European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 7, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Inside stripes special Berlin edition stripes Magazine d air Force oks More jobs for women on aircraft Page 2 d Randy Barnett s car Corner Page 13 d army boxers Advance at olympic trials Page 23 Captain s action backed widely in ., poll finds Washington up seventy five percent of americans believed the Captain of the guided missile Cruiser Vincennes was justified in firing at an iranian passenger Jet which the Captain mistook for an f-14 fighter a poll published wednesday showed. The Usa today can poll of 646 people inter viewed nationally tuesday also showed a majority believed Iran was More responsible for the incident than the United states. Iran has condemned the Inci Dent As premeditated. The Vincennes had been fighting iranian gunboats sunday when its radar indicated an unidentified Jet coming toward it yet warnings went unanswered. The iranian Jet s signal was similar to an f-14 fighter and the Vincennes fired two missiles killing All 290 people aboard. The poll showed 75 percent believed capt. Will Rogers Iii was Correct in shooting at the iranian Jet while 10 percent believed he was incorrect and 5 per cent needed More information to answer. Also 71 percent of those polled said they would see poll on Back Page the stars and stripes authorized unofficial publication for the  Armed forces vol. 47, no. 80 thursday july 7, 1988 2s daily and sunday d 8693 a investigators begin probe of Gulf incident a photo the Cruiser Vincennes reflection is seen in the goggles of Jim Hadley a helicopter crewman aboard the Vincennes. Manama Bahrain a american investigators began their inquiry wednes Day into the shooting Down of an iranian Airliner by questioning senior officers of the Cruiser that fired the fatal missiles  Sources said. The six member military team of experts arrived from the United states lat tuesday and began their confidential task under a 15-Day deadline which  Offi cers said could be extended. Leading the group is rear adm. Wil Liam m. Fogarty a senior staff officer at  Central come Headquarters in Tampa Fla. It includes a lawyer and tech Nical experts who will Analyse computer tapes communications records and other data that could explain the tragedy. Iran says the guided missile cruise Vincennes a billion Dollar Aegis Cruiser with computerized radar and weapon systems intentionally shot Down the Iran air Airbus a300 Over the Strait of Hor Muz on sunday. All 290 people aboard were killed. It has accused the United states of pre meditated mass murder and pledged revenge in the same blood splattered skies Over the persian Gulf where Iran and Iraq have been at War since september 1980. The United states says the Vincennes fired because signals sent by one of the Airliner s two transponders were anal Zedin its combat information Center As being from an f-14 fighter on an attack bearing. . Military s9urces said the team first order of business was to interview capt. Will c. Rogers Iii skipper of the Vincennes and other officers who were present As he watched the crisis develop on a huge Blue video screen and gave the order to shoot. American officials earlier said the offi cers would be under oath. They said the investigators mandate does not exclude recommending disciplinary action if there appears to be grounds for it. Navy officials would not divulge the see Gulf on Back Page White House starts search for Meese successor Washington a the White House launched the search for attorney general Edwin Meese ill s replacement wednesday saying president Reagan s aides were collecting names of candidates from various  Reagan met privately with Meese his longtime Cali fornia Friend and political confidant and the White House said nothing of what had transpired. It said the meeting was granted at Meese s request. Spokesman Marlin Fitzwater conceded that White House officials had no contingency plan to find a re placement even though Meese indicated some time ago he might leave before the end of the administration. We had an attorney general up until tuesday yesterday Fitzwater said. We Don t compile lists for positions where they re already  Fitzwater had said earlier that Meese told Reagan classified ads some time ago that he might want to leave before the end of the administration. The president left the timing up to  Reagan who conceded tues Day that he had nobody in mind to take Meese s place on wednesday briefly discussed a successor for Meese with White House chief of staff Kenneth Duberstein and general counsel . Culvahouse the spokesman said. He did not say whether Rea Gan and Meese had talked about whom to  Justice department spokesman Patrick Korten was asked whether the attorney general would play inactive role in choosing a successor. Meese i think he s already weighed in on the subject Korten said in reference to Meese s meeting with Rea Gan. As he left the White House Meese was asked what he had told Reagan. He gestured in the direction of his car and said i be got to  interviewed later on Cable news network Meese was asked what kind of person he thought should succeed him. I Don t think anybody would be a clone of anybody else he said. But Meese said he hoped the person selected is someone who subscribes to the principles of Ronald Reagan and his  i think a lot depends on the willingness of the Senate to fulfil its responsibility and confirm some one he said. I would Hope that someone would reconfirmed and take Over the Day i leave  Meese announced tuesday that he was resigning see Meese on Back Page n Magazine