European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 17, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday. July 17, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 3 general says nato faces credibility loss a Ance locks Means of implement strategy  Kaiserslautern Bureau nato faces a loss of credibility in its military strategy of deterrence and response As Long standing neglect of conventional forces combines with current alls on reducing nuclear weapons in Europe. We still have a viable so talc a German Gen. Wolfgang Altenburg a top nato adviser said. Our problem is not the strategy it is the Means to implement the  nato s military plan Haj Long called for deter ring soviet aggression by combining conventional Detent with the ability to make nuclear strikes on soviet territory. The theory goes thai the soviets will not attack Europe while the risk of retaliation in heir Home land remains High. Altenberg said. But talks aimed at removing medium Range nuclear missiles from Europe reduce nato s ability to strike in the soviet Union. At the same time nato faces a disparity with Warsaw pact conventional forces. The result is that current conditions could Send a bad signal to the soviets Ahcin Borg said to the military have to Tell the politicians if you re going o do that reduce nuclear Force there will be consequences he said. Altenberg 59, Chain the nato military com Milt. A group of lop ranking officers who advise decision makers in the Atlantic Alliance. He spoke in  wednesday to the association for military study a German defense interest group. To bolster nato s nuclear capabilities new methods must be found of carrying nuclear weapons to soviet land. The new Means available include sea launched cruise missiles air launched cruise missiles and full is with stealth capability thai could penetrate soviet air defences. Bui policy makers face problems implementing those new methods of delivering nuclear weapons in inc Light of existing anti nuclear sentiment in Many countries Allenberg said. We have problems but problems can be solved if you re willing to do the unpopular he said. Nato military leaders especially former supreme Allied commander Gen. Bernard Rogers have kept the nuclear question in the spotlight since talks Between the United states and the soviet Union first touched on medium Range missiles in Iceland. The conventional Side of nato strategy also puts decision makers in a tight spot. Have we done enough for conventional capability i Don t think so Attenburg said. I can Tell you plainly we have neglected our conventional Cap Abili  the Alliance has three conventional dilemmas. First nato is Oul manned by Warsaw pact armies. Second nato plans Call for enough soldiers and Materiel to slay in the Field 30 Days in War Warsaw act plans Call for 90 Days of sustainability. Third nato needs to increase its ability to strike soviet Reserve troops who would come from he Western soviet Union to the Aid of Warsaw pad forces. Bui the West cannot count on simply increasing the number of soldiers and the amount of hard Ware in its armies. Birth Rale trends show not enough men will be born 10 maintain even current commitments from the German army to nato . We cannot build up our forces in Quantity he said and More hardware won t help. If you have More tanks you be got to have someone o put in  the answer to the problems lies in nato s exist ing technological Edge Over inc Warsaw pact and in the exploitation of new technologies. This includes weapons that hit their targets More often and with greater effect. Altenburg also called for a real in crease in research and development spending among nato nations. Allenberg a former chief of German defense even look a shot at the current debate in Germany on women in the military As a Means of overcoming inc so called birth  maybe sometime the germans will remember there Are two sexes he said. The political Cost of increasing conventional might remains the most difficult problem faced by nato leaders Alton Bergseid. We cannot avoid trying to reach conventional parity. We be sol to do it but How in is done i will not speculate he said. Persian countries Sudan Barsth Sosea Bahrain Iran Iraq population 373,000 coastline 100 Miles combat Forcer 2,700 troops 6 aircraft 5 ships Kunwah population 45.2 million coastline 1.976 mites combat forces 705,000 troops 70 operational aircraft 40 ships Oman population 15.5 million coastline 36 Miles combat forces 845.000 troops 522 a Craft 44 snips Qatar population 1,9 of lion coastline 310 Miles combat forces 12,000 troops 103 aircraft 74 ships saudi Arabia population 1.2 million coastline 1,300 mites combat forces 21,500 troops 52 aircraft 19 ships United Arab emirates population 11. S million coastline 1.56e Miles combat Tore 67.500 troops 216 aircraft 93 ships population 1.3 million coastline 905 Miles combat forces 43.000 troops 35 aircraft 17 ships population 301,000 coastline 350 mites combat forces 7,000 troops 25 aircraft 52 ships note Bahrain. Qatar and United a at Melum Culm mar Maul Turt of 3 nautical my. Al Erther pwt an quit count Row claim 12 muted Mem. Estimated number out to the Cage of Para parts for Iran i mostly . Built Al Critt ctr Cego Trown or Nehk to try vol pfc Scutch a new for detente information and world oaf enu Almino Iran threatens to take americans As pos Kuwait a Iran said in will take americans captive and haul them off to prisoner of War Camps in yet another of a series of threats prompted by . Plans to escort kuwaiti Oil tankers through the per Sian Gulf under . Nags. The first kuwaiti vessel is expected to reach the Mouth of the Gulf tuesday and join a supertanker anchored off the United Arab emirates port of Khor Bakkan. They Are to hoist american flags and be Given a . Navy escort through the tur Bulent Gulf where Iran and Iraq have waged War since september 1980. Iran on wednesday also threatened to attack and seize any Gulf ports made available to . Ships. If you put your bases or ports at the i Snow or the United Stales we would capture them and we would regard their seizure As being from America rather Han from a neighbouring  Hashemi a Sfanjani speaker of Iran s parliament was quoted As saying by Iran s official islamic Republic news Agency. A Sfanjani was quoted As telling Mili tary commanders we will take Ameri can captives with their hands on their Heads to prisoner of War Camps if . Ships intervene in the Gulf. Another Irna dispatch quoted Deputy commander Ali Shamkhani of the revolutionary guards Ai saying the fanatical Fol Lowers of revolutionary Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini would attack the . Wan hips and try Loicie them intact to strengthen Iran s naval  both sides have attacked foreign ships. But the United states considers Iran the greater threat despite the iraqi attack on the . Navy guided missile frigate Stark on May itt Iraq Laid the attack which killed 37 sailors was a mistake. Ran has concentrated its a sucks since september on vessels owned by or serv ing Kuwait which Borders Iraq at the gulfs Northern end. Iran accuses Kuwait of being a conduit for arms shipments to the iraqis whose ports have been closed since Early i nine  Washington. Pentagon sources said a Navy demolition learn is ready to Star sweeping underwater mines Laid by Iran in the Gulf Channel that leads to Kuwait s main Oil terminal. The sources said the 18-Man Navy ordnance disposal squad last week finished its Job of finding the underwater mines. About a dozen mines have been identified and their locations fixed the sources added. The Navy team will operate from Smalt kuwaiti patrol boats sending div ers Down into the gulfs Waters to attach explosive charges to each mine the sources said when All the charges have been attached the mines will be destroyed simultaneously Abdul Fatah Al Badr. Chairman of the Kuwait Oil Tanker co., would no give a Date for the first .-escorted Convoy to pass through the narrow Strail of Hor Mui into the gulfs Southern Waters. But he did say in an interview thai no delay was necessary. He noted Hal . Rep. Lei Aspin chairman of inc House armed services committee has said the entry was planned for july 12. The 401,382-ton supertanker Al Rek Kahlo be renamed the Bridgeton under . Registry is a waiting relating at Khor Bakkan. Expected to arrive tuesday is the43,604-Lon Gas earner Al Mimish which will be renamed the Gas Prince. Western diplomats and kuwaiti officials say they expect he first Convoy to include both ships. More than two tank in May be included in future convoys for the iwo or three Day journey up the Gulf to Kuwait to Lake on Oil. Saudi Arabia. Kuwait s Western neigh Bor and ally has promised to provide surveillance for the con Youj with .-Tupplicd airborne warning and control Susiem aircraft. Eleven of Kuwait s 21 tankers Are to be  briia1 has been using frigates and destroyers  months to escort British Flag ships in the waterway. The soviets have three warships in the Gulf including two minesweepers