European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 22, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Inside stripes d cub scouts race to find Leader of pack Page 3 d sheep Shearer promotes Trust through Trade Page 14 d Florida state rated no. 1 in College football Page 21 d poll gives Bush 51%-42% Lead Over Dukakis Page 28 authorized unofficial publication for the . Armed forces vol.47, no. 126 monday August 22, 1988 Good morning 25 daily and sunday d 8693 a Beirut car bomb explosion injures 18 Beirut Lebanon a a car bomb explode near a syrian army checkpoint in the Seaside Rouche District of moslem West Beirut on sunday wounding 18 people and damaging buildings police reported. The bombing came amid a political confrontation Between pro syrian forces and Hartline christians sympathetic to Israel Over the election of a new Leb anese president. A Cream coloured Mercedes packed with an Esti mated 88 pounds of int was blown up at 8 40 ., Only two Yards from the checkpoint opposite the Nas seafood restaurant police reported. At least eight cars parked nearby were  restaurant s Glass front was blown in and windows in several neighbouring buildings were shattered. Hours later police announced that another car rigged with two rockets was safely defused in South Beirut s Seaside Mouzai District. The car was parked in front of a bakery about 50 Yards from a syrian checkpoint. Police said the107mm rockets were equipped with a timing device but did not indicate when they were set to go off. Police said the car that exploded had been parked saturday evening near the restaurant perched atop a Cliff overlooking the Mediterranean. They said it was not known whether the int was detonated by Remote control or a timing device. Several unexploded hand grenades and a mortar Shell were found in the car s wreckage police said. Police said three syrian soldiers at the sandbagged checkpoint were among the casualties. Most of the other wounded were lebanese civilians including women and children. Nervous syrian troops armed with rocket propelled grenades and automatic rifles sealed off the blast scene firing in the air to Clear traffic for red Cross ambulances Rushing victims to hospitals. Glass shards from the Mayfair Casino and a string of restaurants near Nasr littered a radius of 150 Yards around the blast scene. There was no responsibility claim for the car bomb soldiers and civilians examine debris at the scene of the car bomb blast near a syrian army checkpoint in Beirut sunday. Ing the 11th in Lebanon this year. By police count 103 people have been killed and 353 wounded in the 10 previous blasts. Car bomb attacks Are a byproduct of Lebanon s 13 year old civil War Between moslem and christians which has claimed More than 130,000 lives since it broke out in 1975. Fears of a new outbreak of violence have been fun eled by a presidential election deadlock that threatens to create a Power vacuum after current president Amin Gemayel s six year term in office expires sept. 23. Christian hardliners led by the nation s main civil War militia prevented the election thursday of syrian backed warlord Suleiman Franjieh. Quake kills hundreds on India Nepal Border new Delhi India a a powerful earthquake rumbled through the mountains of Nepal and Eastern India before Dawn sunday triggering landslides and floods destroying houses and killing at least 400 people officials and news reports said. More than 3,000 were injured in the quake which seismologists called the deadliest to strike the Himalayan Region since 1950. Indian officials said at least 125 people were killed and More than2,000 injured in the Eastern state of Bihar. Government television put the toll at More than 300 dead. State run radio Nepal said at least281 people were killed in towns near the Border. There were no immediate re ports of casualties or damage in Bangladesh where the quake jolted the capital of Dhaka and Northern areas. The seismological Observatory inner Delhi said the quake occurred at 4 40  And measured 6.5 on the Richter scale. It lasted about one min Ute and the aftershocks continued for about an hour Observatory director . Srivastava said. Srivastava said the temblor was entered about 40 to 50 Miles North East of Darb Hanga a town of about 800,000. In Nepal Shailendra Kumar Upadhyaya a foreign ministry official said at least 500 people were injured and thousands of houses collapsed from the quake s Impact. Other government officials said late Sunda that More than 1,000 had been Hurt. In the ancient township of Bhakta Pur about 10 Miles South of Katmandu mayor Assa Kazi Bas Akala surveyed the damage. The germans came and helped re store most of this town to its original traditional splendor in 1960, he  Don t know How Well rebuild  officials in both countries were Rushing medical teams clothes another Relief material to the disaster areas. Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi planned to visit the Region monday. The press Trust of India new Agency said 17 children were killed in Darb Hanga town which is about 560miles Southeast of new Delhi when a school Hostel caved in. In the neighbouring Madhu Bani District a River overflowed after the quake shifted its Banks and nearly 50 villages were flooded the unite news of India said. Americans in Panama targets of harassment new York a attacks against americans in Panama have increased indecent weeks in what . Officials see As an Effort to Force the United states to lift sanctions against the country according to a published report. Officials of the state department an defense department and the Southern come in Panama say there have Bee incidents of beatings abductions rape and extortion inflicted on american Mil itary personnel and their dependents the new York times reported in sunday editions. The regime is also refusing to Honor visas of some american officials and has banned mail service at american Mili tary and civilian bases officials told the newspaper. The officials View the incidents As a Campaign of harassment by the regime often. Manuel Antonio Noriega aimed at pressuring the United states to lift eco nomic sanctions against Panama the paper said. The Southern come the american military Headquarters for latin America has protested the incidents but official said the protests have had no real effect. The times said the command reported a june incident in which an enlisted Man and his wife were assaulted at gun Point by a panamanian military officer who forced the Man into the trunk of his car then beat and raped the Man s wife. In another reported incident a serv iceman who got into an argument Over a parked car with a Man believed to be an undercover panamanian intelligence officer was taken into a military station and beaten. On aug. 1, the command reported four panamanian military officers detained a Serviceman and his father for 24 hours questioned them at gunpoint an robbed them of $300. Two Days later an air Force enlisted woman was sexually abused by two panamanian officers Southern come officials said. About 12,000 . Military personnel Are based in Panama to protect the Panama canal. Noriega chief of the panamanian de sense forces and the Power behind the civilian government is under Federal indictment in the United states on charges of drug trafficking and Money Laun Dering. The Reagan administration which continues to recognize the deposed Eric Arturo Delvalle As Panama s president has applied economic sanctions in its Effort to oust Noriega. Although the sanctions have helped push Panama into a depression Noriega has refused to Ste Down