European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 10, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2b the stars and stripes tuesday May 10,1988 exercise s final phase stresses air sea strikes  Mediterranean Bureau Naples Italy combined air and sea forces began launching coordinated mock attacks against two nato naval task forces and an escorted Convoy this week As the annual exercise dragon Hammer headed into its final phase. The exercise the second largest the Alliance con ducts annually in the Southern Region involves air land and Nival operations in Italy and Turkey and in the tyrrhenian Aegean ionian and Mediterranean seas . Navy Cape. George Vercessi a spokesman for Allied forces Southern Europe said monday. Nations participating in the exercise include Belgium West Germany Italy the Netherlands. Turkey the United kingdom Portugal and the United Stales. France and Spain which do not belong to nato s integrated Nuli tary Structure also have joined in the exercise. Vercessi said dragon Hammer Marks the first Lime that West German warships Are participating in a major Southern Region exercise major characteristics of the exercise Are its stress on air activities nearly 3,000 sorties will be flown and the linkage Between four nato maritime exercises that in clude forces from up to 10 nations in an exercise theater spanning More than 2,500 Miles he said. Among the most challenging of the exercise s air operations according to Vercessi will be a number of joint aircraft raids against simulated High priority tar gets. During a typical raid Large numbers of aircraft belonging to the various nato nations leave from air bases or aircraft carriers and converge on the target from different directions and at different speeds. One such raid will take place in Turkey where deployed italian air Force tornadoes will conduct defensive and offensive air operations with turkish air Force f-4. F-104 and f-5 aircraft and with deployed . Air Force Al 6s, plus Carrier based aircraft. Veree Isi said that during dragon Hammer s initial phase the scenario of rising International tension forced the allies to vigilance and readiness. The first exercise event was an amphibious training assault on Capo Eulada Sardinia. The assault on May 2, involved 2,800 marines from France. Italy the nether lands the United kingdom and United states. During the current phase of dragon Hammer Vercessi said the focus of naval and air operations is progressing from the Central Mediterranean toward Turkey. A military Convoy formed at Augusta Bay Sicily is making its Way to Turkey. During us voyage the con Voy is being escorted through a cleared mine Field by forces of a separate exercise stressing mine coun in measures supporting dragon Hammer. Dragon Hammer is to conclude saturday with the arrival of the Convoy in a turkish port he added. Envoy denies he briefed Bush Tegucigalpa Honduras a . Ambassador Everett Ellis Briggs on sunday denied reports that he had briefed vice president George Bush in 1985 on allegations about drug trafficking by panamanian Gen. Manuel Antonio Nonga. I could rot have briefed inc vice president on no Riega s drug running drug smuggling or Money Laun Dering activity if s because we simply did not have Evi Dence of those activities at that time and so any statement to the effect that 1 did Brief him on such matters at that time simply is not True Briggs told a news conference Here. The new York times in its sunday s editions said Driggs told Bush during a dec. 16, 1985, meeting about cables sent to the state department recounting allegations of Noriega s involvement with drags. Riggs Wai ambassador to Panama Ai that Lime. He is now inc ambassador to Honduras. He said at the news conference now 1 am sorry it look so Long for us to gel the evidence concerning Noriega. I am sorry that we weren t Able to get it sooner and t am very very glad that the evidence was available finally so that Noriega could be indicted. 1 consider him probably the most pernicious Clement in this hemisphere at this  Noriega the commander of Panama s defense forces was indicted by a Federal grand jury in Florida last february on drug trafficking charges. The general who controls Panama s civilian government has said the indictments were politically motivated. Briggs said he did not have a written record of what he and Bush discussed but he imagined it would have been the killing of Hugo Spadafora a critic of Noriega and inc circumstances leading to Noriega s ouster of elected president Nicolas Cardilo Barletta. He said he doubted he would have discussed with Bush the cables he was sending to Washington at the Lime. Army Bolt problems continue Washington a the army has serious problems in two of its front line units because of continuing problems with weak bolls in some vehicles rep. John Dingell d-mich., said. The problem May be even More extensive than that because the two units received their bolts from the same depots that Supply other army units both Here and overseas Dingell chairman of the House Energy and Commerce committee said sunday. Dingell also Heads the investigations subcommittee which Nold widely publicized hearings last August. The result is thai wheel assemblies on some army vehicles such As trucks and the High mobility Multi purpose wheeled vehicle hmm we May come Loose a subcommittee staff report said the problem fasteners still were found in Large numbers in vehicles of the 7th inf div at fort Ord calif., and the 9th regl at fort Carson Colo. Twisters from Page 1 Midway Airport complained of a sandstorm As Strong winds swept through the City. Midway and o Hare Airport officials said some flights were delayed by inc storm.1 Mort Edelstein a spokesman for the Federal aviation administration said the weather related prob lems were compounded by a major fire at an Illinois hell switching Center in suburban Hinsdale. The regular Telephone lines linking the Chicago area air control denier in Aurora wifi the towers at Midway and o Hare go through  Edc Leslein explained. Both towers switched immediately to backup communications systems but the bad weather was re  Midway so approaches there were  Edc Stcin said that after the worst of the Wear her passed planes were allowed to take off from Midway and the Airport was reopened to approaching flights after Sci Era hours. There was Little effect on o Hare be said. A Tornado touched Down near Elwood 111., South West of Joliet Early sunday evening tearing the roof off a condominium. No injuries were report the nation Al weather service said. In East Peoria High winds ripped part of the roof off a popular seafood restaurant doing an estimated $200,000 damage. Authorities said about 225 diners were inside the restaurant at the Lime but no one was injured. In North Central Wisconsin two people were hospitalized with injuries after his winds with rain and Hail struck their Mobile Homes in Marathon county. The client of heir injuries was not immediately known we be had several roofs blown off Power lines knocked Down numerous reports of Trees Down i d say 20 or 30 reports said Jack Burbank. A civil defense offi Cial for Columbia county just South of Marathon. Thunderstorms with High winds rumbled across the Northern half of Indiana sunday damaging buildings in Benton county and Lebanon and injuring one per son when a Mobile Home was blown Over in Wabash county authorities said. A Tornado with ice cube size Hail brought Down Trees and Power lines sunday Nezir Arkadelphia in Southwest Arkansas. No injuries were reported. News Riefs Jackson spends night at Home of jobless Miner Arnett