European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 12, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 the stars and stripes. Wednesday april 12,1989 chemical laser tested in space conditions by Norman Black a militia a writer Washington 4 a High Power chemical laser developed Tor the Star wars program has in can successfully tested for the first time in a vacuum chamber simulating the conditions or space the Pentagon said monday the lost described is a major mile Stone by inc defense department was conducted Friday at a up Ial facility in san Juan Capistrano a Slif. While lie so called Alpha laser Gener ated a laser beam for do ii one fifth of a second the initial fir Light test was sufficient to verify the Ticora local calculations thai were made in designing the device said Neil grift inc program manager for chemical of ascus with the strategic defense in Ilia ivc Organiza Tion. V the Alpha device has Ong been de scribed As the Pentagon s to nose prom Ising technology for a Small lightweight laser that could be built ill. Enough Power to operate As a weapon in space. This is the first time we ave demonstrated a laser we believe is scale Abl in Power to meet sd1 require cols Griff said. He declined to disclose a what Power Levels the laser operated in riday s test saying that the a formation was Classi fied bul he agreed that the were considerably smaller than we l would be needed for an orbiting Spacco Capon. The Star wars program known for Mally As the strategic defend initiative is a research Effort to do vol p laser and other types of weapons that would be deployed in space and on the ground to shool Down nuclear missiles fired at the United slates or its allies. On the laser research front the Pinta gon also is experimenting Vath another chemical laser known As m1racl. That device however is considered More appropriate for shooting laser Light through the atmosphere from ground oases and is described As too inefficient for use in space. 5 the Alpha laser has  study for almost a decade. The Pentagon Al ready has invested about s2so million in the device s design and Conj auction and in building the special to St facilities needed to replicate the vacuum of space. The laser is constructed primarily of aluminium making it relatively Light and compact and draws its i orgy from the combustion of the passes Hydrogen and fluoride. It is thought to hive roughly z million Walls of Power. \ in october 1987, thy Pentagon awarded a contract to the Martin mar Ietta corp., asking it to assess the possibility of conducting apr Imants in space with Alpha in the meantime however try inc., which will the device has been preparing for in first ground tests. The Experiment a formed Friday was originally schedule a year ago but had to be postponed t cause of a Small fire that damaged the vacuum chamber. A. Series of technical problems and financing cutbacks then dded to the delay. This lest Rcpt i cols the culmination of several years c " research that began before the creation of the strategic de sense initiative c a animation in 1984, the Pentagon said a statement for the first lift the Alpha chemical laser produced a High Power beam verifying that All sub terns were operating correctly. During he coming months More extensive Icsis of the Alpha laser arc planned to thoroughly Analyse beam characteristics news briefs commuter plane crashes. A _ i in france22 aboard die Valence France up a commuter plane in route from Paris smashed into a Moun Tain Peak in souls Eastern France late monday upon us approach the Valence Airport killing All 22 people aboard officials said. Officials said Trie Fokkcr-27 plane disappeared from the radar screen Al 9 08 . 10 minute before it was scheduled to arrive in Valence. Local firefighters said there were 19 Passen Gers and a Crew of three aboard the twin Turbo prop aircraft and of survivors had been found. Kehris from the wreckage was scattered Over More Ihan. 1,000ted  Cliff in the rugged Vercos Mountain a. Rescuers Suid. The flight was chartered by Europe air serv ice and the plane was owned by the us air company officials said. Residents mourn dead in soviet Georgia Moscow a residents in the soviet Republic of Georgia on tuesday mourned those killed in a Cash Between troops and protesters calling for More Independence in the mount am oui caucasus Region. On monday troops fired in the air to disperse a rally and foreign minister Eduard a. Shevardnadze met with georgian intellectuals and news Media officials trying 10 end a week of ethnic unrest in his Southern Homeland. The violence has killed Al least 18 people. A general strike closed schools mass transit and some businesses in Tbilisi the georgian capital of u2 million people 900 Miles Southeast of Moscow residents said. Irn unsettled with unions Eastern airlines strik pc year agreements with i monday but the pacts changes in ills Deal with the Parent company has Aid. Studying the changes and i.  to sell Eastern True bar been co Lille cd after four Davs of Sale of East despite pacts York aping unions reached Cut a Ueberroth ii purely require to Iii air corp. That not accepted sources Taxa i air said it a insisted thai the. Dea roil had not Bee cd .,-._  a pining. Tilt re s no Garcci cer cd said Bruce z Cal As    Eastern lawyer. 2 armed Haiti Dos Hijack plane but surrender meekly in Miami by the Lwana tales times Miami two heavily armed haitians apparently mutinous soldiers commandeered a Small Pri vate plane from Cap Haiti in to Miami monday then meekly gave up on a Remote runway expecting presi Dent Bush to Greet them. William a Gavin the Fri s special agent in charge of inc Miami office said the men would be charged with air piracy. He gave their names As Guil Lilc bar Liazo 21, and Fahaid Milord 30. .--.,- As the hijacking began one. Of the haitians waved a gun and shouted at the Pilot go Miami go Miami you go Miami the other Man lugged aboard some thing bigger that appeared to be an anti tank weapon. The two had hopped an Airport Fence then rushed the Cessna 402 just after its seven passengers had climbed aboard. We have Many things to Tell Bush the gunman insisted. Pilot Duer so Cilcy was Calm enough to attempt trickery he faked a couple of false starts with inc engine. The gunman grew Panicky and craned his neck to Serif anyone was in Pursuit. Finally the Hijacker pointed his gun out the window and tired a shot into the ground. Then Smidley started to taxi out Fine you want logo to Miami we ii go to Miami tie said v. Then Sedicy had another idea one that worked out. Ill line it up so you can talk to Bush he prom ised but i have to have that gun. You can t keep waving that  just before taking off the Hijacker relented. He unloaded the weapon and handed it Over. The two men then wedged themselves amid the passengers four haitians and three americans aboard the crowded eight Seator for the 3-hour, 20-Minutc flight from Haiti s Northern coast. Smidley radioed a description of the situation to Miami. Fri agents and local swat teams were waiting when the plane touched Down at 2 30 . Smedley got off first he saw the wailing authorities. Here these men will take you to Bush he told the haitians. The hijackers walked ahead were immediately surrounded and marched into custody. The plane belongs to the Mission aviation Fellowship a Rcd lands  group thai him missionaries and medicines to Remote pans of 26 countries. The flight was originally supposed to land at fort Lauderdale s executive Airport. Contra from Page 1. I that we ought to Island up and acknowledge this shipment. I two Days after Rion met with a desc the attorney general told a nationally televised news conference that the israelis had Mac the 1985 shipment without . Involvement. North a testified that a desc gave a whole series of answers that were inconsistent with what 1 had told him two Days deviously the a reported. Keker bored in of North with questions Hal entered on a few of the 12 or final charges against him. These include charges that he misled Congress accepted a $ 13,800 he fac Security  Contra funds to his personal use and defrauded the internal Rev Enue service in his find raising efforts North  temper that had not been apparent in questioning by sown attorney. Earlier North me across As a Marine struggling to carry Oul a Dif Ilois task while keeping Faith with his coun try. Kicker suggested that North maintained a lifestyle by Jond the reach Oft lieutenant colonel and allowed private arms dealers wit whom he worked to earn millions in profits from the sate of arms to Iran and the diversion of some proceeds to inc nicaraguan rebels. When a ctr suggested Hal North had loosened the standards Hili Vejby in the Marine corps North replied angrily Vou Laid that or. Pc scr Noi  the conf Oillion of North and Keker joined a thread that has run through the trial. Both arc Marine veterans both were wounded in Vietnam. When Keelr questioned North about buying a used Trust a used Lin a new roof for his Home and a horse for his daughter Forth acknowledged that he Drew on a Cash Reserve that at limbs amounted to $ i 5,000, which was Kepi in a steel Box a his Home. Pc scr Askov several questions that entered on a Bank account that Morth used to Aid the contras and obtain the release of hostages in Lebanon. The fund hid a total of about $300,000. During the years in which he i cd the account. North said he accounted for the funds in a Ledger Given him by the lie Cia director William Casey who North claimed also told him to destroy the Ledger As knowledge of the affair Mcgari to emerge in the fall of 1936. The Cdr is still around asked Keker. It was of troyed replied North. Do you now  it pc scr asked. Yes to Forth answered. "1  army from Page t agencies  department and Cia lawyers Are considering the matter. A said. The Chc Holt Mem says a prohibition against assassination will mean Dif for Cal things during times of War and times of peace. War in essence legalizes the killing of the enemy i in memo slates. I during peacetime overho t continued the standards of conduct must be defined under the United Nalens Char Ier which recognizes iwo inherent right of self defense  and Domestic Laws and regulations. Within the United Stales then presi Deal Ford signed presidential order 12133 in 1976 Banning attempts to Sas sinats foreign Public leaders. In inc intervening 13 years the n Ture of the threat has changed Rath than the International Legal night to Spond to the threat Over boil wrote. It is noted thai the terrorist ind Vidt als or organizations envisaged As appropriate to necessitate or warrant an Arm response by . Military forces Are Well financed highly organized Paramil tap structures engaged Lull time in the illegal use of Force the memo says. The right of self defense would be appropriate to the attack of terrorist leaders or terrorist infrastructure that i Rouah their actions pose a continuing Threal to . Citizens or the National Security of the United states. A National decision to employ Mili tary Force in self defense against a legitimate terrorist threat would not be unlike that employed in response 10 an Over conventional