European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 13, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday August 13, 1989 the stars and stripes . Maps detained briefly in latest Panama confrontation Panama City a panamanian troops briefly detained . Soldiers in the latest confrontation be tween the two military forces and Gen. Manuel Noriega has reiterated his intentions to remain in Power. On saturday Noriega marked six years As head of the panamanian defense forces and the nation s do Facto ruler. He said on Friday that a referendum proposed by the opposition for aug. 20 on whether he should resign was tantamount to turning Panama into a Colony that accepts arrogance Vassalage and he spoke during a Parade of thousands of troops and paramilitary civilian units that ended a 10-Day exercise called Zap the White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said in Washington on Friday that president Bush s administration would not Rule out seizing Noriega and Tak ing him to Florida to face . Drug trafficking charges. But Fitzwater said Bush was not contemplating such a move at this time. The latest confrontation Between panamanian and . Troops occurred in a Remote area known As cd Rundus near the Panama canal. The . Southern come says the area is a military zone shared by both countries. However the defense forces claim it is exclusively their Domain. A defense forces patrol detained four vehicles carrying a number 9f . Army maps and the Southern come said it quickly dispatched troops backed by a Mored cars and helicopters. The incident started when american troops went around in civilian clothes with their weapons Ridingin private vehicles in violation of the Panama canal treaties panamanian maj. Carlos Saldana said. No country in the world can accept that units claiming to be part of an army move in within it territory armed and in civilian clothes said Saldana. If they tried to do this in any other nation they would be killed like common muggers like a vulgar panamanian and american military officers held meeting that ended the confrontation a Southern come news release said. The command called the detentions the vehicles were freed after . Military officers discussed the situation with officers of the defense forces the release said. Neither the panamanians nor the americans would say How Many maps were detained or what kind of vehicles were involved. Similar incidents in recent weeks have coincided with Southern come s military exercises and there have been arrests on both sides. Last week . Troops blockaded fort Amador which contains both . And panamanian military facilities. . Officials also have insisted that they have the right to conduct military exercises under the 1977 pan Ama canal treaties which they say assures canal Security Noriega however says the United states plans to abrogate the treaties and keep the canal. The treaties stipulate that the canal be turned Over to Panama atthe end of 1999. In new York on Friday Panama s foreign minister Jorge Ritter asked the . Security Council to Send military observers to his country to prevent the . Army from instigating confrontations As a pretext forearmed intervention. What the situation in Panama Calls for is the pres ence of military observers which we Hope would be Able to go As Early As next monday Ritter said. But the . Ambassador to the United nations Herbert s. Okun said All . Military activities in Panama were conducted in Complete Accord with the Panama canal he said recent . Military exercises were a response to panamanian actions. The United states has been trying to pressure Noriega to step Down As head of the military since two Feder Al grand juries in Florida indicted him on drug trafficking and Money laundering charges in february 1988. But the . Tactics which have included economic and Trade sanctions against Panama have failed to Budge Noriega. Guillermo Endara the opposition Leader who pro Gen. Manuel Noriega ending Zap the posed holding the referendum on Noriega s Rule responded a few hours after Noriega s rejection of the proposal on Friday by calling the Leader a dictator. Endara also accused Noriega of being subservient tothe United states before he was indicted. We never were and never will be employees of the Cia while he himself was one Endara said in a interview. International observers say the opposition won the May 7 presidential election by a landslide. But the Noriega controlled government annulled the balloting saying there had been vote fraud and interference by the United states. Berlin Wall and its . Patrols enter 29th year continued from Page 1 six West Berlin districts in the american sector stopping briefly at numerous checkpoints along the route. The reason for the patrols is simple. Basically it s a show of Force to let the know the . Military is Here and that we re on top of what s happening in our sector said staf sgt. Richard Flowers the patrol Leader and at 26, the oldest member. The patrols vary their routes and stops to avoid establishing a pattern. At each Stop they record the condition of the Bacr whether construction is being done on the other Side How Many guards Are visible and whether the guards Are sitting sleeping standing or walking. Patrol members also count vehicles weapons and sentry dogs. At some stops the East germans Scurry out of sight when the americans show up except Tor the Ever present guards in the towers who scrutinize the patrol members through binoculars or telephoto lenses. In some areas the streets Are too Nar Row to drive right along the Wall in others dense Bushes and Trees grow right up to it. The patrol route winds through wooded Parks Cornfields equestrian practice Fields and suburban neighbor hoods of Pristine single family Homes with fastidiously kept Yards and Street lined with late Model cars. West Berlin covers nearly 185 Square Miles and the Boundary around it run for ids Miles half of that in the Ameri can sector. It is watched Over from nearly 300 East German guard Lowers. Much of it is the Well known Concrete Wall covered with Graffiti in some places. Other parts of the Boundary Are not Wall but Metal Fence backed by a flood lighted strip of Barren dirt Asphalt patrol roads sentry dogs and hundreds of armed guards. In the Wannice a Lake bordering the southwestern part of the City the bound Ary is an imaginary line but imagined or not the Boundary is enforced by the East germans. A Border patrol is a tour through the economic and social contrasts of the City and the residents re actions to the patrol seem to vary with the districts the soldiers pass through. The patrols Are Small usually six to 10soldiers, but highly visible the patrol members Are Clad in flak jackets and helmets. One Man in each of the two hummers stands up in the open Hatch behind a mounted but unloaded,m-60 machine gun. Monday s patrol began near Check Point Charlie in Kreuzberg a District containing people on the economic and social fringes of West Berlin. Man buildings seem untouched since the end of the War their exteriors crumbling Stone and peeling paint. The residents Range from Middle Eastern immigrants to German anarchists. As the patrol passed through a scruffy looking Man ran to the Middle of inc Street and look on a gunfighter stance fingers pointed like pistols at the americans. Flowers said occasionally people throw things at the patrols and drop Flower pots on them from win Dows. Not All the people arc Friendly he said. Spec. Coltman Cain added the younger people in Krecu Zberg Sec us As being but the 22-year-old infantryman from Morgantown w.va., takes the opposition in stride. If the americans British and French weren t actually involved in the Security of Berlin this portion of the City West Berlin would also be under soviet control if not militarily then economically. We re doing something that actually makes a difference. I think it s important not Only to show the West berliners that we re Here but it gives us a Chance to keep up with what s going on on the other the More affluent districts such As St Glitz and Zeh Lundorf smiles and Friendly Waves Oflyn replace the harassment of Kreuzberg. At one Stop at a order crossing checkpoint retired Ber Lin transit worker Frydrich Schul Lynberg or asked the patrol members what their hometowns were and proudly told them of his vacations in America particularly in Florida. "1 think the americans arc Fine he said. They Are Here protecting Germany and Are usually pretty Friendly said Flowers a native of new York City. One Guy wanted us to wait so he could do a painting of us but we had to with nearly three years in the platoon Byrum is the patrol Veteran. During this tour he s seen the East germans Oring Down parts of their protective Wall As he country s communists leaders dub it. In its place fences have been erected. But Byrum does t think much of the changes he s noticed in the southwestern part of the City where most of the Boundary is already marked by such fences. I think it s kind of silly to have to put up a Wall to keep their people in he said. People want them to tear Dow the Wall so they re obliging. And put Ting up a East Germany Colls Wall removal Hope illusory Berlin a East Germany on saturday reiterated its defense of the Berlin Wall on the eve of the 28th anniversary of its construction and deemed any Western Hope for removal of the bar Rier the communist party Organ cues deutschland described the aug. 13, 1961, construction As a step toward peace and repeated its often stated pol icy that the Wall will stand As Long As the reasons for its construction persist. East Berlin authorities ordered the Wall built to dam the flow of East Ger mans escaping to the West. After world War ii and the division of Germany hundreds of thousands fled the communist controlled slate before East Berlin put up the Concrete and bar bed wire Barrier to prevent further eco nomic damage caused by the flight of workers scientists artists and intellectuals. Another tide of East German refugees has been flowing out recently through Hungary which is dismantling its Iron curtain barriers with Austria. East germans relatively easily gain permission to travel to Hungary. So far this summer an estimated 1,500 have escaped to Austria in route to West Ger Many. Once in West Germany East Ger mans qualify for immediate citizenship and social assistance. Another 400 or More East germans have sought Refuge at West German embassies in Budapest Prague and East Berlin and demanded exit visas. West Germany has allowed them to stay but on tuesday closed the doors of its East Berlin Mission saying that that it could not handle any More Refuge seek ers
