European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 29, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday december 29, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 3 superpowers head toward arms pacts continued irom Page 1 Clear weapons by 1991. As of nov. 15, the unite states had destroyed 390 of 846 missiles covered by the treaty. The soviets had eliminated 1,444 of 1,846 missiles. There will be some difficulties however in reach ing agreements in 1990, arms control experts said. Even before the sudden opening of East Ger Many s Borders nov. 9, negotiators at the conventional Amis talks wondered if they could meet Bush s deadline for an agreement by the end of 1990. Now the profound changes in the East have created what on Western Diplomat Deli cately described As optimal conditions of in  things Are not so unstable that it is making it difficult to negotiate he explained. It is still possible to negotiate  the other hand should the situation in the East become even More unstable it could deflect attention away from the talks the Diplomat said. There is now a window of time where it makes Good Deal of sense to get the Best kind of agreement relatively promptly before something happens that makes it More difficult the Diplomat said. In the soviet Union that window could last As Longas the soviet Public believes Gorbachev can make Good on promises to Reform the Economy for example. What is reasonably foreseeable is that for a period of time in 1939 and 1990, it is a darn Good time to negotiate expeditiously and lock in some of these changes before something else happens to make it harder the Diplomat said. By moving too slowly the West runs the risk the year in review what is reasonably foreseeable is that for a period of time in 1989 and 1990, it is a darn Good time to negotiate expeditious and lock in some of these changes before something else happens to make it  a Western Diplomat that the conventional arms talks could become irrelevant compared with the climate of detente. The . Administration already has acknowledged that it is considering proposals for deeper cuts than the reduction to 275,000  no called for in the cafe talks. Even . Hawks such As Richard Pyrle an assist ant Secretary of defense in the Reagan administration said recently that much deeper cuts May be possible in the Start talks because of the new situation in Europe. Meanwhile the very size and scope of the conventional arms talks have already resulted in some de lays. It is not always easy to gain agreement among All 16 nato allies not to mention in combination with Warsaw pact countries diplomats have said. A bitter dispute Between Greece and Turkey Over the proposed exemption from the cafe treaty of the turkish port of Mersin which was used by the turks to invade Cyprus in 1974 delayed the Allie from submitting a draft text of the treaty for several months. The same problem is occurring in the once Rock solid East bloc As Well an arms control expert said. The negotiations arc difficult because of some of the splintering said the expert who requested anonymity. The edifice is beginning to crack in some of the soviet Union s  another problem is How nato will Divide up the cuts stipulated by a conventional arms control agreement. Both the allies and the Warsaw pact arc expected to jointly eliminate up to 96,000 weapons including tanks artillery and helicopters. The Start talks which involve Only the soviet Sand the United states have become snagged Over the Issue of sea launched cruise missiles. The riled Stales has rejected the need for strict limits on the weapons arguing that compliance could not be adequately verified. Instead it has pro posed that each Side simply inform the other of How Many sea launched cruise missiles it planned to de ploy on its vessels. Moscow has demanded Tough measures to Schleback the . Navy s program to deploy about 4,000 sea launched cruise missiles carrying conventional and nuclear arms. It also has insisted on extensive verification measures such As the inspection of ships. The current round of arms talks with a goal to reduce strategic nuclear weapons by 50 percent ended dec. 8 with both sides agreeing that the Bush Gorbachev Summit in december was helpful. After Malta a Start agreement is now with in sight said Richard Bun head of the .delegation to the talks. Here in Geneva we can feel a new Tenor and a new Tempo in the nuclear arms  hard Charger Thurman plays key role in Panama by Michael r. Gordon Washington not a few months after he was due for retirement and 14 years after he last commanded troops in the held Gen. Maxwell Thurman finds himself at the Center of the . Military operation since the Vietnam War. As head of the . Southern come Thurman has directed the american military action in Panama. Since the invasion began last week he has also directed the american press briefings there attack ing Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega with words As Well As tanks. And since sunday he has met with the Vatican representatives about the Fate of the deposed panamanian strongman. The sudden visibility of Thurman and the Pivotal role he has played in the last week Are a major de parture for a career officer who spent much of the last 14 years concentrating on army training and personnel matters and who assumed his command in Panama less than three months ago. But by All accounts Thurman has been a hard Charger who played a Central role in drafting inva Sion plans along with Gen. Colin l. Powell the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Throughout the operation Thurman has demonstrated an intense sense of Mission describing the conflict starkly As a fight for the patriots of the new government of president Guillermo Endara against the Narco terrorist regime of Noriega. Pentagon officials say the contempt of Thurman for Noriega is Heartfelt. When he escorted defense Secretary Dick Cheney through one of Noriega s houses in Panama this week he used a derisive epithet to refer to the de posed panamanian Leader an official said. Maxwell Reid Thurman was born on feb. 18, 1931, in High Point . After receiving a Bache Lor s degree in chemical engineering from North Carolina state University at Raleigh he entered the army in 1933 and was trained in artillery. Thurman served in Vietnam first As an Intelli gence officer and later As commander of a howitzer battalion. After a series of other postings he became the Gen. Maxwell r. Thurman army fila commander of artillery units of the 82nd airborne div at fort Bragg . That was his last troop command until he became the head of the . Southern come in october. During the Reagan administration Thurman served As the army s Deputy chief of staff for personnel helping to develop the All Volunteer army. From 1983 to june 1987, he served As the vice chief of staff of the army a posting that involved him in the organization and management of the entire army. Then he became the commander of the army training and doctrine come at fort Monroe a. With retirement mandatory after 35 years of serv ice Thurman was to leave the army in August. But Cheney picked him to head the Southern come and at the defense Secretary s request. President Bush deferred his retirement. A Bachelor Thurman has developed a reputation in the Pentagon As a demanding taskmaster with a keenness for numbers. Army officers nicknamed him the Max Atollah when he was the army vice chief of staff. In Many ways he is commanding the army he helped to build said one army officer referring to Thurman s past service. For their part civilian officials in the defense department appear pleased with Thurman s More aggressive approach toward Panama. Thurman s predecessor Gen. Frederick a. Woerner jr., has complained that the Bush administration did not effectively carry out its non military options for try ing to oust Noriega. A senior Pentagon official said that Woerner was too cautious and praised Thurman As More of a Forward leaning Gung to  Thurman took Over the Southern come Days be fore the oct. 3 coup attempt in Panama. But even before that failed coup Thurman s disdain for no Riega was Clear. The United states will not recognize nor accommodate with a regime that holds Power through Force and violence at the expense of the panamanian people s right to be free he said at a ceremony in Panama marking his Assumption of command. He pledged that the command would confront tyranny in All its insidious  the failed coup was a turning Point for the bus administration persuading key officials of the need to Speed planning for action against Noriega in Cas Ebush decided to order an attack. And Thurman and his top aides like u. Gen. Carl w. Stiner the army Field commander in the operation were soon immersed in planning for Mil itary action in concert with Powell. During the attack Thurman became a familar figure appearing before the press in combat fatigues at the Southern come Headquarters in Panama Heights. With american tanks and troops surrounding the Vatican embassy Thurman has remained a com Mander in Pursuit of Bis Quarry