European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 8, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Inside stripes d abortion protesters arrested in Georgia Florida Page 5 d . Blackout leaves thousands in dark Page 7 d an uplifting experience at v corps Headquarters Page 9 d mets beat pirates again Lead by 6 games sports Page 21 the stars and stripes authorized unofficial publication for the . Armed forces Good morning vol. 47, no. 112 Iran agrees to iraqi offer of direct talks United nations a Iran on sunday agreed to Iraq s Call for direct talks after a cease fire in the War and appeared to Clear the Way for . Secre tary general Javier Perez de Cuellar to Call a truce. He said peace could be declared within Days. Iran s foreign minister Ali Akbar Velamati told reporters after meeting with Perez de Cuellar that his country would hold face to face talks with Iraq after a cease fire was declared. The announcement amounted to acceptance of Iraq s offer saturday to agree to a cease fire if Iran announced its willingness to hold direct talks afterwards although Velamati made no mention of the iraqi proposal. Diplomatic observers speculated there could be problems including Lack of agreement Over the level of talks. Iran s parliament speaker was quoted As saying iranian troops would remain on Alert. Iraqi ambassador Ismat Kitani met the Secretary general later and received Iran s formal reply. It s a very Good Day. I think we arson the Road to peace Kitani said As he entered the meeting. Perez de Cuellar had no immediate comment after the meetings. Earlier when asked by reporters when he might announce a truce the Secretary general said it could be either tomorrow or the Day after  the offer by iraqi president Saddam Hussein saturday was a reversal of Iraq s previous demand for direct talks before a cease fire and it capped three weeks of efforts by Perez de Cuellar to Bridge gaps Between the two sides. Iran announced unexpectedly last month that it accepted Security Council Resolution 598, which Calls for a cease fire in the War but it walked at Iraq s demand for talks before the truce. Iraq which accepted the Resolution when it was issued last year demanded the talks As a test of Iran s sincerity. The iranian Riyal Rose sharply against the Dollar and other currencies because of increased demands for iranian currency in Hopes of a postwar Boom in the iranian Economy. In Kuwait defense minister Sheik Nawaf al Ahmed al Sabah was quoted As saying he believes foreign warships will leave the persian Gulf if the Iraq Iran War is brought to an end. Kuwait re flagged 11 of its tankers under the stars and stripes. They have been receiving escort through the Gulf from . Warships As Protection from iranian attack. Iran accused Kuwait of supporting Iraq in the War. There Are also european and soviet ships in the Gulf. Congress to begin hearings on Dodds by William j. Bartman Washington Bureau Washington the appoint ment of John Stremple last week As director of the military s Oversea school system Drew raves from parents and teachers alike but it could be a particularly Short lived Honey Moon. Congress begins hearings thursday on the Quality of education in the department of defense dependent schools and Many of those people now praising Stremple will be highly critical of his school system. During a tour of the Pacific Region late last year several lawmakers heard Strong criticism of the Dodd curriculum from an Okinawa student who said the schools were not on Par with those in the states. That criticism helped prompt the hearings. The testimony in Washington is expected to Range from parents of Grade schooners in Japan complaining about children being taken to see a Bath House to a recent graduate of Dodds in pan Ama speaking on the system s curriculum. Stremple the first Dodds director with experience As a school superintendent said in an interview late Las month that the system is basically Good. Like anything else it can be in  Dodds routinely cites its students excellent and improving Scholastic aptitude test scores As proof of a Good education program. But critics say the sat Given to High school seniors seek ing to enter College proves Little about a see Dodds on Back Page monday August 8,1988 25 daily and sunday d 8693 a setting the Pace democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis is joined by Colo Rado gov. Roy Remer right staff members and Media for a brisk Early morning walk in Denver saturday. Dukakis met with Western demo cratic governors and other demo cratic officials to discuss his Campaign strategy in the West. See Story Page 28. Retired Justice Powell blasts handgun right Washington a american enjoy no constitutional right to own handguns retired supreme court Justice Lewis f. Powell said sunday. It is not easy to understand Why the Constitution s second amendment Orthe notion of Liberty should be viewed As creating a right to own and carry a weapon that contributes so directly to the shocking number of murders in our country Powell said in a speech pre pared for delivery to the american bar association convention in Toronto. Copies of the speech were made Avail Able to reporters Here. Powell whose speech dealt primarily with procedural delays in capital punish ment cases blamed the soaring .murder rate in part on the availability of handguns. Much scholarly debate has cent Redon the extent to which the second amendment applies to private ownership of arms or is restricted to the Nee for a Well regulated militia Powell said. Powell said that even if the amendment applies to privately owned guns it docs not apply with respect to handguns As opposed to sporting rifles and  the amendment states a Well regu lated militia being necessary to the Secu Rity of a free state the right of the people to keep and Bear arms shall not be  the supreme court has not ruled directly on the amendment s scope. Powell cited Fri statistics that More than 20,000 murders were committed in the United states last year and that about 60 percent of them were committed with  the Vietnam War some 58,021 americans were killed he  that same period in the United states approximately 122,000 Ameri cans were murdered. Of those Over see handguns on Back Page