European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 3, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 2b the stars and stripes monday August 3,1987o Iraq possibly duped into attacking Stark Washington up american military and government experts have concluded two iraqi fighter jets not oat attacked the . Destroyer Stark last May and some believe the incident was deliberately aimed at goading the United states into increasing its naval presence in the persian Gulf. Intelligence sources told United press International in appears iraqi air Force commanders sent the two pilots on the sortie after being duped by doctored intelligence from a neighbouring Arab nation. The commanders apparently had no idea they were ordering an attack on an american ship he sources told Dpi. In addition according to a number of intelligence sources familiar with the incident the two air planes May have been flown not by iraqis but by foreign mercenaries who routinely flew special attack missions against iranian maritime targets. The Reagan administration s official position has been to accept Iraq s statements that the May 17 exo cel missile attack that Cost 37 american lives was Acci dental and perpetrated by a single inexperienced iraqi Pilot. The attack ended the careers of two Stark officers Cape. Glenn Brindel and gunnery officer la. Basil Moncriff. The administration analysts who spoke to up now say he iraqis official version is full of holes and the United Stales acquiesced in Iraq apology because of political expediency these offi Tab said. Any Hini of a deliberate at tact could have jeopardized inc . Plan to use . Ships and men to pro acct Kuwait a close ally of one official Saiu. Tut United states stepped up its naval forces in the Region following the attack and in mid july began to escort kuwaiti Oil tankers bearing . Flags. Another analyst said we were about to take a lilt toward Iraq and two attacking aircraft were a lot harder to explain. We simply look Iraq s word for when asked for comment a Pentagon spokesman said last Friday we have no comment on one intelligence source interviewed by up said the alack was not the result of a navigational error As the iraqis insisted whatever the attacking Pilot saw. It matched what he was another Pentagon offi Cial said. Several analysts described Iraq As unwitting and probably Sloppy in its maritime but others suggested it May have been set up by its Arab allies. Though not previously made Public it is common knowledge in the . Intelligence Community that two planes were used in the attack on the Stark according to Edward Lutwak a former National Security Council consultant. Lutwak also said that both saudi Arabia and Kuwait had a slake in having Iraq attack the Stark. Joseph Churba a former chief Middle East Intelli gence analyst for the . Air Force known to have excellent intelligence sources said the alack was de sit rate id e the . Metre deeply in the Gulf crisis in order to promote an armistice that would not favor Churba currently president of the Center for inter National Security a non profit think tank in washing ton said the plan was pan of Long term Arab Strate All. More than half a Down intelligence sources agreed the tiring of the enocents was not an Accident and that two planes were involved. All agreed however that the iraqi commanders had no intention of shooting at an american ship. The iraqis seemed deeply concerned and even frightened at what the . Reaction might be one said. But they were helpful and one slate department analyst said most people reject any conspiracy As too sophisticated. It was prob ably just an Accident and the arabs got what political advantages they could from Iraq has refused to let the United states interview the Pilot in charge although a Board of inquiry trav eled to Baghdad sparking speculation that the Pilot might have been a French pakistani or jordanian Mer Cenary. Gas Prince from Page 1 midday sunday others said in the next few Days. . Navy officers in the Gulf said that though the Bridgeton s seaworthiness had been approved they could give no firm Dale for its departure. Pentagon officials had said the return 500-mile trip of the two re flagged kuwaiti tankers and their escorts Back through the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman had been expected 10 begin sometime this weekend. Bernson said he was confident that the threat to the ships on the return trip through the Gulf had been minimized but refused to say what special tactics or measures were being used. The threat was High but there Are lots of ways of dealing with a threat he told a news conference aboard the la Salic the . Command ship off Bah rain. , Navy teams have worked to Clear Tiu s Brief mines from the area West of Farsi Island. Bernson said no mines were sighted during the Gas Prince s passage through the danger zone. He said that on the first trip we were in a deterrent Mode in which offi cers regarded capability of the warships and the . Flag As sufficient to pre clude any attack. When the Bridgton hit a mine that All changed Bernsen said. We re not in a deterrent Mode any More. We re in Mode where we say that anybody can do anything to you at any time. We arc a Good Deal More suspicious now i would say that we Are in an expectant Bernsen said this did not mean itchy trigger fingers but you have to be a Little bit More cautious. Tactics must be carefully guarded much must remain secret. You can t let the other Guy know How we re going to beat him and As a result these folks the iranians Are Likely to find it a Little More difficult. It won l be quite the Pentagon officials say the mine that damaged the Bridgeton was almost certainly planted by Iran which has threat ened to escalate attacks against Kuwait and its shipping because it has turned to the superpowers to protect its Oil ship ments. Iran considers Kuwait an ally of Iraq Iran s enemy in the nearly 7-Ycar-old persian Gulf War. The Bri Duclon and the Gas Prince were the first of 11 kuwaiti tankers to be a flagged under the stars and stripes to afford them , naval Protection in the Gulf. . Hopes of receiving outside mine sweeping help White awaiting the arrival of its own mine sweepers and mine sweeping helicopters were dashed Friday when Britain France and the nether lands said they had no plans 10 Send such vessels to the Gulf. On saturday Italy s defense ministry also said it has declined a . Request for assistance with mines in the Gulf earlier saturday the la Salle its Star Board scorched by a fatal helicopter crash docked in Manama Bahrain after a fruitless search for the three . Servicemen missing in the crash. Pentagon spokesman cmdr. Bob Pru Cha said the search ended after about 48 hours. The body of the co Pilot la. A James f. Lazevnick had been recovered earlier and identified Friday. The three additional victims were identified As it. William e. Ramsburg 31. Of Scotland s.d., the Pilot radio Man 2nd class Albert b. Dupart no age available of Saini Croix . Virgin is lands who was a passenger and air Force it. Col. Horace s. Gentle of Mooresville n.c., also a passenger. Five people survived the crash of the sh-3 helicopter which had been ferrying equipment and personnel to the la Salle. The helicopter was the same aircraft that flew 35 coffins of victim who died aboard the detroyer Stark when it Wal bit by an iraqi missile May 17. Thirty seven . Sailors died in that attack which Iraq said was an Accident. Lebanese Soldier seeking swedish Asylum arrested Stockholm Sweden a a lebanese Soldier seeking Asylum in Sweden was arrested saturday in connection with the june 1 assassination of lebanese prime minister Rashid Karami police and news reports said. Although police and news reports did not identify the Soldier by name the general description they provided matched that contained in an International warrant issued thursday by the lebanese government. The warrant is for the arrest of pvt. Elie Salibi who fled Lebanon shortly after Karami was killed when a bomb planted in his helicopter in exploded. The warrant charges Salibi a helicopter technician Wilh premeditated murder for planting the bomb that killed Karam i. The sources Aid. Suspended for she be by guard sus Veasel reported on re id to Southeast of new information
