European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 11, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 the staffs and stripes monday january 11.1968 crowds cheer Rumor Noriega resigning Panama City. Panama him rumours thai military strongman Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega had resigned and fled the country prompted wild celebrations saturday Bui official said Noriega was visit ing the dominican Republic and would return Mon Wilny. Witnesses said thousands of people look pad in Street celebrations thai spread from he capital to other Arras throughout the afternoon and i no the evening As the rumours flew with participants beeping car horns and waving while flags Anil . To a was lil a  said Rosario Arias Galindo i i a resident of the business District principal tile of i non minion demonstrations since civic unrest began in i june she said adding Hal people spread Inlo Side streets and blocked traffic. Residents said police and soldiers used ear Gas Bird shot and rubber hoses to quell the celebrations. One witness said she saw four people arrested. Victoria and Fernando Valdys who live near the banking District said their living room window was shattered by a tear Gas bomb thrown by troops and they accused police of breaking inc windows of three family cars. The demonstrations prompted the military to Issue a Stai Cuenl saying Noriega had left the country for a private visit o the dominican Republic but would Reini monday and reassure command of the Mili the Street was pack cil with people for two blocks areas throughout inc afternoon and Inlo inc evening is ia7 ,. \ Noriega is head of the 20,000-Man armed fori Street celebrations spread from the capital to other police. Opposition Leaden say he is the real ening As Ibe bind civilian president Eric Arluro Dflvalle. Inc rumours flew. The rumours that Noriega had fled Panama came one Day after Reagan administration officials said the United slates had applied quiet pressure on inc Gener Al in a diplomatic Effort to get him to resign and per Mit free elections. Bui Noriega s Genera staff issued a statement signed b chief of staff Marcos just incs Fernandez and other general staff members and read Over National television about 7 . It said Noriega and his family left for a private visit to the dominican Republic for inc weekend find Hal he would Orcas Surnoc his command upon his return monday. Forces and Power j Mecham denies charges says be won t quit i to Kenix or. Al l Gav. Evan medium indicted on felony charges of fraud Anil perjury wid saturday thai he was  clean and would not resign pcs nil political opportunists in Liu Iii Rinty general s office in his lint formal response to Friday s Sii taunt allegation thai he violated the Taw by concealing a $350.000 Campaign loan. Mecham said he would Welcome a Public trial As a breath of fresh air and called the indictment political per Saccu on. Not Legal prosecution in said a swirl of manipulation do i Eil and skulduggery Svaip bring used in n Effort to overthrow a constitutionally elected  i am completely clean he told re porters in the Capitol to Hhd. He declined to answer questions and left immediately after Reading his in min ulc statement. Attorney general Hob Corbin also a Republican said his office had sought o handle the Mecham Case the same Way it would any older. Corbin denied that he planned Lorun against Mecham. The governor s claim Hal he was the victim of political persecution was the same junk that i m doing this because i m going to run in a recall election. No Way Corm said. The embattled Mecham who look of fice a year ago also faces an impeach ment inquiry in he state House of representatives and a recall Campaign thai is Cor. Evan Mechlin with statement in Hind prepares to meet reporters Likely to Foi Eean election his year. Meeham a3. Will not resign and will not accept a plea bargain press Secretary Ken Smith said before Mecham s brie appearance. Obviously inc governor and his attorney believe thai they have a Rock solid Case and will win acquittal. Smith said. I Don t pretend id be a lawyer. But my exposure to him for four months since going to work for Mecham tells me that Hultad no criminal intention in concealing he loan stale Republican party chairman Burton Kruglick said saturday Hal party leaders will meet won to assess whether the parly should continue supporting in governor. Obviously we be said there s a prob Lem Here and we need to look at it said Kruglick who was reached in san Diego. I Don t believe in Blind loyally either. There is no question that the is Damag ing to inc party Friday indictment Ted to renewed Calls for Meeham s resignation from legislators in both panics. The stale grand jury indicted Mecham and his brother and Campaign treasurer Willard Mecham on charges of perjury fraud and false filing for omitting the loan from a Campaign finance disclosure report. Signing a false financial disclosure i at ment constitutes perjury officials said. Cold from Paga 1 said Llodrat Locher Mountain manager for Bryce re sort in Rayc a. That s great Snow for skiers. The heavy snowfall prompted Danbury conn., officials to close a downtown department store when a roof beam cracked possibly under the weight of Snow and o order eight families out fan adjacent building. Twenty one cars crashed Inlo each other or skidded off the Road on interstate 9.3 near new Hampton. . Sat urday morning. Police said there were no serious injuries. On Friday 20 cars were involved in a pileup on the same Highway at Merrimack. In the Atlantic Ocean off the Mainc new Hamp Shire coast four coast a guardsmen had to ride out the Lorrn overnight in a disabled 44-foot patrol but. They were reported to be cold and hungry but otherwise Kafter being rescued. Overcast skies kept the Snow from melting in Ala Bama and stale troopers closed interstate 65 from South of dec blur to the Tennessee line saturday afternoon when several Nicks stalled and Jackknife a on an ice covered Hill near Decatur. Troopers also closed Alabama 205 in Etowah county and some lanes of interstate 459 in Birmingham because of icy conditions. In Louisiana men than 100 driven who had been forced to spend the nigh in their care were Able to drive out saturday Afler the Sun melted the ice that had made a stretch  20impassable near fusion. Highways were reported passable but still hazardous saturday in South Carolina with southbound traffic banned on interstate 85 in Hilly Spartanburg county since Friday afternoon. Friday night 601 people look advantage of 13 Emer gency shelters set up around South Carolina said Paul Lunsford spokesman for the stale s emergency Prepa redness division. By saturday afternoon Only three shelters All in Spartanburg county Wen still open with 11 occupants. North Carolina officials said about 90 people spent Friday night at National guard Armoriel opened for stranded travellers or people with Home Healing prob lems. The salvation army said it sheltered about 350 peo ple statewide Friday night. The Slonki blacked Oul Al least 25,000 Homes in Georgia but most had Power again by saturday Utility officials said. It s a Freak thing. We re not supposed to have ice storms where we Ere said Frank Tyus administrative services manager for Salilla electric membership co operative at Alma. A. The last one i remember was in 1961." Atlanta s  Airport was Down to one usable runway during the storm thursday but All four run ways were open saturday. Alabama Power co. Reported 15,000 customers still without Power saturday most in the Birmingham area Down from a High of 89,000 thursday when freezing rain and Wei Snow pulled Down Power Lin Sand tree limbs. In contrast Miami International Airport and fart laude Jalc. Fla. Tied record highs for the Date with readings of 83 degrees. Iran from Page 1 of raq s Faw Peninsula which is occupied by Iran. Neither has pumped Oil since Early in the War bul Iraq has used Ihm As radar stations defending them with anti aircraft gun Sand rocket launchers Arab sources linked the Omen Lull in attacks on merchant shipping to Diplo Matic efforts by Syria and Gulf Arab Stales saying the syrians persuaded Iran to delay a Winter drive on Basra the iraqi Southern provincial capital. According to diplomats in Damascus. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations persuaded Iraq to Slop raiding iranian tank ers. That should halt iranian s retaliatory attacks on Neutral shipping. Shipping executives said Iran has re leased the Orasia Pearl one of hundreds of ships it has intercepted near the gulfs Entrance 10 search for iraqi bound cargo. They said they saw the release As a possible conciliatory gesture. One said the German Crew of the vessel was unharmed and the cargo Illaci. The saudi newspaper Al share Al a Sal reported meanwhile that foreign ministers or the Gulf Arab stale would meet in dam ascus with to Cir iranian counterpart an Akbar Velamati to discuss ending the Gulf Waring Apoc son shipping. The . Navy Convoy the second this year entered the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz of Dawn Friday and was sailing North toward Kuwait inc Navy said. Eleven kuwaiti vessels have been Given . Registration and american flags so the Navy can protect Ihm from iranian attack. The con Voys began last july. Making the latest trip air inc 290.035-ton supertanker Mudd Lelawn the 79.999.ion Chesapeake City and the Navy chartered re fueling Tanker Rover guarded by the guided missile frigates Eliod and Mcclusky