European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 1, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Inside stripes d 2 important palestinians jailed by israelis Page 2 d air Force firefighters vie in Muster Page 3 d new owners reopen biggest Texas Bank Page 6 d Miami beats san Francisco 27-21 in american bowl Page 21 the authorized unofficial publication for the . Armed forces Cood morning vol. 47, no. 105 monday August 1, 1988 it 1t 3s doily and sunday d 8693 a Hussein gives Plo larger role Amman Jordan a King Hussein on sunday called for an Independent palestinian state including the israeli occupied West Bank and he ruled out the idea of his kingdom becoming a substitute Homeland for palestinians. Jordan is not Palestine the King said in a  Independent palestinian state will be established on 9ccupied palestinian land after its liberation god  the speech followed moves by Hussein to give More responsibility for palestinian affairs to the Palestine liberation organization. On saturday he dissolved the lower House of parliament. Half the House members were from the israeli occupied West Bank. On thursday he cancelled a$1.3 billion development project plan for the West Bank and Gaza strip. The new moves by Hussein Are designed to give Cheplo a greater role in determining the palestinian Issue partly because the 8-month-old uprising in the two territories has Given greater International prominence to the palestinian cause and increased Calls for an Independent state. They also leave much of a recent . Peace Initia Tive by . Secretary of state George p. Shultz in tatters. The United states had been working on formulas under which Jordan would be partially responsible for representing the palestinians in peace talks. King Hussein described the measures As aimed at enhancing the palestinian National orientation and highlighting the palestinian  he said our objective is the Benefit of the pales Tinian cause and the Arab palestinian  commenting on the meaning of establishing an in dependent palestinian state Hussein said that in addition to the Plo s ambition to embody the palestini an identity on palestinian National soil there should be a separation of the West Bank from the Hashemi kingdom of  there the palestinian identity will be embodied and there the palestinian struggle shall come to Fri see Plo on Back Page w. Europe plans upset Gorbachev Moscow a soviet Leader Mik Hail Gorbachev saturday expressed con Cern to West Germany s foreign minister about Western european plans for greater military and economic integration Tass reported. The official news Agency said Gorba Chev told Hans Dietrich Genscher at a meeting in the Kremlin that the plans could set Back Progress for disarmament and Security in Europe. Genscher arrived in Moscow Friday to prepare for the october visit to the soviet capital by West German Chan cellar Helmut Kohl. Gorbachev is to visit West Germany during the first half of 1989. Tass reported that Gorbachev said West european politicians must Bear responsibility for any damage to positive beginnings toward improving Security. Genscher told Gorbachev that the creation of a single Market by 1992 within the 12-member european economic Community would not endanger the continent and increases possibilities for cooperation and openness according to the Tass report. Welcome Home Roberts the guided missile frigate Samuel b. Roberts arrives in Newport r.i., aboard the heavy lift vessel mighty servant 2. The dutch ship brought the Roberts Home after the frigate struck a mine in the persian Gulf in april. By Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington persistent Rumor that Absentee ballots sent in by overseas voters Are discarded unless the election disclose Are not True the Pentagon s top voting assistance official said. It seems like we Deal with this every election year said Henry Valentino director of the defense department s voting assistance program. For some reason a lot of Absentee voters Are under the impression that their ballots Are not counted unless it s a tight race at the polls. That is absolutely false he  legitimate vote that is cast gets counted regardless of the outcome of  in fact in this year s Pennsylvania presidential primary the defense department obtained a Federal court order extending the deadline for Absentee bal lots by two weeks because the state had mailed the ballots out too late eve though officials knew that the action would not affect the outcome of the elec Tion. It was a matter of principle Valen Tino said. You never know How an elec Tion is going to turn out. We be had a Jot of elections that were decided by Mili tary  in a local election in Marysville Ohio last november for example a military Absentee ballot cast by the son of a candidate for City Council tied the election. Valentino said rumours that Absentee ballots sometimes Aren t counted May get started because there have been fre quent problems in past years with the ballots not arriving by deadline. But the defense department is taking Steps to Correct that situation he said. This year for the first time Blank bal lots will be made available to More than3 million . Citizens in foreign coun tries about 1 million of them service members Dod civilians and their families who Are eligible to vote in the nov. 8 election. This write in ballot is designed to As Sist those citizens who have made timely request for a regular reprinted ballot and for some reason did not receive it in time to Send it in and have it counted Valentino said. The new fill in the Blank ballots Are being sent to voting officers attached toll military units overseas and to All . Embassies and  1984, approximately 8.5 percent of the military that tried to vote were unable to do so because they did t receive their ballot in sufficient time cosign it and return it Valentino said. That translates to Over 180,000 peo , 250,000 americans living abroad were unable to vote in 1984 be cause they received their ballots too late he  Dod population overseas usually has a better voter participation record than the general . Population Valen Tino said. In 1984, 55.3 percent of the overseas Dod Community voted com pared to 53 percent for the general pop  is army voter registration month