European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 29, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Battling Over base accords by Henry Gottlieb associated press hey re not chanting Yankee go Home but the governments of live american allies _ rom Portugal to the Philippines Are grousing about their military ties with the United states. In Spain and Greece people Are asking. Why Don t we eject the americans from our bases their leaders Are responding Don t bet we won  the turks and the portuguese nato s poorest cousins Are complaining that their Rich Uncle Sam has begun acting like Uncle Scrooge. In the Philippines leftists want the country rid of . Forces and even pro american senators want higher rent payments at Clark a and the . Naval base at Subic Bay. President Corazon Aquino says she is keeping her options open hardly a resounding endorsement Lor the us. Presence. Why is All this happening now coincidence says rep Benjamin oilman of new York the senior Republican on the House foreign affairs subcommittee on Europe the coincidence he notes is that base agreements with All five countries happen to expire Between Early 1988 and 1991. Astrological conjunction says a whimsical state department official that s a time when planets or constellations move into the same celestial Longitude they Don t decide to do it it s in their nature. They re All trying to gel the Best Deal they  says Richard Grant a nato expert at the Center Lor strategic and International studies a Washington think tank that specializes in Security issues. In return for their military commitments to the United slates these countries want More Aid and they re not shy about asking for it. On top of that is the emergence of democratic institutions in these countries permitting Public debate about matters often decided quietly by authoritarian governments now base rights and foreign Force Levels Are major issues in election campaigns. In Spain for example. The United states first established bases decades ago when Gen. Francisco Franco ran the country. It was easier to negotiate with Franco than it is now with parliament Grant says of All five countries Spain presents the most immediate base rights problem for the United states a 1988 expiration Date is looming for an agreement that gives the air Force and Navy rights at four installations renewal negotiations Nave hit big snags. Prime minister Felipe Gonzalez who took office on an anti-. Bases platform wants the United states to withdraw some of its 10.000 troops and remove the 72 aircraft Wing of f-16 warplanes from Torreon a. Near Madrid Spain is submitting a formal notice of cancellation in Advance of the agreement s expiration the United states agreed in 1985 to reduce troop Levels but now the two sides Are bargaining hard Over How Many troops and air Rall will leave the headache the azores 0 Portugal � a 9� a o xxx Spain & Portugal or the United slates is where to put any forces that would leave Spain. They can t be absorbed in other european countries and i they Are withdrawn to the United states they would be out of action if the balloon goes up says the stale department official who agreed to talk Only on condition that he not be identified. Even More worrisome Are the political ramifications of a fellow nato country telling the United states its forces Are no longer wanted the official said. A reduction in . Aid to Spain to $105 million in fiscal 1988, from $415 million in 1986, has not helped the american negotiators cause. The situation in neighbouring Portugal is much better. The relationship has been smooth Tor years and there Are no threats by the government to cancel a military cooperation agreement that runs until 1991. The United states is therefore assured of continued use of Lajes a in the azores one of the Way stations in a ring of global refuelling Points for the air Force s biggest bombers and transports As in other agreements with base rights countries the United states promises its Best efforts to Supply the highest possible amount of financial Aid each year to Portugal that s important to a country whose $2,000-a-year per capita yearly income is one of the lowest in Western Europe. In the fiscal year ending sept. 30, the United slates sent $147 million to Portugal More than half in Aid to the armed forces putting the country third from the lop among us. Assistance recipients in nato. Portugal is upset however that Congress rejected a Reagan administration request for a supplemental apr ration that would have included $30 million in military assistance the Lisbon government also has complained that the Senate took 11 months to approve president Reagan s nomination of Richard Viets As ambassador leaving Libson without a us envoy for most of 1987 usually leaving an ambassador ship vacant is a Way nations express displeasure in this Case no slap was intended it was merely the Senate being the Senate letting one member North Carolina Republican Jesse Helms in this Case hold Page 14 the stars and stripes a . Navy p3 film Over the Aiom country up an appointment he opposed nonetheless the de irritated the portuguese Portugal is now expected in february to exercise i right to a midterm review of its defense pact with the United states the United slates is also having problems Over aka Levels to Turkey the turkish government was to get $1 million in the same supplemental appropriation Portugal Tost a special disappointment to the turks because the  Aid has declined to s490 million a year from a Peak sunday no