European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 30, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Inside stripes the silent search stripes Magazine d 3 die in courthouse shooting. Page 7 d Marh conversion table. Page 9 q Randy Barmett s car Comer Page 13 vol. 4s, no 103 it Homie  pull Dillon for Ihbe . Retd thursday. July 30, 1987 d 8693 a 8 mine sweeping copters ordered to persian Gulf Washington a defense Secretary Caspar w. Weinberger has or dered the Navy to Send eight mine sweeping helicopters to the persian Gulf where they will operate off a helicopter Carrier. Pentagon officials disclosed wednesday. The order was issued tuesday night and the departure of the copiers from Norfolk is. Aboard air Force c-5 transport planes is imminent the sources said. The development was not expected to delay the departure anticipated Friday Meese takes offence of senator s criticism of Iron Contra inquiry Washington a attorney general Edwin Mcnese Iii wednesday steadfastly defended his initial inquiry into the Iran Contra affair and said i Lake offence at a senator s complaint that some aspects of Meuse s fact finding Mission were difficult 10 accept. Testifying for the second Day at nationally televised hearings Meuse also said that while a believed what while House aide i. Col. Oliver l. North told him about the affair last november he now knows the facts arc otherwise. I Don t condone under any Circum stances lying Mcnese said. Mccase testified under oath and with out immunity As he sat alone at the wit Ness table. Although several aides were seated behind him the attorney general fielded questions without seeking their assistance. Melesc s fact finding review came under scrutiny from sen. Daniel Inouye a Hawaii who recalled that As a Junior prosecutor in Hawaii 35 years ago he was instructed to make notes of every interview he cond acted. Sen. George Mitchell. A Maine also pointed out Hal Mccase had notes made of All the interviews he conducted before questioning North about the diversion of iranian arms sales profits to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua bul he did not Lake any notes afterwards. Milchl observed thai Meese specifically failed to Lake notes of Brief conver nations about the fund diversion with former Cia director William Casey and former National Security adviser John m. Poindexter. Meuse responded thai he did t Lake notes in Brief casual meetings where previously gathered information was merely confirmed but thai notes were taken during interviews where substantial fac Tual data was received. M a chill also questioned Mccase s Deci Sion not to secure records in North s files earlier than he did and he noted Hal North took advantage of the interval to shred papers in his files. Mccase replied that he trusted the Good Faith of National Security Council officials including North and believed that his investigators already had viewed All relevant documents in the matter. He suggested he had no reason o suspect at the Lime that North was shredding papers. Mitchell said he found it difficult to accept some of Meuse s actions. Replied Meuse ii May be strange to you. It May strike you that truth being stranger than fiction but i take offence at the idea that it s hard to accept be cause what i told you is the absolute truth of what happened and if there is any question in your mind i want to gel that settled right  Well no As i just said in s hard to accept Mitchell said. Meese s grilling came after the attorney general said he believes Hal so Mil lion in unspent profits from the iranian arms sates now Frozen in Swiss Bank account should be the. Property of the United  me Csc also said that even before inde pendent counsel Lawrence Walsh was appointed last december the depart ment of Justice did take Steps to freeze whatever assets May be in Swiss Bank  of a Navy escorted Convoy of Oil tankers from Kuwait. Under the plan the helicopters and their support Crew of roughly 200 men will be ferried to the Indian Ocean Island of Diego Garcia the sources said. From there the helicopters will Fly out to meet the Guadalcanal an amphibious Landing ship and helicopter Carrier participating in routine exercises with a Marine amphibious unit in the Indian Ocean the sources continued. The officials refused to say when the Guadalcanal and the huge Rh-53d Heli copters would arrive in he persian Gulf. It will take several Days however be cause of the travelling Lime required for the ship said one. The second Convoy operation at this Point is not being delayed to await these choppers added another source. But we want More capability in the  the sources said the Tanker Bridgeton which struck a mine last Friday while under naval escort would join another Tanker the Gas Prince for a second con Voy sailing from Kuwait no later than continued on Page 24 Valley of death a Lake formed by the blocked Adda River chums in an Alpine Alley near Sondolo Hal where i landslide Dev asted Thrift i hinges tuesday. Known Here Srur Chang the ruins wednesday fur bodies. Story on i ugh 2. Cla Ifield and Coupon on Page 19 of stripes Magazine