European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 19, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday. January 19, 19flb the stars and stripes Page 7 victim s fan Biden says european leaders con f want support arms pact Case closed Washington a the daughters of slain american lean Klin hotter Are wetting of an arrest warrant against inc nun accused of masterminding the 1985 Achille Laura cruise ship Hijack ing during which their father died the Justice department said Over the weekend that inc warrant for Moham med Abbas had been withdrawn on nov. 9 Nufler the Case was reviewed and after Abbas was convicted and sentenced in absent a to life in prison by an Dalian court. Klingon los daughters. Lisa and Lisa of new York appeared id president Rea Gan to have inc department of Justice retract the decision. This was forfeiting our right Tat our father s murderer to be held accountable in an american court of Law the Daugh ters said in a statement read by family spoke women Letty Simon. We Sec no purpose served by abandoning inc War the daughters also were disappointed thai they had not been informed earlier that the government had dropped the Case against Abbas. Simon said. Abbas wat accused by Italy and the United states of planning the oct. 7,1485. Hijacking of the italian liner Achille Laura and the holding of its Passen Gers for 52 hours by palestinian gunmen Slinghoff Arwas killed by the hijackers. Justice department spokesman Pat tick Konen said saturday there had Bee no plans to announce the withdrawal of the arrest warrant but thit the state department decided to Iti Aisi the information available Becaum italian foreign minister Giulio Andreotti had mentioned it in Public. Certainly we continue to believe that Abbas is responsible for that incident and for others bul there is a difference Between believing thai and being Able to successfully bring a Case in court kor ten said. He Laid the department did not have the evidence to win in an american court and that a . Conviction was not crucial since Abbas already had Bee convicted by an italian tribunal. Two survivors of the ship takeover also protested the Justice department s decision. Viola Mcswkin of Union . Said Abbas certainly was the Mastermind there was every evidence he was. Why should he go free added Frank modes of Springfield nj., la would have Bacn Nice if the had grabbed him and done something to him"1abbas whereabouts arc not known. Although in arc were reports last year that lie was based in Baghdad Iraq. He still is subject to arrest in Italy Kortyn said. Forces remaining after inf treaty nut tank ./nato user Warsaw act nuclear artillery pieces 2.700 8,280 aircraft equipped with or capable of carrying Nudera weapons 1, 2,778 land and sea based missiles 245 1,671 conventional ./Natq u5sr/wruw pact Active ground Wees 4386,000 2,292,000 ground Lorca reserves 4,371,000 4,376,000 Battle tanks 22�00 52,200 artillery Rockel launchers antitank guns 11,100 37.000 mortars 120 my. And Over 2,600 9,500 antitank Guldan weapon 10370 17,650 antiaircraft guns 7,400 12,000 Surlas to air missiles 2�50 12450 armed helicopters 760 1,630 land combat bombers 265 450 attack aircraft 2,106 2,144 interceptors do there 8m 4.0 novel forces ./nato user Warsaw pad submarines carriers cruisers destroyers naval air bombers attack aircraft interceptors lighters Antisubmarine aircraft 188 1124 124 36 378 180 533 231 2 go so 250 17? 12 374 note figures do not include 38 a Daar armed aircraft and 148 nuclear missiles controlled by France and 64 nuclear missiles on tried by Britain Chicago Tribune graphic source International to Stout Lor strategic studies Philadelphia a european leaders unanimously support the treaty scrapping Range nuclear Miles. Sen. Joseph a Biden or. Said after returning from a two week trip abroad. And Biden a Del said he believes die climate in the soviet Union was right for a major strategic arms reduction be cause the soviets needed a reprieve from the arms race. It won t be easy but i believe in reduction in conventional farces it there to be had and i m absolutely con Vinced that they want a 50 percent reduction in strategic forces Biden made the trip As a representative of the Senate committee on foreign relations to gauge support for the inf Accord signed dec. Al. By president Rea Gan and soviet Lead of Ali Nail s. Gorba treaty Calls for scrapping . Medium Range missiles in Britain. Bel Gium Italy and Weil Germany to must be ratified by a two thirds vote in the Senate. Among the countries Biden visited during his two week trip were great Brit Ain West Germany France Belgium and the soviet Union. The response from european Heads of stale was overwhelming he said. Everywhere 1 Well with every single political Leader that 1 met there was absolute unanimity about the need for us to sue to it that the Senate quickly and in a unencumbered Way ratify the inf agreement Biden snid. While supporting the treaty Many european allies remained wary because they viewed president Reagan strategic defense initiative is an indication that inc United states wishes to diminish its commitment to Europe Biden said. To the extent thai i could i assured them that f did not believe that was the purpose and quite frankly did not bal Csc that ski had inc capability to relieve inc United slates of its responsibilities to its european allies he said. Biden who had visited the soviet Union twice before the last time in 1984, said he found the political Atmo sphere very different during this visit. I Don t mean to suggest that i believe democracy is about to tall on inc soviet Union. Bul Gorbachev has sent the word out that they need arms control in order to Impact on their i believe that the soviets have Madea conscious decision not based on altruism not based on any luvs of Mankind or concluded they have a third world Economy and Hal they re in deep deep trouble. And i believe they want a halt in the Competition in effect for the not is or so machine gun shoots banned at Reservoir by City Reading. A
