European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 14, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday March 14, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 7 proposal made to furn Alcatraz into a Casino san Francisco up escaping from Alca Iraq prison May have been easier than turning the infamous Rock in san Francisco Bay into a Casi no say sceptics of a plan to put a gambling Center on the Island. Nobody is known to have escaped alive from the grim prison that opened on the 12-Ucre Island in 1933 As the toughest Federal prison in the United slates and closed 30 years later because it was too expensive to operate. The gloomy big House which once held the likes of of Al Capone machine gun Kelly Alvin Creepy Karpis l of Baker and Robert Stroud. Known 35 the Hirdman of  is now a major tourist attraction. The Casino plan was adopted by the san Francisco Board of supervisors last week and City voters will be asked in june to decide whether local government should push to change stale and Federal Law to allow the Casino with revenues going to the City. There s almost no Chance Federal official Brian o Neill said. I can assure you that it would become a National conservation Issue  o Neill is general superintendent of the Federal Golden Gale National recreation area which includes the Island. Turning the prison into a Casino to raise about $130 million a year for the City of san Francisco was termed a deficit induced fantasy by one critic. It would require a statewide vote to Amend the California Constitution to permit Casino gambling plus a Green Light from Congress to surrender the Island for such a controversial purpose. The process is full of so Many potential Road blocks that i would be very surprised if any member of Congress would wan to Champion that cause Oneill said. A National Park sen ice spokesman in washing ton told the san Francisco examiner that he could not recall an instance when the government had relinquished any Park land. I have trouble seeing How we could justify a Casi  the spokesman said. The newspaper quoted an aide As saying that Park service director William Penn Moll broke out laughing when he heard of the proposal. . Group of return Exchange in 89 soviet music fest opens in Boston Boston a a three week Festi Val featuring soviet music opened with envoys for president Reagan and soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev praising the organizers of the cultural Exchange for bringing the to countries Clover together. Making music together with its285 soviet musicians dancers compos ers and other artists is the first part of an Exchange that will bring a Celebration focusing on american contemporary music to Moscow in the fall of i 89. Rag in s Praise came in a idler Rosarah Caldwell. A key organizer of the Exchange and artistic director of the opera company of Boston. It was read Friday night by Greg Ciu Rolf of the government run . Information Agency. The letter described the event As one of the most ambitious cultural projects Ever undertaken Between the United states and the soviet Union. A Testa Mentlo the potential of .-soviet co operation in artistic and cultural  soviet ambassador Yuri Dubinin who flew from Washington to Ailand opening ceremonies read Gorbachev s Best wishes for Success for the Benefit of peace Friendship and cooperation be tween our two  also present at the ornate turn of the Century Boston opera House was Yuri Melc Liev the minister of culture for Russia the soviet Union s largest Republic. Mclen Icv told reporters the festival stood As a Symbol of improved super Power relationships in the Wake of Iheme eting Between Reagan and Gorbachev in Washington talc last year. The festival is in the red because of unexpected costs that drove the Price lag above the estimated budget of $2.4 Mil lion to $3.3 million and organizers last month seriously considered the idea of declaring bankruptcy and cancelling the event. But organizers said they decided notto Call it off after being told by the state Appolo opera artistic director Sarah Culdwell and soviet ambassador Yuri Dubinin upon in total. Department that cancellation could mar relations with the soviet Union. Harold Estes. President of the greater Boston chamber of Commerce and a key fund Raiser said shortly before the opening ceremonies that the original shortfall of $900,000 had been reduced to about $200,000. Los Angeles armenians stage protest los Angeles a thousands of armenians marched to cily Hall sat urday earning flags and chanting in a show of Solidarity with a soviet Republic involved in a territorial dispute. Mounted police Kepi watch As the Esti mated 5,000 demonstrators gathered Ini crashing Square before winding through downtown streets. The protests were triggered by rioting that began late last month when Armeni ans in the port town of sum Ait in the soviet Republic of Azerbaijan demanded that the Region of Magorno Karabash be United with the soviet Republic of Armenia. Magorno Karabash populated largely by armenians is part of Azerbaijan. Soviet police and militia have moved into the Region to Calm tensions in the adjacent republics in the soviet Union s Southwest Corner. Some reports claim 32people have died while others put the death toll much higher. We want to show our Solidarity with our people and the protests taking place in soviet Armenia said Lorig Titizian executive director of the armenian National committee Western Region which organized the demonstration. The procession to City Hall was led by is Black Robed armenian priests walking beneath a sign that read. No brother Hood without  we arc marching to express our Unity with armenians living both in Karabash and in Armenia and in America said the Rev. A Sag a Hachadourian. Harold a Ell. Western regional com missioner of the immigration and naturalization service was one of the few speakers to address the crowd in English. I believe that in the slate of califor Nia where we have a first generation armenian As governor. We should do everything we can to support  a Ell said referring to gov. George Duck Majian. Paper says Meese briefed Peres on pipeline Washington a attorney general Edwinm Csc 111 and his Friend. E. Bob Wallach. Jointly briefed then israeli prime minister Shimon Peres in october 1985 about the status of plans for a $1 billion iraqi pipeline project the Washington Post said in ils sunday editions. The newspaper said memos written by Wallach and reviewed by the Post described Peres As enthusiastic and intensely interested in the project when briefed on in at an israeli embassy reception. Wallach in the memos. Said he had Given up hop of gelling enough time to Brief Peres when me Csc walked up to them and came to his Rescue accordingly the Post. Wallach said he had been expecting to meet with Pereslov discuss the pipeline project on the afternoon of his oct. 16, 1985, arrival Here. Peres plane however arrived 90 minutes late and Peres went directly to a reception. Almost 1,000 guests were wailing a mob scene wrote Wallach but he waited for a break and managed to get to Peres and introduce himself the Post said. He literally dragged me off into a Corner at that moment and Brjan discussing the project intensely Wallach said. But then a crush of people built up led by then israeli ambassador Cir Rosanne who wanted Peres to meet various members of Congress. At that Point Wallach said he gave up and Peres asked him to wait around until after the reception. Fortunately As that time approached my Friend Wallach s usual phrase for a Csc arrived and there was a three Way discussion which took approximately 10 minutes the Post quoted Wallach As saying. He Peres is very Quick and we went right to the Point and he was agreeable in All respects. It was t the kind of briefing 1 would have preferred but it seemed to have been  Wallach said Peres later invited him to meet again in new York a few Days later and Wallach said he did so accompanied by a staffer from the National Security Council who had been assigned to expedite the pipe line plans and its construction by the Bec Helcl group of san Francisco. According to a memo written by Wallach on oct. 20, 1985, the meeting at the israeli embassy Here was More of a briefing than a Chat. Independent counsel James c. Mckay is investigating Mcnese s role in the pipeline mane vering to deter mine whether Meuse might have violated any Laws i concert with Wallach Swiss financier Bruce Rappa port or anyone else. The pipeline was never built