European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 23, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Inside stripes d decline in sat scores worries Dodds Page 2 q it s goodbye jeep hello Hummer Page 3 q murder robbery probe focuses on ship s Crew Page 5 d Ira gunman kills Belfast policeman Page 9 stripes e Uno Mickl full think Foini , Umid oct vol. 45, no. 338 wednesday March 23, 19b8 06693 a foes reject Noriega s offer resignation conditions Nof acceptable Panama City. Panama a Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega has offered to resign before next year s presidential elections if opponents agree to talk with his regime Panama s chief of stale told his countrymen. Related Story Purs 5. The opposition whose general strike monday paralysed the nation and the United states which has kept up steady pressure to Force a Noriega resignation immediately rejected the general s offer. Elections Are scheduled Tor May 1989. There will be no dialogue said Aurelio Barria the main Leader of the National civic crusade an Ami Noriega coalition of 200 business professional labor and political groups that called the indefinite work stoppage. He added the general has to go immedi ally not eventually. The strike will Manuel Solis Palma installed last month As the minister in charge of the presidency made the announcement of Noriega s offer Ina nationally broadcast speech. He said Noriega had Given his word As an officer and a gentleman to step Down if his conditions arc met. In Washington stale department heavy casualties reported in Gulf Manama Bahrain a iranian gunboats at tacked a norwegian operated Lanker in the persian Gulf tuesday three Days after an iraqi attack on two norwegian snips left 54 seamen missing and presumed dead shipping executives said. Three rockets hit the 380,534-Lon have lint a Lique fied Petroleum Gas Carrier thai was carrying ammonia from saudi Arabia a shipping source said. The ship Flics the Singapore Flag but is operated by Hautor an Oslo based company. At least one person was injured in the attack 12 mites Northwest of Duba. The hav line was reported leaking chemicals thai could pose a pollution problem shipping executives said. It when iraqi see Gulf on Back Page App twid cent. Manuel Antonio Noriega spokeswoman Anita Stockman said we believe the offer is Little More than one a ploy to attempt to legitimize the illegal soils Palma regime by calling for negotiations Between it and opposition groups and two an Effort on the part of Noriega to maintain direct or in direct control of the panamanian de sense forces. We stand by our previous View that Noriega should go and he sooner the better for Noriega is under indictment on Feder Al drug charges in Florida. The United states has dried up the flow of Money to Panama which uses the . Dollar As it currency in the Effort to Force him out and the Economy is near collapse the general nut Down a coup attempt by dissident officers Las week and rejected a . Plan for him 10 leave Panama and live in Spain. In Washington White House spokes Man Marlin Fitzwater said earlier Mon Day that there were no plans for further talks with Noriega after the return of two administration officials from Panama City. I think they have a pretty Good read ing of the general s attitude fit Walcer said. It did t seem to include further conversations at least at this strike included Panama City s Central commercial District where the Small shops that Cater to the lower an Middle classes had not joined previous shutdowns by wealthier Busin Rumert an industrialists. We re sending Noriega a message said the owner of a shoe store who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals. We Hope he s s opponents hailed the strike As their greatest Triumph so s completely said Guil Lenno Cochez vice president of the Christian democratic party. Today has been a very special Day. In the capital As Well As the provinces. We Hope Noriega s advisers and the people surrounding him will help him to Sec the the Parale Zavion is total in Industry finance and Commerce said Carlos Gonzalez do la Lasira. J business Secretary of the panamanian human rights foundation said a candied monday of wounds suffered when he was hit in the face and Chest by Birds nol fired by police during disturbances in Panama City last was the fourth protest related death since Ami government demonstrations began last summer. 10 gis Hurt in helicopter crash sandinista rebels open talks teguc1ga1pa, Honduras a a . Military helicopter crashed monday during a training exercise near the honduran own of Julic Alpa and All 10 american sol Diers aboard were injured . Officials reported. Meanwhile the Nicaragua Sand Nisie government and .-backed rebels on monday opened three Days of talks in the Border own of Samoa Nicaragua by exchanging cease fire proposals and agreeing to a truce during the negotiations. Neither Side seeks a military Victory Over the other said Alfredo Cesar head of the rebel delegation after the completion Orth first Day of talks the first fac to fact negotiations on nicaraguan soil. He said the Contra rebels proposed a 30-Day cease tire and continuous talks to reach a permanent truce. Nicaragua withdrew its soldiers from the honduran Border monday and declared an end to fighting while it holds truce talks with Contra rebels according to reports from All sides. The Border Region remained tense with honduran patrols on the Lookout cat any Booby traps ten behind by the sandinista. President Jose Ancona Kayo said the 3,200 sent to Honduras last week after the Nicara Guan army was accused of sending 2,000 men across the Border in Pursuit of contras May not be needed any longer. The worst is Over and there is peace now in the order Region col. Reynold Sandmo Flora com Mander of the honduran army s 1011 infantry Bri Gade said by Telephone from his Headquarters in Southern Honduras. We Are remaining on a stale of Falcet to be ready for see crash an Back Page army expanding cohort Manning system by chock Vinc Washington Bureau Washington the Arathas approved plans to expand the system concept to events a include All of its More than 5,000 tactical company size units. The project o expand cohort which has been rechristened the unit Manning system from cohesion operational readiness and training will move Forward in phases said it. Col William Zanow chief of he baht Branch unit Manning division Ollar the army Deputy chief of Stahor personnel. The first pha_5flf" 5cnedulk1 to run through 1992, Wilt involve 364 units or about 7 percent of army tactical Compa Nies Zanow said. The chief of staffs goal is for nil tac companies to include combat port and combat service Sui port Drift two under company Hort Zanow the army a with to cd a a since Fay units train live and work together for extended periods Means higher readiness and morale. The Early tests have involved mostly tactical units although some Quarter master and medical units have been under the cohort system to Lime Zanow said. Ave two types of unit Fine systems in operation once the expansion eur under Way Zanow said. Companies in Korea will come under the traditional cohort concept in i units will be recruited and rained Tohm Modlen remain together for three years. Most other us i i use the sustained cohort Ysien wow said once a cohort unit is his concept it will periodically receive replacement packages that could be Pla Toons squads or any number of Tomren depending on the unit s requirements. Korea will be supported by 76 Compa Nies under traditional cohort in in initial four year expansion phase Zane a said. These Corn Paciej will form and spend their first 24 months in forces come and Western come divisions he said. They la then deploy to Korea for the final 12 months of their life soldiers who slay on Active duty after completing 36-month Tours with traditional cohort units will usually be it see cohort on Back Page
