigation will spend about a month looking into accusations that male recruiters bad xxx with female recruits a spokesman said wednesday. The investigation was called to follow up on charges raised during an earlier inquiry that led to disciplinary action being recommended against 13 hew Jer sey recruiters said la. Col. John Culkin at the army s recruiting Headquarters in fort Sheridan 111. The investigation began May 21 and will Center on recruiting offices in North Ern new Jersey that Are under the direction of fort Monmouth Cullen said. The inquiry should be completed by Early july be said. Cullen denied allegations in a published report that recruitment violation sin the state Are widespread and that the earlier investigation was suppressed to protect the reputations of senior officers. Bui he said the army is taking seriously the chair cars which also include concealing police records falsifying educational documents and hiding medical problems. We consider every allegation serious and look into it regardless of the Cullen said. I Don t want to trivialize it but i Don t want to make u seem like Sodom and gomorrah because it is the army has 110 recruiters in new Jersey who screen about 18,000 Candi dates and sometimes there Are recruiters who give in to temptation Nuijen said. He denounced the allegations of a Cov. Nip As among the issues to be investigated Are charges in a sunday Minneapolis Star and Tribune Story that male recruit ers had sen with female recruits some times in a Newark hotel where recruit were Given Entrance exams. It. Col. William e. Traubel com Mander of the fort Monmouth recruit ing in confirmed investigators have recommended court Marti Aling a male Recruiter for allegedly having so Wilh a female recruit. However army attorneys have said the Case against the unidentified Recruiter from the Jersey City office May not be Strong enough for a court martial and thai the recruit instead May be relieved of his duties and denied promotion Cullen said. Also being investigated Are allegations that at the request of Recruiter adult education schools provided letter falsely certifying that some applicant had graduated from High school that police records ranging from drinking and parking citations to drug use were covered up. That recruiters counselled parents to ensure that their children dido i mention medical problems that would disqualify them from the army
