European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 23, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday december 23, 1987 the stars and stripes Pago 3 paper shows problems of nicaraguan army by i new York times Washington a nicaraguan military plan mimic Public by the de sense department Here portrays a haphazardly Urgani de and equipped Sandi Nisla armed furry that is Short of not Only weapons and ammunition but also basics like fond clothing and Medicine. The  plan which Pentagon officials Saij was brought 1e Washington by a sandinista defector maj. Roger Miranda Bengoc Cha indicates that the sandinista Are almost totally dependent on the soviet Union. But thai the russians have been erratic and unreliable suppl ices. The document brought by Miranda is authentic Pentagon officials said but it was 1 not intended for publication. It thus pro Vides an unusual insight into the sandinista View of heir armed forces and military situation. That nicaraguan Outlook differs markedly from the assessment of the Rea Gan adminis Lral Ion which has described the sandinista government As Bent on offensive Mil Ilary Ope rat ions intended to expand nicaraguan Power Over neigh Bora. The document was released at a time when the administration is pressing con Gress for More funds to support the Nicara Guan rebels who arc called contras. Last week the state department also arranged an interview for some reporters with m Iran a. The document reflects a fear of an inva Sion by the United states. It envisions the defeat of the Contr. By 1990, after which the United states with its Long history of intervention in Central America May in Vade Nicaragua. We estimate that by 1990, the Merce nary forces will be reduced to their lowest strength after sustaining a total defeat Dur contras halt peace talks demand direct negotiations Santo Domingo dominican Republic a the Contra rebels Carl 1 tuesday broke off indirect peace talks with the sandinista and demanded they add Gwen Manl officials to their negotiating team of foreign advisers. The demand represented a re renal of position for he Contu who had Iriece to inc indirect talks aimed at reaching truce in the 6-year-old War. The sandinista have refused direct negotiation. With the contras saying they will Only talk directly with is. Officials who Bare Long funded the Contra Effort to overthrow the leftist Sandl Olsta government. President Daniel Ortega of Nicara Gua had said he held out Little Hope far the talks which occurred amid a huge Contra offensive against a mining area and a Road connecting Manama and a port where most sonet arms Art received. When Ibe talks broke Down Sandl Olsta officials refused comment Cardinal Mignel Obando y bran the mediator said the impasse was reached after several hours of negotiation monday in which Little was accomplished. However he held out the possibility the talks could resume later tuesday. Ing the period l988-1990,"thc plan said. That will enable a gradual reduction Over the period 1991-95, of the number of unconventional warfare units it said. In its assessment the plan almost mirrors the View of some american military officers and specialists on Central America who think the contras cannot win because they Lack military leadership and have been unable to arouse political support among their compatriots. The plan Calls for gradually converting the armed forces from their present counterinsurgency Mission with units organized to fight the contras hacked by inc United states to a More conventional Force in tended to deter or defeat an invader. In that plan Many weapons the Sandinia tas seek from the soviet Union arc mainly defensive anti link guns anti aircraft a lil cry mine sweepers to Clear harbours. Even the 12 Mig-21 fighter planes sought from after the collapse of the contras that Rea the soviet Union were designed to intercept zoning holds the United slates will be con invading aircraft although they can also be fronted with a Choice to take military action i cd for ground attack. To destroy the sandinista or to learn to live with them As the United states has Learned to live with Fidel Castro s Cuba. The sandinista plan which United slates government employees translated from the Spanish Iscon titled primary guidelines for functionally improving strengthening and equipping  Thlin Imal in pm s army far the period i to and preliminary guideline for the Rue year i ithe 1991  in form it resembles the annual defense guidance produced in inc i Rita inn to pro vide a strategic set Ofstien posts fur the armed forces As Thuv pit pare annual bldg Chi. The sandinista Pian third appears Loik a wish  the needs of the sandinista forces and the failure of the soviet Union to provide them Are evident throughout the document in an Early passage it said it is vital to secure a supplemental order of arms technical support Materiel and logistics not fur nishedin19gj." Over inc nest two years the document said the government plans to Organ i a " 100 new battalions approximately 800 men per battalion of local forces sandinista peo ple s m militia arming them with  rather than becoming an offensive Force. Those battalions shall enhance the country s Capaci by for waging the people s National patriotic War ensuing massive popular sup port for  that appears to be a euphemism for guerrilla War against an invader. Some requests to inc soviet Union for arms and supplies the plan said would re place losses in operations against the ton iras. But others would provide the Nec Essary Quantity of munitions units in the event Ofa possible invasion and prior Block Ade of  the plan underscored Nicaragua s eco nomic plight when it said Managua would request me annual Supply of 16.000 tons of foodstuffs furnished to the ministry of de sense by the soviet  thai sup ply includes flour sugar Rice condensed and powdered milk and edible fats. Dod widens rules for action in persian Gulf by the new York times Washington the Pentagon has Broad ened its rules of engagement in the persian Gulf to enable ships there to respond to requests for help from nato warships thai Are under attack Pentagon and slate department officials said monday. The decision which was made about a month ago represents the first time thai the United states has enlarged the Navy s military mandate in the persian Gulf since last july when it agreed to protect 11 kuwaiti tankers preregistered under the american Flag. The Navy will not automatically come to the Aid Ofa threatened nato warship but will re Spond if a nato warship requests help a senior defense department official said. If an Allied naval vessel comes under attack and asks for our assistance the on scene com Mander has the right to respond inc official said. He called the decision a clarification of the Rule . To Date no vessel of a nato ally has come under attack or requested american naval Protection officials said. The decision caught lawmakers by Surprise even though senior state department and Penta gon officials detailed the expanded rules of engagement in Public and private testimony in the past month. Several key House and Senate legislators who follow events in the persian Gulf closely such As sen John Wamer r-va., and rep. Les Aspin. A was. Who is chairman of the House armed services committee complained that there had into a Lack of proper Consulta Tion. An administration official stressed monday that the Navy would not expand its Protection to commercial pc sols flying the flags of nato countries or to american owned vessels flying under foreign flags of  2 passengers on hijacked plane identify suspect in . Custody Washington a two passengers held hos Tage in Cirul after the 19s5 hijacking of Twa flight 847 identified lebanese terrorist suspect Fawaz you Nis As one of their guards the government said Mon Day in court papers. Younis in . Custody on charges he led the june ii 19bs, hijacking of a Royal jordanian Airliner helped guard some of the 39 trans world airlines passengers held hostage for 17 Days after flight 847 was hijacked from Athens Greece to Beirut Accord ing to the court papers. . Navy diver Robert Dean Stethem was beaten and shot to death while right 847 was at Beirut inter National Airport. Younis role As a guard of Twa hostages was de tailed in new documents filed by prosecutors that charged him with leading the hijacking and destruction of the Jordan Ian jetliner. The jordanian plane was seized in Beirut three Days before the Twa jetliner was hijacked while taking off from Athens on june 14, 1985. One former Twa hostage not identified told the Fri that Younis was armed with a Silver coloured automatic handgun and appeared to be in charge of the other guards according to the court Fil ing. Leafing through a copy of Newsweek Magazine while in custody the hostage spotted Younis in a group photo graph of the jordanian Airliner hijackers the Brief said the Newsweek photograph showed the hijackers standing in front of the wreckage of the jordanian plane. Which the witness had earlier observed on the runway at Beirut International Airport the document said. A member of the shiite amal group Younis bragged 10 Twa hostages that he had blown up the jordanian air Craft according to the court papers. Younis was arrested in september after he was lured Ohio an Fri chartered yacht in International Vakars off Cyprus. The court Brief said four Crew members and iwo Pas sengers aboard the Royal jordanian jetliner identified Younis from photographs As Leader Ofteli a gunmen who seized the plane. The Crew and passengers of the plane were released unharmed before he plane was blown up on the Beirut Airport runway with explosive that had been smuggled Ohio the plane by shiite Ama militiamen according to other court papers. One of the no original Hijack Lars of Twa flight 847 � shown in a Beirut news conference on june 30, i9k5