European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 26, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday May 26, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 5 Wright seems closer to quitting Post Washington a House speaker Jimwright a Texas. His political career of 35 years in shambles bargained through lawyers wednesday to resign his leadership Post in Exchange for the dismissal of major ethics charges. Wright denied that he was considering stepping Down and issued a statement saying he would press ahead with his Case. But his representatives shuttled through a Daylong series of meetings with key members of Congress try ing to Nail Down an agreement stripping Wright of his Post As Leader of the House and second in line of Suc cession to the presidency within a week. The extraordinary drama overwhelmed Normal business at the Capi Tol even though it was played out almost exclusively behind closed doors. Wright s resignation could set off a struggle for Suc cession within the ranks of House democrats an already the jockeying appeared to be under Way. Majority Leader Thomas Foley of Washington seemed to be first in line of succession but rep. Rich Ard Gephardt of Missouri was careful not to Dampen speculation that he was prepared to make a fight for a leadership position. Despite Wright s Public denial details of the private negotiations emerged. What i know is that negotiations arc taking place that Deal with resolving this Issue very soon said rep. Bill Richardson . They involve dropping one of the charges in Exchange for the speaker resigning the Post and it s something that will probably be settled in the next 24 to 48  Richardson said he understood Wright would retain his House seat under the terms of the discussions but did not say whether the speaker would seek re election from his fort Worth congressional District in 1990. Other sources said the Deal involved dropping conflict of int Crem charges that Wright accepted gifts of housing and a car and salary for his wife. If those charges were dropped. Wright would step Down next week the sources said. The ethics committee met twice during the Day be fore adjourning until june i. Rep. Julian Dixon d calif., the panel s chairman said no decision had been made on How to handle the charges against Wright. Support of an agreement was less than unanimous however. I personally am opposed to any arrange ments deals plea bargaining said rep. John t. Myers the ethics committee s ranking Republican. Wright who spent his Day in a series of meetings with his supporters and his leadership team left the Capitol in the evening without speaking to reporters. The speaker also issued a terse statement saying i very firmly believe that my position is right. I Hope and Trust that the committee will consider the matter on its merits and dismiss the charges. Rep. Robert Torricelli 13-n.j., a member of Wright s defense team met with ethics committee counsel Richard j. I Helan and made the initial offer the sources said. The proposal ran into opposition from ethics committee republicans and still was being negotiated said the sources. The ethics committee made up of six democrats and six republicans met for much of the Day in private deliberating Wright s motion to dismiss the two most serious allegations. Other signs were ominous for Wright As fellow Texas democrats began to talk openly of growing Odd against his keeping his Post. The most serious allegations facing Wright arc that he used bulk sales of an autobiographical Book to evade rules limiting outside income and that he improperly took gifts irom a Developer Friend who had a direct interest in legislation. Earlier wednesday entering a luncheon with Texas democrats Wright was asked about widespread speculation that he was considering stepping aside As speaker until the ethics Case is resolved. No i m not he answered. Asked whether his political position was eroding he said i Don t feel that at  however a fellow Texas Democrat in the House Mickey Leland said there is some hint Jim might step aside at least temporarily until this whole thing is  there s no question the speaker is in serious Trou ble said rep. Charles Stenholm a Texas. The speaker s problems have translated into institutional problems for All of us. The institution is getting a Blackeye speaker Jim Wright talks with reporters with his Possi ble successor Tom Foley of Washington at his Side. Nuclear danger reported in 75 ship fire Washington a a raging fire aboard the Belknap in 1975 came within 40 feet of nuclear weapons aboard the missile Cruiser according to documents released by a private group wednesday. The collision in the Mediterranean be tween the Belknap and the aircraft car Rier John f. Kennedy was widely reported but the Navy did not note the nuclear aspect of the Accident at the time or in lists compiled in 1981 and 1986 of Inci dents involving nuclear weapons. But a newly declassified Cable written by the task Force commander shortly after the Accident and released by inde pendent analyst William Arkin alerted superiors to the High probability that nuclear weapons on the missile Cruiser were involved in fire and explosion subsequent to the  the Cable amounts to the first Navy acknowledgement of the Accident s nuclear aspect. Indeed asked about the Cable the Navy on wednesday maintained its policy of refusing to confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weapons on its vessels. The Navy is lying about its nuclear Accident record to cover up the presence of nuclear weapons that arc routinely placed aboard ships and which routinely visit foreign ports said Arkin who re leased the documents with the Environ mental group Greenpeace. Eight sailors were killed and 46 were injured when the Belknap and the Ken Nedy collided 70 Miles off Sicily on nov.26, 1975. Aviation fuel from the Carrier rained Down on the Cruiser knocking out its firefighting equipment. Two other ves Sels came alongside and extinguished the the Cable said commanders aboard the Kennedy had no direct communications with Belknap at this time. No positive Indi cations that explosions were directly re lated to nuclear weapons. No repeat no Kennedy weapons involved. Fires on bulk Nap diminishing at this  Arkin who has been investigating Navy accidents in conjunction with Greenpeace released the Cable written within hours of the Belknap fire and designating it As a broken Arrow the term the Navy uses to describe accidents involving nuclear weapons. The ship severely damaged was decommissioned returned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard and recommissioned after four years of repair work. Carroll said in the interview that the Accident showed the dangers of equipping Navy vessels with nuclear weapons. Ala or military changes predicted by Quayle West Point. . A vice president Dan Quayle told graduating cadets at the . Military Academy on wednesday that a revolution in military affairs will require new Mil itary organizations and new methods of  Quayle told the 1,011 cadets that their Job was to maintain a military establishment that is respected by Friend and adversary alike and said that because of their training he was confident they would meet that Chal Lenge. The vice president said he expects a revolution in military affairs Over the next 10 to 15 years that will re quire us to develop new operational concepts new military organizations and new methods of  a new strategic planning tool created by the defense department called competitive strategies will help identify develop and Field the weapons sys tems we need to be competitive with our major adversary and to understand How those weapons might be used operationally Quayle said. Quayle was sheltered by a canopy Dunn his 10-Minutc speech while the cadets and their families stood and sat in a steady and often heavy rain. Blaze said adm. Eugene Carroll a re tired officer who commanded the Carrier task Force at the time. It was pretty hairy out there. As we viewed the Belknap it seemed to be a fairly total involvement. As it turned out the fire gutted the amidships car Roll said in an interview. We never faced the danger of nuclear explosion in that Accident. The warheads arc configured in such a Way that a fire could not cause a nuclear detonation. But it could spread a lot of radiation around he said. His Cable stamped secret said that an unknown Quantity of w-45 warheads were aboard the Cruiser and he alerted the Atlan tic command of High probability that nuclear weapons on  Belknap were involved in lire and explosions subsequent to the  Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. May 26, 1949 despite having been unanimously approved by the House armed sen ices committee a military pay raise Bill which would have Cost close to$400 million annually was Defeated in the House. 30 years ago foday. May 26, 1959 in a decision that had applications for All sporting events the supreme court ruled unconstitutional a 1956 Louisiana Law that prohibited athletic contests Between Blacks and White professional fighters. 20 years ago today. May 26, 1969 bowing to peruvian demands the United states announced a withdrawal of it s military missions from Peru and cancellation of a scheduled visit to Lima by new York gov. Nelson a Rockefeller. J 0 years ago  26, 1979 a los Angeles bound american airlines dc-10 jetliner crashed and burned on Takeoff from o Hare International Airport in Chicago killing All 279 people aboard