European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 7, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes saturday january 7,1989 West Germany clears firm of libyan chemical  ties Bonn West Germany a the government thursday accused five firms 01 helping Iraq produce chemical weapons but in a separate inquiry cleared another firm of alleged involvement with a suspected chemical weapons Plant in Libya officials in Bonn including foreign minister Hans Dietrich Genscher had stated throughout a we Klong investigation of Imhausen Cherie that no evidence had been found to Back up . Claims the firm helped Libya build or outfit the libyan Plant but the government s announcement of its finding involving five other firms dealing with Iraq May have been intended to show the Reagan administration that West Germany takes the Issue of chemical weapons seriously. . Officials say the Plant at rata South of the libyan capital of Tripoli is intended to produce chem ical weapons. Recent publicity surrounding . Allegations of West German involvement have strained relations Between the two nato allies. A senior official of Chancellor Helmut Kohl s Chris Tian democratic Union Volker Ruehe appeared on a nationally televised news show late thursday to reject . Allegations that West Germany ignored claims of West German shipments of dangerous chemicals we have nothing to hide and we Are ready to cleanup everything Ruehe Deputy chief of the party s parliamentary delegation said on Adf network but what is especially bad is that our political will is being  government spokesman Norbert Schaefer told news conference on wednesday that West German officials were not upset by the . Charges and had investigated them with All seriousness. The Imhausen inquiry has been top news in West Germany this week even More so following wednes Day s . Downing of two libyan jets Over the Mediterranean. Libya and other Arab nations have accused the United states of provoking the dogfight in anger Over the Plant West German officials have refrained from com menting on the . Action As Well As on the subject of the libyan Plant and its purposes. The finance ministry began its investigation of Imhausen s Export records dec. 30, when the government first Learned the company was implicated by . Officials Schaefer said. There is no evidence of illegal exports the official in charge of the finance ministry investigation Frei Burg District director Willi Voegele told reporter thursday. Juergen Hippenstiel Imhausen managing director of the company repeated his denials of the . Allegations saying the firm had nothing absolutely nothing to do with this libyan tale " the government made Public thursday the text of dec. 20 report to parliament on the investigation of similar allegations of illegal exports against five West German firms accused of aiding Iraq in chemical weapons production. From analysis of the materials shipped to Iraq the report concluded that in All probability there is Evi Dence that the equipment in question can be used introduction of materials for chemical  the government said the companies under investigation Are water Engineer trading of Hamburg the Karl Kolb company of Dreilich Pilot Plant of Drei Eich Preus Sag of Hanover and Heberger Bau of Schif Ferstadt. Sikhs shouting god is great hanged for slaying of Gandhi new Delhi India a two sikhs shouted religious Battle cry moments before they were hanged Friday for the 1984 assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi authorities said. The executions prompted threats of massacres by sikh militants. Thousands of troops in new Delhi and nearby states braced for reprisal attacks and police in new Delhi reported the stoning of buses near the prison Satwant Singh Gandhi s bodyguard and Keha Singh were pronounced dead less than a half hour after they were taken from their tiny cells on death Row an marched to the rain soaked Gallows at new Delhi s Bihar jail a police official said. A Home ministry official said Kehar Singh pro claimed his innocence and Satwant Singh said he had no regrets. Then As the nooses were tied around their necks they shouted the sikh Warrior Call say the faithful god is great the official said. On thursday supreme court justices turned Dow appeals by Satwant Singh who was the Only one of the two assassins to survive and Kehar Singh convicted of helping the assassination plot the executions capped four years of Legal Man Euver ing that began after Gandhi was gunned Down oct. 31, 1984, apparently in revenge for an  raid she or dered on the Golden Temple the holiest sikh shrine. The 30-year-old Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh a 54-Vear-old former government clerk Are not related. Like All sikhs they take the Singh name which Means lion. Shortly before 8 a.m., the two men were taken fro their 8-foot by 8-foot prison cells. With their hands tied behind their backs and their legs bound wit chains they were escorted by guards to the scaffold in the courtyard 25 Steps away. Caps were put on their Heads and Inch thick rope placed around their necks. The two hangmen then pulled the bolts that released the trapdoor. Relatives of Kehar Singh including his son and wife wept at a police barricade about a half mile from the jail. Police officials said no chilian was allowed to wit Ness the execution. Sat am Singh and Kehar Singh spent their final hours visiting relatives and lawyers. Satwant Singh s lawyer . Sodhi described his client As very very composed and then read a hand written statement from his diet there is no greater privilege for a sikh to Lay Down his life for the Protection of the sikh Faith the statement said i wish i could be born again and again and each time Lay Down my life for  the bodies were cremated a Home ministry official Kehar Singh Satwant Singh said. But prison officials said the ashes would not returned Over to relatives for fear of violence. In the Northern City of Amritsar Wall posters threat ened mass killings of hindus. The head priest of the sikh religion Darshan Singh Ragi told 300 people at special prayer service that the two men did the right thing in killing mrs.  Gandhi was shot to death by two policemen in the Garden of her official residence. One of the assassins Beant Singh was gunned downy other Security guards minutes later and Satwant Singh was arrested after he recovered from wound suffered in the shootout. Kehar Singh beam s Uncle was arrested an charged with conspiracy a month later. Both were convicted in 1986 and sentenced to death. The convictions and sentences were upheld bythe Delhi High court and the supreme court. Another sikh Balbir Singh also was convicted of conspiracy and sentenced to death. The supreme court however acquitted him for Lack of evidence. Four months before her assassination Gandhi or dered an  raid on the Golden Temple the holiest sikh shrine. The Temple was being used As a armed base by militant sikhs More than 1,200 people most of them sikhs died inthe operation. Gandhi s assassination caused anti sikh riots in North Ern India by members of the hindu majority. More than2,700 people were killed nearly All of them sikhs. Sikh violence has increased since and at least 2,440 people were killed last year in Punjab the Only India state in which sikhs Are the majority. World today memorial raised to victims of Khmer Rouge regime Bangkok Thailand a authorities i Cambodia inaugurated a memorial near the Cap ital to 20,000 people reportedly massacred at the site by the ousted Khmer Rouge regime a news report seen Here said. Cambodia s official spa news Agency said authorities dedicated the 128-foot Buddhist shrine at the mass grave in Cheung Elk District 13 Miles Southwest of phenom penh. Nguon Nhel a senior official of the ruling communist party said at the ceremony that the16-level memorial symbolizes the crimes of the Khmer Rouge which he said killed 3,314,770 people during its 1975-78 Rule. The Khmer Rouge also communists con ducted mass killings while trying to transform Cambodia into a in motive agrarian society. Vietnam invaded Cambodia in late 1978, driving out the Khmer Rouge and installing Apro vietnamese government in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge is now the largest guerrilla group fighting the vietnamese. Funds sought to restore ethiopian historical Sites Gondar Ethiopia a in a modest ten surrounded by crumbling palaces where ethiopian rulers reigned Over an Empire for 250 years High ranking . Official appealed to the world for funds to restructure the grandeur that was. These Sites Are part of our Universal cultural heritage Federico mayor told Western ambassadors and representatives of other . Agen cies and International donors. The history of this Region is As imposing As the historical re Mains Are  mayor is director general of Enesco the . Educational scientific and cultural organization. He arrived in Ethiopia s capital and immediately flew to the ancient City of Gondar,285 Miles Northwest of Addis Ababa. His Mission was to dramatize the need for $14.5 million for Ethiopia s 10-year program to restore ancient palaces monasteries castles and other monuments that Enesco has declared heritages of Mankind. W. German communists open 3-Day convention Frankfurt West Germany a West Germany s communist party on Friday convened a three Day convention in a bid to Shore up the tiny organization s sagging fortunes. The communists were among the first victims of nazi dictator Adolf Hitler s regime and the party never became a Force in West German after the new government was founded in 1949. Today the communists Are not even rep resented in the Federal parliament and their Impact on the nation s political scene is virtually non existent. Herbert Mies the party chairman opened the convention Friday by telling the Assembly that the membership stood at Only 47,513, a 20 per cent drop since 1986. Danish cabbies giving passengers go around Copenhagen Denmark a Passen Gers would be Well advised to carry a tape Mea sure when they Hail a danish taxi because some unscrupulous cabbies Are driving with under sized tires to cheat the meter reports said Fri Day. Copenhagen s taxi registration Branch has Dis covered cab owners have equipped their vehicles with tires that Are smaller than the size approve for their cars and the result is the meter runs 5 to 12 percent too fast. This Means that in a Normal operating period of two years and 155,000 Miles the tire change can yield up to 100,000 Kroner or $14,300 in extra fares the Jylland Posten newspaper said. Police while declaring the tire changing trick to be illegal say they Lack the manpower to Check tires on All taxis after an initial inspection