European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 27, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday february 27, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 5 Dod frustrated by Tower dispute officials say major decisions left in limbo by the Washington Post Washington Pentagon military and civilian officials say the Senate armed services committee s rejection of John Tower As Secretary of defense Couldst Back major Pentagon policy and personnel decisions for months and has left the defense department frustrated and demoralized. Already weary of the bruising Politica Battle Over president Bush s nominee they also believe a protracted fight on the Senate floor will be futile and will delay efforts to fill the Cabinet Post As Well a dozens of other civilian appointments. It s Over said one High level military official. This puts us Back even farther. Everyone wanted to get this Over with an get on with business. Now the defense department is sitting out there like a sore thumb with a lot of tremendously important decisions that need to be  he was among nearly a dozen Penta gon officials interviewed Friday. Most of those queried said Tower s plight is the dominant topic of conversation in the corridors As Well As at formal policy Mak ing staff meetings. None was willing to be identified. Many officials argue that the Pentagon has been left in political limbo at the Crit ical time that Bush in his budget address to Congress issued mandates for the de sense department to provide him Exten Sive reports on How it will reduce its Bud get improve management and restructure costly strategic programs. And while Many Pentagon officials say they believe Tower has been unfairly victimized by unsubstantiated rumours of womanizing and drinking they believe those charges have irrevocably crippled his nomination and that Bush is hobbling the Pentagon by continuing to pursue the nomination. He s been worked said one military official referring to the 1987 defeat of supreme court nominee Robert h. Bork first by the Senate judiciary committee and then the full Senate. As allegations against Tower including complaints that he was too closely tied to defense contractors who hired him after he left the Senate snowballed in recent weeks an increasing number of officials at All Levels of the Pentagon bureaucracy began voicing concerns Over the Public image that would be projected if he assumed leadership of the Pentagon. This building has already been tainted by procurement scandals and the Public s perception that none of our weapons works one official said. We Don t Nee another Black Cloud hanging Over the pen  but Many defense department officials say that despite Tower s credibility problems with the Public on the out Side they would Likely be quickly Over looked inside the Pentagon. It s the nature of the military on official said. If you re the Boss the Mili tary will say yes sir and  most troubling to Many Pentagon officials however is the growing worry that Only the most mundane business now i being executed. Only the routine things Are happening one said. Nothing major is happening. Even if there arc meetings going on everybody believes they Are wasting their  some civilian leaders filling the void awaiting the confirmation of a Secretary dispute those reports. They note that they along with Tower and his transition team Are meeting daily and reacting to the needs of the nation s  say that details of the budgetary now mired in the Complex Maze of service level debates and will not be read for Secretary level decisions for several weeks. They also note that Pentagon and other National Security officials Are beginning preliminary work in the studies requested by Bush. But even those officials admit the proceedings Are cumbersome. Because Tower and his staff Are not acting in offi Cial capacities most decisions must be shuttled by the temporary civilian leadership to the White House which then transmits the proposals and suggestions to the transition officials at the Pentagon. Moslem Burn effigies of Rushdie in new York new York a thousands of american mos lems prayed and burned effigies of Salman Rushdie in front of his publisher s office saturday to demand that Hisook satanic verses be banned in the United states. Rushdie will die soon said a sign carried by a Small child one of at least 3,000 protesters who marched on Street near the Headquarters of Viking Penguin inc., the Book s . Publisher. Salman Rushdie die. How much longer will you hide said another sign referring to the Protection Brit Ain has Given Rushdie who lives in London following death threats from islamic fundamentalists. At a smaller rally in Boston about 40 people paraded Ina Circle on the common carrying signs Reading "blasphe-1 my does not equal Freedom of speech respect for  moslem nationwide joined the mid afternoon rally i Manhattan and some carried the flags of Iran Pakistan and Bangladesh All islamic nations. Demonstrators also carried signs saying Viking Penguin we Gonna fix you up and satanic verses equals literary  police guarded the publisher s front Entrance watching the protesters As they listened to the chant Allah is great blasting through loudspeakers. No arrests were made police said. We support Rushdie s death according to the Laws of islam said Mohammed Mujahid an Engineer who works for the City of new York and was born in the israeli occupied West Bank. There s a need to take planned action said Shahi Mahmood a pakistani born investment broker with Rob Ert  co. Mahmood of Pine Brook n.j., said american mos lems Are planning a March on Washington within two american moslem protest in front of the . Publisher of the Salman Rushdie Book satanic  weeks if Viking Penguin does not Stop publishing an Selling Rushdie s Book. At the islamic Center of North America in Plain Field ind., officials said Rushdie s Book is an Offen Seto religion in general not just islam. Moslem say the Book depicts the islamic Prophet Mohammed through a blasphemous fictional character and names prostitutes after Mohammed s wives. It slurs women of virtue that have been used by one billion people As models of morality of family organization and kindness said Dawood Zwink vice president of the islamic society of North America. Rushdie has pointed out the Book is fiction an apologized for the distress it has caused. But iranian Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini has stood by the $5.2 million Bounty offered for Rushdie s death. President Bush and Western Europe s leaders have condemned the death threat and Many writers have rallied to support Rushdie s Freedom of expression. Parched s. Dakota to Pray for ram in Church services in the stars and stripes Pierre . A gov. George Mickelson is asking churchgoers in the state to offer a special prayer for rain in March to break the drought that s parched much of the state since 1987. I think the focus of this is on the devastation that this situation has for the families that depend on moisture for livestock and crop production in this state the governor said Friday. Mickelson proclaimed Palm sunday March 19, As a special Day of prayer for the Farmers ranchers Small business owners and others harmed by the dry spell. Most South Dakota farm families sur Vived the first full year of drought last year but a second year would be devastating he said. The dry conditions have eased in the Eastern parts of the state Mickelson said but the Central and Western portions of South Dakota Are still in the midst of mild to severe drought. I would give almost anything to make sure that we Don t repeat what happened last year with regard to the drought he said. There in t a Day that goes by in my life but what i do not continue to be concerned about the situation that we Are  the Federal government responded swiftly to provide Aid to Farmers in 1988 when Many states were dry but South Dakota might find it tougher to get fed eral assistance this year if fewer states Are hit with drought Mickelson said. 40 years ago today. Feb. 27, 1949 the army issued a summary of the coming year s fiscal operations including plans to double forces in Alaska maintain troop strength in the far East and reduce forces in Europe. 30 years ago today. Feb. 27, 1959 president Eisenhower nominated author and playwright Clar Boothe Luce the former . Envoy to Italy to succeed Ellis o. Briggs As ambassador to Brazil. 20 years ago today. Feb. 27, 1969 speaking during a session of the West German bundestag inborn president Nixon said successful negotiations with the soviets depended on maintaining the strength that made negotiations  10 years ago today. Feb. 27, 1979 a wide Section of the Pacific Northwest was plunged briefly int darkness As the last total eclipse of the Sun in the 20th Century for North America moved Inland