European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 30, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday. November 30, 19bb the stars and stripes Page 3 soviet general Calls nato Force review propaganda ploy Vienna Austria a a senior soviet officer rejected tuesday a nato report that says the Warsaw pact holds a massive superiority in conventional arms As a propaganda toy this paper undertaken in contradiction with the problems under discussion Here is not useful for the purpose of the future talks . Nikolai Char nov told a news conference. Char nov was referring to planned talks on conventional stability in Europe. A mandate for the talks is under negotiation in Vienna Between the 16 nato and seven Warsaw pact nations. The 28-Page report was billed by nato s Sce rotary general Manfred w6mer on Friday As an attempt id publicize relative East West troop strengths and to Challenge Moscow to Issue its data. Worner said the report is not the basis for negotiators from the North Atlantic treaty organization at the new talks. Western diplomats in Vienna said they Hope those talks will begin Early next year. The report did not touch on the Quality of East bloc weapons and forces Only their numbers. It said the Warsaw pact nations have a Large superiority in it major arms sys tems. In eight of those the soviet Union outruns All nato nations and its War saw pact nations combined the report said. The report also said that the Warsaw pact has 51,500 main Battle tanks com pared with nato s 16,424 tanks and that the Warsaw pact has 3,090,000 peo ple in its land forces compared with nato s 2,213,593. Chertov look Issue with the report. As a military Man 1 fail to under stand the nato approach and the Pur pose the authors pursued in publicizing this document he said the data provided do not make pos sible a real assessment of the fighting Power of the two  Chertov disputed the Western figures on the East bloc s capability and said the nato report erred in omitting mention of the bikes navies. In these areas the United states and the nato armed forces hold a Multi a cd cd superiority including a 3-to-l advantage in major combat ships cruisers missile cruisers and mine sweepers and a 2.5-to-l advantage in naval aircraft Chertov said. The nato paper is a propaganda ploy which cannot serve As a basis for future negotiations and which Doe not meet the interest of negotiators.," data should be exchanged Between governments and not on a selective basis he said adding that Moscow would Issue itt own data after Consulta Tion with Warsaw part allies. The nato study focuses on ground and air forces because naval forces will not be discussed at the conventional stability talks. The talks Are expected to replace the deadlocked Mutual and balanced farce reduction talks on reducing troops in Central Europe negotiations for a mandate in the new talks Nave been upset by a dispute be tween France and the United Stales about whether the talks should be limited to the 23 nato and Warsaw pact nations or extended to include Europe s 12 Neutral and non aligned states Yuri Kasha cd soviet chief Delegate to the Helsinki review conference told the same news conference that Moscow is now ready to include All its territory to the urals in the new talks. Members of the Netherlands Board of tourism to London piece together a giant composite of a Vincent in gosh self portrait As part of a publicity Campaign pointing id exhibitions of the plugging Van Gogh dutch master s work scheduled in 1990 to the Netherlands to Murk the artist s 100th anniversary. Fifteen of the tourist Board members painted the Canvas pan Els that went into the huge portrait jailed greek banker faces $34 million lawsuit new York a a multimillion Dollar lawsuit has been filed against a greek banker accused in his Homeland of embezzling More than si35 million and jailed in the United Stales an a fugitive warrant. The civil racketeering lawsuit seeking at least $34 million was filed monday by the Bank or Crete against George Koskotas the Bank s former chairman. If the Bank can prove the racketeering allegation to a jury it could seek three times the amount of damages claimed. . District judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum froze at least $30 million of Koskola assets in accounts at Merrill Lynch and Irving Trust pending a hearing dec. 6. Earlier this month Koskotas fled from Greece where he had been indicted on five counts of fraud and embezzlement. The indictment alleges he siphoned More than s13s million from the Bank. The scandal has embarrassed the government of prime minister Andreas Papandreou and prompted the resignations of two government ministers. Koskotas 34, had been ordered to remain in Greece while officials investigated alleged irregularities at the Bank. In Athens last week Spyros Papadatos temporary commissioner appointed by the greek government to investigate the Case said in a report that Koskola used Bank Money for $200 million in Loans without collateral and gins to soccer clubs athletes business associates journalists and friends. Koskola was arrested by Fri agents nov. 23 when he arrived on a private Jet at a Small Airport outside. Boston. Koskotas Washington lawyer has said his client came to the United states from Brazil for safety Rea sons. The lawyer Ron Liebman declined to comment on inc suit when reached in Beaumont Texas saying he had t seen the court papers. Also named in the suit Are Koskotas wife Kathy a naturalized . Citizen and his brother Stavros Kos Kotas a greek citizen. The three were accused of form ing a racketeering Enterprise that looted the Bank of Crete of millions. Liebman said mrs. Koskotas was not arrested with her husband although she was in the United slates. He refused to divulge her whereabouts. In Boston assistant . Attorney Victor a. Wild said Koskola remained jailed without bail pending extradition proceedings. Court papers said Stavros Koskola and his family had been reported to be in Colombia. Koskotas was suspended oct. 20 As chairman of Bank of Crete he acquired a controlling interest in the privately owned Bank in 1934 after working in its Athens Branch for two years As an accountant. He also built a publishing Empire and bought a controlling interest in an Athens soccer club. He was arrested in Washington last year on a 1980 Federal fraud conspiracy indictment but a judge Dis missed the Case prosecutors Are appealing that ruling. Pair accused of Mang of treats to la Orea residents los Angeles a two men were arrested for allegedly sending extortion tetters to hundreds of residents North of los Angeles threatening the recipients with death unless they paid Money authorities said monday. Roman Makuch 27, and Richard Faroni 26, who moved from the Antelope Valley North of los Angeles to Las vegas nev., after the threatening letters were sent were arrested in Las vegas said Deputy Eric Smith of the Lea Angeles county sheriffs department. The men were arrested during the thanksgiving weekend and were booked for investigation of felony  said. Detectives from the sheriffs department served several search warrants in the Las vegas area during the weekend but Smith said he had no details. At least 26s residents of Antelope Valley a desert. Area 60 Miles North of downtown los Angeles began receiving the computer generated letters nov i the letters including personal information on the recipients demanded amounts ranging from several Hundred dollars to 5600,000 the scheme generally targeted prominent citizens such As doctors dentists Anu lawyers. Authorities were besieged by Telephone Calls from recipients in the Mojave desert communities of Lan Caster Palmdale and Quartz Hill. The Antelope Valley press newspaper offered a Al 0,000 Reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the letters author. City editor Larry grooms called the threats an assault on the entire  they re All worded the same. The threat is All the. Same said sheriffs sgt. Bob Welch who refused to discuss details of the threats. But Lancaster mayor Els Groves said some of them included references to cutting hearts out.". Investigators did t believe anyone complied with demands that Money be delivered to various locations or to people named in Hie letters Welch said. They also did t believe any attempt was made to Cany out. The threats Smith said the two men had lived in Antelope Val Ley for three years and moved to Las vegas after the letters were mailed. The Lull cars Borc a Mojave Post Mark. -. -. -. Smith said detectives will present evidence to the los Angeles county District attorney s office which will file criminal complaints