European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 1, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday january 1, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 3 is Gus Schuettler a line of the f-16s from the 401st tac fighter Wing ordered removed by Spain after Public support for a government referendum stretches across Torrejon a s Tarmac. . Faced year of Challenge on bases from Page 1 the country s armed forces not com under nato command. The Spanish government on nov. 25approved a new eight year defense agreement with the United states that orders the jets out but leaves intact the tactical fighter training base at Zaragoza the Tanker support base at Moron an the vital naval station Rota plus nine communications Sites. Spain will not receive any . Military Aid in Exchange for the use of those facilities. Spain also insisted that the introduction installation or storage of nuclear weapons be subject to Spanish govern ment approval. Spain agreed however not to question cargo carried by .Navy ships that Anchor in Spanish ports. Following the january decision to re move the 401st, nato asked Italy to accept the fighters. In june the lower House of Italy s parliament approved the government s decision to accept the 72 evicted planes at Croton on the sole of the italian Boot. A follow up vote is expected in the italian Senate this month. Government spokesman Gen. Giorgio Alemanno told the stars and stripes that italian and american logistics experts were evaluating the move. All we really have Down there is Landing strip so we Are talking about enlarging the Airport building warehouses hangars and All of the support system needed for the planes and the people he said. The Torrejon move created another political problem the United states re ised to pick up the Tab. In exchanges 88 Between Washington and nato head quarters the Pentagon said that if the f 16s were to remain in Europe Nat governments would have to foot the Bill which some reports estimate at $525 Mil lion. Nato claimed its infrastructure account already was Over committed but later agreed to finance the move. Meanwhile Portugal Spain s neigh Boron the iberian Peninsula whose Lajes Field is among the most critical Ofa look Back at . Staging bases said in february that . Aid had not reached the legitimate Portu Guese expect  unlike Spain there is widespread support in Portugal for . Bases. Still because Portugal believes the United states has reneged on its pledge to make its Best Effort financially officials expect the portuguese government to opt to renegotiate the agreement when it expires in 1991. The Challenge of keeping Active Mili tary facilities was not limited to  facilities in the Philippines among the most strategically located anywhere also were at risk. Money was the difficult Issue the Philippines wanted More. Foreign Secretary Raul Mang Lapus said Early on that americans should pay More for the use of the bases and if they refused they should  Mang Lapus whose negotiating tactics have been described As Bluff and brinkmanship signed the revised Mili tary bases agreement in late october Only after he Felt the american taxpayer was not willing to put on a bigger Price tag a philippine foreign affairs official said. A six month review of the agreement had both sides considering a possible . Military pullout. But a Compromise of $481 million in annual Cash compensation almost triple the current Aid but Only a fraction of the original $2.3 billion demanded protects bases there through 1991. That the Philippines and other coun tries Are increasingly using negotiations to extract Large chunks of Revenue fro the United states is nothing new the defense department official said. It has t always been Money but usually there have been incentives that the United states has had to add to the Deal although there is a rising feeling on our Side that these kinds of arrangements Are reaching their limit he said. A report released recently by the House armed services committee Bur Den sharing panel confirms the official s remarks. It also reiterates that Congress has become vocal about criticizing allies on How much of the Security Load the United states carries. The existence of a . Base overseas in a particular area is either necessary for defense purposes or not the report states. How much Security assistance the Host country receives has no Bear ing. Linkage Between foreign Aid and . Base rights should be severed As base agreements come up for Rene gotta  with the Spain and philippine matters settled for the moment. . Bases in Greece Are now in jeopardy. The . Greece agreement expired in december starting a 17-month countdown for the removal of . Personnel. However negotiations Are expected to continue during the 17 months and an other round of talks is scheduled this month. Hell Nikon a near Athens seems to be the Only base the greeks Are Adamant about closing. If Greece does order the United states out the loss of the bases there would certainly be a blow to nato s South Ern flank said Eugene Carroll a retired rear Admiral who is now Deputy director of a Washington think tank. If the greeks told us to get out it would signal a significant change in the level of commitment of the greek government to nato he said. It would definitely Hurt our logistical  losing the . Bases in Greece would create a real Hole in nato s Southern net he said. The . Government s 1988 Chal Lenges changes and pressures undoubtedly will carry Over into 1989. If 1989 brings the closing of hell Nikon experts think the 401st s move to Croton might help. If the Wing is based toward the East Ern end of Italy it would help somewhat to cover the Hole that would result if we were forced to leave Greece Carrol said although again our communications and support capabilities would still  contributing to this report staff writers Alba Bragoli in Naples Italy and Chuck Vinch in Washington