European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 6, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 news briefs the stars and stripes saturday augusts 1988 tearful Biaggi gives up his congressional seat new York a rep. Mario Biaggi convicted of corruption charges twice within a year tearfully resigned his seat in c9ngress on Friday rather than face expulsion by his  the City s most highly decorated police officer Biaggi a Democrat served 20 years i Congress and was so popular in his distinct he was considered Likely to win again in november despite his  he said he was quitting his re election race. The end came when a Federal jury c9nvictedhim thursday of racketeering extortion and bribe taking through we tech corp., a sout Bronx military contractor that made payoffs to get government work. He faces up to 20 years on the top count. Biaggi 70, said he was resigning effective immediately because his appeals will take to much time for him to continue to serve in con Gress. Appeals court upholds closing of Plo office Washington a a Federal appeals court Friday upheld the state department s decision to close the Palestine liberation organization s information office last year on the ground it was a front for  three judge panel of the . Circuit c9urt of appeals acknowledged that the Case raised serious questions about whether the closing  infringed on the free speech rights of the Palestine information  the order by Secretary of state George Shultz to close the office did t infringe upon any of those constitutionally protected rights the court said in an opinion by circuit judge Abner  ordered the closing last fall citing ". Concern Over terrorism committed an supported by individuals and organizations affiliated with the Plo and As an expression of our Overall policy condemning  go gets prison term discharge in drug Case Bremerhaven West Germany is a 21-year-old Soldier assigned to the 2nd Arm div fwd was sentenced to 30 months confine ment and Given a dishonourable discharge for distribution and Possession of Ltd a Community spokesman said . Gregory n. Leonard of Btry a 4th in 3rd Field arty at Karlstedt pleaded guilty Fri Day to five counts of distribution and one count of Possession with the intent to distribute the drug spokesman Jim Macfarlane  also was ordered to forfeit All pay and allowances and was reduced to the lowest enlisted  California native was a Cook and had been assigned to the Karlstedt unit for two years. He will serve his sentence at fort Leavenworth Kan. Delay from Page 1 would never make Public for use at a trial. As a Way to buy time Walsh had suggested that Gesell put aside the three major conspiracy charge against North which the judge contends involve the greatest number of government secrets and proceed to trial on 13 other charges. Those counts including false statements to Congress obstruction of Justice illegal use of a tax exempt foundation to raise Money for the contras and receipt of an illegal gratuity Don t raise the same Legal issues As the charges arising from the diversion of arms Sale profits. Gesell previously has ruled that to defend the conspiracy charges North should be allowed to use Classi fied documents to show he was acting with permission of higher  Friday s Brief order Gesell rejected As moot Walsh s suggestion that two trials be conducted for North. Gesel appeared to be granting the delay to allow both sides to prepare for one trial on All the charges. Walsh has expressed a preference for trying North on All 16 charges at once saying the conspiracy charges Are the Core of his Cas against the former National Security Council aide. The prosecutor had proposed two trials As a Las resort to prevent dismissal of the conspiracy charges. Soviets Haven t Cut funds for military Carlucci says Istanbul Turkey a defense Secretary Frank Carlucci Friday said the soviet Union has not reduced the resources going into its military program. Carlucci came to Turkey after a trip to the soviet Union during which he visited several bases and saw military equipment that had previously been kept secret. It is True that soviets Are More open in showing their military equipment and exercises Carlucci told a news conference in Istanbul. But we see no change whatsoever in the resources that Are going into the soviet military  Carlucci said since the soviets continue to produce a Large amount of weaponry it is important that we As the nato allies continue to maintain our deterrent at the highest possible  Carlucci spent one Day in Ankara where he me with Premier Turgut Ozal and defense minister Ercan Vural Han. After a Day in Istanbul the Secretary was scheduled to travel to the Aegean port City of Izmir for two Days of sightseeing. Vural Han said that after talking with Carlucci turkish officials concluded that uncertainties in the relationship Are a thing of the  he said the . Administration was aware that tur key was trying to modernize its armed forces and said it was doing its Best to  government says about $1.2 billion in . Aid is needed annually for the modernization projects. This year Congress plotted Turkey $520 million in military Aid. Bush won t make commitment on debates Dukakis aides say by the associated press Democrat Michael Dukakis top Campaign official complained in a letter to George Bush s aides Friday that the Republican candidate has refused to agree to a series of three presidential debates this fall. Related photos Page 4. Bush had said earlier this week that he will debate Dukakis but that negotiations on guidelines for such meeting or meetings will have to wait until after the Republican National convention on aug. 15-18. The Dukakis aides Campaign chairman Paul Broun tas and Campaign manager Susan Estrich said your continued reluctance to agree to this series of debate Sis surprising in View of your candidate and your Campaign s repeated assertions that you want to discuss the issues in this Campaign. Considering the vice president s speech yesterday we propose that the first debate at the . Naval Academy address foreign policy and National Security  Bush in a speech thursday in Corpus Christi Texas criticized Dukakis As weak on defense and far outside the mainstream on foreign policy. The Dukakis Campaign s letter said democratic part chairman Paul Kirk and Republican party chairman Frank Fahrenkopf had agreed to a series of three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate. Several months ago governor Dukakis agreed tothe schedule and plans to debate in Annapolis my on sept. 14, Winston Salem . On sept. 25 an Pittsburgh on oct. 27. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen plans to debate the Republican vice presidential nominee in Omaha neb on oct. 11," the letter said. In another Campaign matter Treasury Secretary James a. Baker Iii resigned his position Friday to become Bush Campaign chief before the aug. 15 Star of the Republican convention in new Orleans. Presi Dent Reagan has named investment banker Nicholas f. Brady to replace Baker at the Treasury. In los Angeles on thursday Dukakis charged that the Reagan administration s recent agreement to temporarily halt new Oil drilling lease sales was a Tempo Rary move for political gain. I think it s largely designed to get them by the election he said. I Don t think that s the kind of policy we need for this  Dukakis West coast foray followed a trip into Mississippi a traditionally democratic state that helped Send president Reagan and Richard Nixon to the White House. Dukakis lost the state to Jesse Jackson in the democratic  spoke at the Neshoba county fair near where the bodies of three slain civil rights worker were found 24 years ago thursday. Reagan began his Campaign As the 1980 nominee at the fair. Dukakis failed to mention the killings when address ing the almost entirely White crowd and referred Only once to civil rights. I talked about economic Opportunity because that s the most important single thing that concerns people he , speaking to a hispanic veterans group in Cor pus Christi Texas criticized Dukakis for his support of a nuclear freeze opposition to a new my missile and the midget Man missile and the Reagan administration s proposed Star wars nuclear defense system. His positions. Amount to a rejection of America Srole As a world Leader and a repudiation of the Truman doctrine and the vision of John Kennedy Bush said referring to bipartisan foreign policy that evolved after world War ii and focused on containing communism. Forrestal from Page 1 to show the lighter Side of the Navy said Balevre. But according to Brooks some sailors Don t think the ghost Story is at All cute. George lurks in two of the ship s below the water line storage areas one of them a former morgue some sailors claim. I be got one Guy working for me now who refuses Togo Down there alone. Our last chief Petty officer in charge who has since transferred refused to go Dow there at All says Petty officer Daniel Balboa in charge of the officers mess. I be never seen any ghosts but you can hear weird things Down there said Balboa. I was taking inventory one night and heard a noise like deck grating being picked up and dropped he recalled. I d turn around and look but did t see any thing. When i turned around to begin my work again the noise started  one night Balboa said he was checking tempera Tures in food storage freezers and kept finding open doors he had shut behind  is impossible for anyone to open the Reefer doors from the outside behind me. To open them from the outside requires a key since the doors lock automat  had the Only key with me. That incident puts me on the verge of believing he said. Some say the ghost is a chief killed during a 1967 flight deck fire that took the lives of 137 sailors in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam Brooks wrote. Others guess he s a Pilot whose body was once stored on the ship. Petty officer James Hillard has t ventured into the haunted areas since he saw George last year while checking out Odd footsteps. He was wearing a Khaki uniform like an officer or chief would Wear he says. He followed the apparition into a compartment but there was nobody in there and i swear that is where he went Hillard said. Mess specialist 2nd class Gary Weiss saw a ghostly Khaki Clad figure go Down a ladder to pump room no.1. Whoever went Down into the pump room never came out and the ladder is the Only Access he said. Hillard said he once was helping move supplies when a Telephone that was reportedly disconnected kept ringing. The phone rang and i answered it. This time there was a faint voice calling help help i m on the sixth deck Rumor had it that a Crew member was killed Down there. I m very scared to go Down there alone. If do i get out of there As fast As i can Hillard said. Others Are  think it s the Guys imagination said senior chief James Williams. To not superstitious but when go Down there by myself i find it uneasy. When that happens your imagination is going to play tricks