European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 07, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes thursday september 7,1989 iraqi missile Plant disaster reported Nicosia. Cyprus a an explosion and fire wrecked part of a top Sercl iraqi missile plan last month killing at least 700 people and injuring up to 1,800. Dissident iraqi sources and British news reports said wednesday. There was no confirmation of their reports from officials in Baghdad the iraqi capital. Iraq s slate controlled Media has made no mention of a major explosion in the area. But Western diplomats reached by Telephone in Baghdad confirmed that there was an explosion at the heavily guarded facility More than two weeks ago. The diplomats speaking on Condi Tion of anonymity said they could give no details. Such an explosion would he the worst disaster of its kind reported in Iraq. There was no word on its cause and no immediate indication of sabotage. London s Independent daily quoting unidentified diplomats and Middle East sources said wednesday the conflagration killed 700 people when it engulfed the Plant South of Baghdad on aug. 17. The British broadcasting corp. Re ported that Egypt s defense ministry confirmed that there was a big explosion at the facility with Many casualties. The iraqis with egyptian help Are believed to be developing a modified ver Sion of Argentina s medium Range con Dor-2 surface to surface missile known As the Badr-2000. At the huge Plant be tween Al Ulillah and and Diwan Inch. 40 Miles South of Baghdad. The Complex protected by an elite military Force reportedly covers 970square Miles indicating that it includes a missile test firing Range. Sources said it is run by Iraq s ministry for military industries. An official of the patriotic Union of Kurdistan an outlawed kurdish move ment fighting the iraqi government told the associated press in a Telephone inter View that sources inside Iraq said 700 bodies have so far been recovered. The official speaking on condition of anonymity said the casualty loll from the night explosion and lire could be As High As 2.500 dead and wounded. The Independent reported that the casualties included egyptian personnel who were flown to Cairo. Egypt s capital in three egyptian air Force transports aug. 18. The daily quoted egyptian sources As saying the casualties were taken to the Maadi military Hospital in Cairo. The dissident group s official said the explosion at the Plant touched off huge fire that destroyed at least .10 percent of the Complex which includes laboratories missile factories and living quarters for workers. The iraqis used firefighting aircraft to Battle the flames but they were not Able to bring it under control until aug. 25. The sources said. The number of person Nel at the Complex was not known. Other kurdish sources linked to other rebel groups fighting the iraqi govern ment for an autonomous Homeland in Northern Iraq said that the facility included a chemical weapons factory and that some of the casualties had wounds consistent with Contact with chemical agents. There was no Independent Confirma Tion of that report. But Iraq is known to have several plants producing chemical and nerve gases. The United nations accused Iraq Sev eral times of using chemical weapons outlawed under a 1925 Geneva Accord during the 8-year War with Iran. Western military analysts have been reporting for months that the iraqis were developing the Badr 2000 to carry nuclear and chemical warheads with a Range of up to 620 Miles. The project has alarmed the israelis because it would allow Iraq to hit targets inside the jewish stale. The israeli air Force destroyed a nuclear reactor near Baghdad in june 1981 in a Long Range air strike. Israel said that Plant was close to being Able to produce nuclear weapons. The israelis have said that West Ger Man French and italian companies have been involved in the Badr 2000 project. Prosecutors in Munich West Ger Many reported earlier this year that the were investigating several West German companies Lor possible illegal exports of technology Oppenl. Possible Ito Iraq for missile Duvel world today Poison threat leads finns to Block Gin drink sales Helsinki. Finland a Finland s state owned alcohol monopoly Alko. Said wednesday it had re moved All bottles of Gin Long drink from its self serv ice stores after an apparent extortionist said two bottles were poisoned. Ilkka Kaski. Of the sales division of Ajo said tens of thousands of bottles were removed in 51 outlets throughout the country immediately after the threat on tuesday. An Anonymous Telephone caller told the manufacturer of the drink Malla Juoma of he had put the bottles on a shelf of a self service store and would retrieve them in Exchange for an undisclosed sum of Money. Alko has 229 retails stores of which 51 Are self serv ice. Gin Long drink a mixture of Gin and Grapefruit is one of Alko s Best Selling items with 60 million bottles sold last year. Commander of Raf makes his first Parachute jump Studland Bay England a almost four decades after joining the Royal air Force which he now Heads air chief marshal sir Peter Harding made his first Parachute jump wednesday. Harding. 55, parachuted into the English Channel off the Dorset coast 95 Miles Southwest of London with his wife lady Sheila Harding and their daughter kale. 26. Who had made a free fall jump last year. I thoroughly enjoyed that said Harding As he was hauled from the water by Royal marines. The three parachuted 1,200 feel from a Hercules transport plane and raised $80,000 to launch the 1990 Royal air Force benevolent fund drive which organizers Hope will raise $32 million. I thought i would be nervous. Two Days ago 1 began to wonder if i was doing the right thing but in the end it was excellent Harding said. Help from California Sun franciscan Ann Luck arson dumps rapes into a Container tuesday not in her native California but in France. She s one of the students helping with the leanest at Tro Lanoy chateau about 25 Miles from Bordeaux. This year s Crape gathering is four weeks earlier than usual and area officials Are predicting an exceptional Vintage because the summer was extremely hot. Visitors to Moscow exhibit get look of . Lifestyle Moscow a from cuisine is to a fiery red Corvette a new exhibit on commercial design gave soviets a peek tuesday at the american lifestyle. For some of the visitors the symbols of Prosperity left a bitter taste. They Are on the Moon we Are in a pile of manure said one unsigned comment in the visitors Book. Thai s How real people live said another. The americans Don t forbid people from living me Good life. Why can t we have the same things the hundreds of soviets who crowded in on the first Day of the exhibit gazed at food processors watched videos of american life and chatted about Western lifestyles with 24 russian speaking guides. The exhibition design .a.," was divided into four parts architecture product design graphic design and design in motion. The displays that proved most interesting to the soviet visitors were the modern Kitchen motorcycles bicycles and sports equipment and the fire engine red Corvette. Housewife Tanya Russkina said after gazing at the Kitchen display we Don t have anything like this. It s so modern and  she said the exhibition proved thai re Batons be tween the United states and the soviet Union Are improving and she praised the guides for trying to answer a myriad of questions. Alexei a wide eyed 12-year-old, gazed past a har Ley Davidson motorcycle to the racing bicycles on Dis play in the sports design area. The Bike is what i really would like to have he said. T he exhibition is the 19th travelling showcase of Ameri can life and comes on the 30th anniversary of the first . Display that featured a then typical Kitchen that sparked the Kitchen debate Between vice president Richard Nixon and soviet leade Nikitas. Khrushchev. Like the famous Kitchen debate it also is being held in an exhibition Hall in Northeast Moscow s Sokolo mkt Park. The display which will remain open until oct. I was greeted by most visitors with enthusiasm and no evident jealousy. After the exhibition closes in Moscow it will move on to Leningrad Donetsk Kishinev Baku Khabarovsk and Vladivostok