European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 5, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse France reduces naval task Force in persian Gulf Paris up the French government announced a significant reduction of its naval task Force in he persian Gulf sunday ordering the return o base of the aircraft Carrier Clemenceau and two other ships. French defense minister Pierre in formed the Emir of Kuwait Sheik Jaber Al Ahmed Ai Sabah of the decision saturday during an official visit to the emirate a defense ministry statement said. Other nations affected by the decision were informed later in the Day. France expanding Commerce with Iran since the two countries renewed diplomatic lies in june thus became the first Western Power to reduce its naval presence in the once embattled waterway. The statement cited the evolution of he situation in the Region and the new prospects for peace after the Iran Iraq cease fire of aug. 20. It said France was ready to redeploy warships if needed. Authorities ordered the Clemenceau to return to its Mediterranean Home port of Toulon spokesmen said ending its Mission leading task Force 623, assigned to protect French shipping. The Fleet steamed to the Gulf in july 1987, As Iran was stepping up attacks on Mer chant shipping. The destroyer do Chayla and the replenishment Tanker Var also were ordered Home. The. Recent Deci Sion not to replace the mine sweeper Caelho on its relation out of the Gulf reduced the French Force to seven ships. But the defense ministry statement said France does not intend to modify its naval disposition in the Gulf and would thus contribute to the Freedom of navigation and the stability of that Stilt on rotating stations in the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman South of the Strait of Hormuz Are the destroy ers Georges leagues and de Grasse the frigates com mandant de Pim Odan and d is Lienne d orcs the support ship Loire and the mine sweepers Pegas and Carigliano. Officials said the Clemenceau the de Chayla and the Var were to depart tuesday from Djibouti the East african Republic closely Allied to France and would reach their Home ports in France in mid sep Lembur. The 2,577-fool Clemenceau was commissioned in 19s and refitted in 1978 for super Elendar fighter bombers and tactical nuclear weapons. It carries 40 planes and a complement of about 1,300 officers and enlisted men. Disease afflicting sheep now hits cattle in . London a the appearance of a cattle Dis ease usually associated with sheep is worrying the government and livestock Industry and has prompted is Rael and Australia to ban British cattle officials say. The government has launched an inquiry into to Vine spongiform Bea disease which has not been documented in any other country. Government officials and. A researcher involved in studying the disease said in interviews there was no evidence humans could catch the infection from eating beef but that added further study is needed. Monday septembers 1938 the stars and stripes Page 3 John Bat hands out the american flags to vietnamese children during his visit to he Chi Minn City Veteran travels to hand out american flags in Vietnam Bangkok Thailand a an american Vietnam War Era Veteran hoping to improve relations Between one Lime enemies Drew warm smiles handshakes and thumbs up signs when he handed out 700 american flags during a trip to Vietnam last week the reception was great. I was really surprised there was no hostility or even reluctance of people to Lake the american hag said John bal. Nicety nine Point six percent look the 42-year-old new York City social worker said he made the trip to Vietnam at his own expense and was not sponsored by any organization although he is a member or the Vietnam veterans of America. He had 200 Small cloth flags made and 500 Piper ones that carried a message in English and Viet namese. The message read there Are Many Amer ican people that want to be better he said his one negative experience during the four Day trip was a Brief detention by police in Trang bang a Village outside of to Chi mirth City where bal went to visit the family of Kim Phuc. The napalm girl who is currently studying in Cuba an associated press photograph of Young Kim Phuc running naked Down a Road after being severely burned by napalm proved one of the most dramatic images of the Vietnam War. Bal said that while he was in the Village a big crowd gathered and police came and asked him in for questioning. They said that they were worried for his safety that he was creating a traffic Jam and thai he had no permission to be in town. I believe this encounter demonstrates that the Good will and Friendly relations of governments lakes time to filler Down to smaller communities he said noting that his own official vietnamese escort argued with the police about the detention. But in to Chi Minh City formerly called Sai gon crowds gathered children tried to cadge sever Al flags apiece and some vietnamese related their experiences during the War he said. Rag recipients included policemen and government officials. I go to California in three months one woman told him. Bal served in the Navy for four years during the 1960s, but he was not assigned to Vietnam. It was his first trip to that country he said. Bal said the idea for distributing american flags came after Reading news accounts of improving re lations Between Vietnam and the United Stales the two nations do not have diplomatic lies but Hanoi has Over the past year encouraged an increasing number of visits by american journalists tourists lawmakers and others. Relations arc going to get belter. It s Only a matter of time bal said. I just wanted to help in a Small 3 jurors Hope tobacco companies win Appeal Philadelphia a half the jurors in the first tobacco liability suit to result in a judgment against a cigarette company for a lung cancer death say they were wrong in awarding Money Accord ing to a report saturday. They Hope an appeals court overturns their verdict according to Early sunday editions of the Philadelphia inquirer. Three of the six Federal jurors said in separate interviews Over the last two weeks that they should t have ordered the Liggett group inc. To award $400,000 to Antonio Cipollone whose . Rose died of lung cancer after smoking for More than 40 years. The jurors said they believe Rose Cipolione was responsible for her own actions that the tobacco com panics never forced her to Light up and that they never should have been held liable. Bui they said they compromised after two of the jurors who insisted on finding the tobacco companies liable wore Down the others through five Days of intense deliberation and healed arguments in a cramped jury room in Newark . As i look Back on it today 1 Don t think 1 did the right thing said Marie Mickens who was the jury for woman. "1 Hope they Liggett win on Appeal. 1 really Mickens and the others who were interviewed by the newspaper said they wish they had simply told the judge they could not reach a conclusion thai they were a Hung jury and that the Case should be reined. When their verdict was read in court on june 13, juror Barbara Reilly wept. "1 was crying because 1 gave in she said she said she believes the decision was wrong and thai she should have stood her ground in the jury room. Another juror Ralph Elisco said he also thought that he should not have compromised and thai the verdict should be overturned. The other three jurors declined to Dis cuss the Case the inquirer reported. Cipollono s attorneys had argued thai Liggett which makes Chester Fields the Brand Cipollone smoked most of her life made false health claims in its 1950s advertising. But the heart of their ease the lawyers said was their claim that Liggett conspired with Philip Morris inc. And Loril lard inc., which made other brands of cigarettes Cipollone smoked to keep secret what the companies knew about the health hazards of smoking. The plaintiffs attorneys introduced hundreds of secret Industry documents from the 1950s. The jury Mickens said was t impressed by the documents. It s just How you interpret it she said we did t Sec How they were so attorneys for both Cipollono s husband and Liggett said Friday they were nol sur prised that the jurors had compromised but thai their statements would have Little or no pan in the Appeal that the cigarette company plans to file late this month
