European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 5, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 28 the stars and stripes monday decembers 1988 germans rank military last in poll Bonn West Germany a West germans Are showing the lowest level of commitment to defense spending in at least 26 years and most believe talk of a communist threat is not to be taken seriously according to poll results published sunday. West Germany Radil tonally has been one or nato s strongest supporters. The poll results published on the front Page of the newspaper Welt am sonntag reflect a growing sense among West Ger mans especially younger citizens that the government should be focusing More on Domestic problems such Ai unemployment. West germans have become increasingly critical in recent months about the presence of Allied troops tanks and Low flying aircraft in their densely populated country. The Bonn government announced last week that it plans to Cut its training Maneu vers by so percent begin Ning in 1990. Public resistance la increased military spending and a readiness to Trust soviet president Mikhail a Gorbachev s stated of reducing East West tensions were evident in tie poll. Welt am sonntag said the poll was commissioned by the Wesl German de sense ministry. The Hamburg based newspaper said defense ministry officials were surprised by the poll results and described them As More than half of those questioned is percent said the Bonn government spends too much on defense the newspaper said Given a list of 17 social concerns to rank by order of importance the de sense of the Federal Republic from Exter Nal threats was designated lost ranked first in importance for the government was the Protection and creation of jobs and better Protection of the environment was the second Muslim portent Issue according to the poll respondents. Eighty two percent of the respondents said they considered the soviet Union to be serious about a policy of reducing on the question of whether the East woe poke a military threat to the West 75 percent of the West germans questioned chose the response that this is not to be taken in a 1984 Emold Survey 47 percent said they saw no serious threat from their communist european neighbors. A willingness to Trust the East bloc was especially pronounced among younger respondents the newspaper said. In the 25-to-29 age group questioned 84 per cent said they saw no threat from the than half of those questioned 34 percent said they considered the Mili tary capabilities of the North Atlantic treaty organization and the Warsaw pact to be about equal. News briefs astronauts end 3rd Day of hush hush Mission Cape canaveral Fla up the astronauts aboard inc shuttle Atlantis worked through their third Day in space sunday going about their Stealthy business in silence with no word from Nasa on when the secret military Light would end. A giant spy satellite that sources said was car ried into orbit by the Atlantis May have been deployed saturday but the civilian space Agency refused to discuss inc Crew s flight plan the stat us of the classified cargo or any other aspect of the Mission. The duration of the 27th shuttle flight also is classified but skipper Robert Hoor Gibson and co Pilot Guy Gardner a shuttle Rookie could guide Atlantis to a touchdown at Edwards fab Calif on monday or tuesday weather permitting Gibson. Gardner and their Crew match Richard Mike Mullane Jerry Ross and Wil Ham Shepherd presumably began working through their third Day in Orbil around 3 . Sunday based on Crew schedules from previous missions. Scouting from Page 1. Taken to prevent Aspin suggested such warnings could come from arms control agreements backed up by variations of the on Silc inspections in the intermediate Range nuclear forces treaty that could regulate the location and movement of heavy forces and the size of troop movements and Maneu vers. If those agreements were violated it would mean Only one thing and nato could act to prevent the pact from gaining a decisive Edge in forces ready to go to War after a Short mobilization he said. But the ranking Republican on the committee. Rep. William Dickinson of Alabama cautioned against Dis counting the Surprise attack threat the Bottom line is that the West has no Way to gauge soviet military intentions other than to took at their very formidable Force Structure Dickinson said. This Structure has nol changed and provides plan ners in Moscow the capabilities they need to conduct military operations of All types under All scenarios including Surprise attack if they Are so underground nuke test conducted by soviets Moscow a the soviet Union on sunday conducted an underground nuclear test on a Northern Island above the Arctic Circle. The Tass news Agency said in a two sentence announcement that the test on the Novara Zemlyak Island was conducted with a View to upgrading military it said that the explosion had a yield of Between 20 and 150 Kilotons and that it was carried out at 8 20 . Authorities in Azerbaijan warn they la use Force to keep order Moscow a the military commander of Baku warned sunday that Force will be used to impose order in the azerbaijani capital and a newspaper said guards with sub machine guns Are protecting refugees streaming across the Border with Armenia. I request leaders of the meetings and demonstrations on Lenin Square and other people to abide by soviet Laws unconditionally cot. Gen. Tyagunova said in a broadcast on Baku radio that was monitored in London by the British broadcasting corp. Force will be used in Case of any failure to abide by regulations established by Law he said. The officer s. First name was not Given. The military Law imposed on Baku late last week prohibits meetings and protests but they have continued in the azerbaijani capital. Tyagunova i statement appeared to be a toughening of the authorities efforts to impose order. Official news reports have placed the total number of refugees from both sides at about 130,000, and said they Are living in tents at summer resorts vacant apartments and with relatives and friends. The official Tass news Agency reported saturday that 24-hour guards had been ordered on key facilities in Armenia and Azerbaijan where ethnic strife has resulted in at least 28 deaths since mid november. Tass said that in a meeting with soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev the leaders of Armenia Azer Baijan and the disputed Magorno Karabash Region were told to work together to Settle their dispute. Hijackers Back in soviet Union Moscow a the soviet Union brought four hijackers Back from Israel sunday and declared the Success of a bargaining strategy that gained the Safe release of 30 children and the return of the gunmen and their hijackers arrived at Moscow s Sheremy trevo 1 Airport before Dawn sunday ending a drama that began when they commandeered a school bus in the Southern russian City of on thursday Eremya the soviet television evening news program showed two bound hijackers being Musil Edoff plane at the Airport Early sunday and into wailing cars. They returned with the hijacked Ilyushin 76-t transport plane and a Spe Cial Tupoljev s 4 Jel sent to Israel for them during the affair soviet authorities gave the Hijack ers weapons drugs and Money to gain the release of the fourth Grade pupils and worked with Israel with which Moscow broke diplomatic ties 21 years ago. The outcome of the operation will serve As a warn ing to those who May nurture these kinds of criminal designs the official soviet news Agency Tass quoted a Kab secret police spokesman As saying. Tass said the decision to negotiate to save the Chil Dren was the Only right decision the soviet strategy was in Sharp contrast to tactics used in the last known hijacking in March when sol Diers stormed a plane held by members of a family jazz band from the siberian City of Irkutsk. In that incident five of the hijackers three other passengers and a stewardess died in the assault. Or. Ruth from Page 1 " and Down the Chain and they got disapproved by everybody Boggs said. to be fair Boggs said the or. Ruth spots were a bit Forward compared to other spots aired by soldiers radio and television. In the ads Westheimer urged soldiers to fix those bayonets and not to get caught out of Westheimer s syndicated show is carried worldwide on he armed forces radio and television network raising the question of Why the show which contains Frank talk about condom use is suitable for military viewers while the ads were not. The reason is thai in her show she does t specifically address the military audience Boggs said. These ads Are aimed directly at soldiers that made some people nervous and the decision was made that the ads just did t lit our officially inc army says inc spots were made Ai a the debate Over the propriety of condom ads on television was just beginning and officials echoed Hoggs comments about the racing is of the spots. The commercials were made in or. Ruth s inimitable style which while it is informative is also enter Taining Paige Eversole an army spokeswoman said. We wondered whether the message would get lost am id the officials were also concerned about the effect of the ads on family members and younger viewers Evrsole said. But the Story did t end with the army s thumbs Down. A few months later Boggs got a Call from Abc to reporter Connie Chung who had spoken with or. Ruth fora network special on acquired immune deficiency syndrome or aids that aired on dec. 30, 1987. She said or. Ruth had gone on and on about these great television ads she had done army on condom use and Safe sex and she Chung asked to see the Boggs said. The army did nol want to comply but since West Cimer had donated the tape the use of her studios and her Lime for free and there was no signed contract the footage technically belonged to her Boggs said the army realized there was no Way the tapes could be kept under wraps now thai someone else was asking about them Boggs said at that Point the footage just disappeared and no one has seen it Evrsole confirmed that a search of the soldiers radio and television archives failed to turn up the tapes. They re probably stashed deep in the Back of a close somewhere Boggs said. Westheimer could not be reached for comment
