European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 a the stars and stripes saturday february 24,1990u.s. Wants Asia troops Cut by 12,000 Tokyo apr defense Secretary Dick Cheney announced Friday the United states wants to withdraw about 12.000 troops from Asia. A soviet official said the plan meant no significant reduction in american forces in the area. Cheney ending a two week visit in the Pacific rim with a major policy address before the National press club said that during his tour he discussed a Range of cuts Quot on the order of 10 percent scattered about the  he said the first phase could take three years. Gennady Gerasimov head of the soviet foreign ministry s information department. Criticized the proposed reductions As a Small scale Quot when compared with soviet efforts. Both superpower officials arrived in Tokyo from Manila. Philippines. Japa news Brief Nese foreign ministry spokesman Taizo Watanabe said Gerasimov was a guest of Kyodo news service not the government and the Quot simultaneous visits arc simply  final decisions on the troop reductions will be made after further discussions with . Military commanders and Congress. Cheney said. Congress has pressed Cheney to slash his defense budget and reassess the reasons for keeping 120,000 . Troops in Asia. Cheney however said it would be a mistake to reduce the . Presence in Asia just because of eased tensions in Europe and America must a look at the Region on its own  he also said that despite Calls from some lawmakers for 20 percent to 30 percent cuts he believes Congress will maintain a a major . Presence in the  Cheney who toured South Korea the Philippines and Japan said the soviet Union has t acted to reduce tensions in Asia As it has in Europe. He called on the soviet government to help Calm the Region s Flash Points. But Gerasimov speaking to reporters at the National press club just hours after Cheney argued that Moscow has already made substantive reductions including the Mot Balling of so ships in its Pacific Fleet and the recent withdrawal of aircraft from Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam. Quot our presence in Cam Ranh Bay will be replaced by mosquitoes and Grasshoppers Quot he said. Japanese officials following Daylong discussions thursday with Cheney called plans for reducing the 50,000 . Troops in Japan a prudent and  while in Tokyo Cheney also sought increases in Japan s annual $2.4 billion support toward the $7 billion Cost of the american deployment in Japan. But no specific figures were discussed or agreed upon officials said. The Secretary who was scheduled to leave for the United states saturday said Japan had a significantly increased Quot its funding for . Forces in the country in the recent past. Quot we think that is a very positive trend Quot he said adding he hoped such increases would continue. The defense department chief assured his japanese counterpart Jura Matsumoto that no . Combat troops would be removed from Japan if reductions were ordered according to Cheney spokesman Pete Williams. Commander recovers but weather delays shuttle Cape canaveral Fla. Apr Nasa on Friday postponed for a third Lime the Light of space shuttle Atlantis on a secret military Mission. Saying its commander had recovered from an illness Bui the threat of storms still prevented the launch. Nasa managers ordered the delay until at least sunday blaming a weather front that moved into the area Friday morning and brought rain brisk winds and the threat of thunderstorms. Sundays forecast holds an 80 percent Chance of favourable conditions. The postponement came just hours after doctors pronounced Atlantis commander John o. Creighton fully recovered from a respiratory infection that along with the weather had forced two earlier postponements. Atlantis originally was scheduled for launch Early thursday but Creighton became ill. Hopes of launching Friday morning instead were dashed when physicians recommended that Creighton be Given another 24 hours to recover. That slipped the launch to Early saturday and then the weather forecast Friday put it Back another 24 hours. Sources said Atlantis would deploy a spy satellite during a four Day  sex salvadoran president Duarte Dies after Long Battle with cancer san Salvador Al Salvador apr Jose Napoleon Duarte who became Al Salvador s first democratically elected president in 50 years but was unable to _ end a 10-Ycar civil War that battered his nation died Friday his doctor said. He was 64. Quot Duarte died of respiratory failure at 11 50,&Quot said his personal physician Jose Luis Saca. Duarte had been battling liver cancer for months. He governed from 1984 until june of 1989, when his Christian democrats lost control of Congress and he had to turn the presidency Over to Alfredo Cristiani Leader of the rightist Arena party supported by the oligarchy that Duarte fought for so Long. In May 1988, doctors at Walter Reed army medical Center in Washington diagnosed Duarte a cancer re Duarte moved 60 percent of his stomach and said it had spread to his liver. At that time doctors gave him from six to 18 months to live. Duarte who was once arrested beaten and exiled for his Fidelity to democracy called his inauguration in 1984 a a Light in the Long night of horror Quot and he likened himself to Moses delivering a people from their tribulations. Duarte was crucial to the replacement of an authoritarian Sci Feudal system with incipient democracy. But he finished his term and his life burdened by failures compromises frustration and dashed Hopes. Quot he did no to work miracles a said a High ranking . Diplomat who served in Al Salvador for most of Duarte s term. A but he must be credited with instituting the democratic system itself. His great legacy is the transition of government. The rest pales by  Quot one must acknowledge president Duarte a democratic  said Cristiani just before he took Over on june i. Quot he has with his aptitude and positions promoted the Advance of democracy. But i would t go so far As to Call him the father of salvadoran  probe clears Captain of espionage from Page 1 of Kauai and from there we re going anywhere they have  mrs. Ecu fold. 41. Who works at a collection Agency. Said she would spend some of her Money to buy land for a pentecostal pastor whose congregation moves from Hall to Hall for Lack of a permanent Church in her Southern California Community of Simi Valley. Meanwhile. Lotto tickets were Selling at a 7.500-per-Minutc Pace in Illinois where officials say a saturday Jackpot could reach $50 million. Last saturday the Jackpot rolled Over for the third straight week when nobody picked the six winning numbers. At route 3 liquor and lottery in Sauget which officials say is the state s biggest lottery outlet All four machines were kept Busy churning out tickets store manager Jim Jones said. Quot it was three or four limes busier than a Normal  Jones said. Quot you get people you be never seen before in Here. Everybody s buying heavy hoping for the big  a amps bookstores closed monday stars and stripes bookstores will be closed monday for stars and stripes newspaper will be Avail by Rosemary Sawyer staff writer a West Berlin Captain who had been the target of an espionage investigation since july resigned from the air Force on Friday with his name cleared. An air Force probe into the activities of capt. John Vladimir Hirsch Quot did not substantiate espionage and the Case is closed Quot an electronic Security come spokesman said Friday. Officials began investigating Hirsch when he reportedly failed a polygraph test administered after investigators found classified documents in his Home. They also discovered More than $ 120,000 in Bank accounts held by Hirsch. The czechoslovak emigre became a naturalized . Citizen at the age of 15 in Ohio. He was assigned to the 690th electronic Security Wing at Tempelhof Central Airport. The electronics Engineer separated from the air Force on Friday with an honorable discharge under the Early release program said 1st it. Joe Wiggins electronic Security come spokesman. Under the program officers and enlisted people can leave the military before their service commitments expire. Hirsch s former commander at the 690th electronic Security Wing col. Ben Hardaway had no comment Friday about the investigations results. His defense attorney. It. Col. Terry Woodhouse at Randolph fab Texas also offered no comment. Hirsch. 34. Was assigned to Kelly fab Texas during the investigation. He was restricted to the san Antonio base for almost three months before he was released based on his right to a speedy trial. Authorities questioned whether his virtual Nous arrest constituted  his release Hirsch worked with the 6968th alteration and installation so conducting Quality control checks on electronic designs. Hirsch held a top secret clearance while assigned to the West Berlin Wing which monitors soviet bloc aircraft. Inventory. The or Able at alternate vending Points in i  from Page 1 resigned Friday assuming political responsibility for a rigged election in May. A in Leipzig East Germany social democratic chief Ibrahim Bohme told More than 500 party delegates that the social democrats Quot Are asking people to stay in this country and to work together in building up a  Bohme was referring to the continuing daily Drain of about 2,000 East germans to the West despite moves toward Reform and German unification. A Modrow s caretaker government called for slashing the armed forces of the unified Germany by two thirds of its present combined forces and called for some . And soviet troops to remain during the unification process. East Germany s defense minister adm. Theodor Hoffmann said a joint German military should be reduced to about 300,000 members initially and later to Between 150,000 and 200,000. West Germany belongs to nato and East Germany is in the soviet led Warsaw pact. About 380,000 soviet soldiers arc stationed in East Germany and nato has More than 300,000 in West Germany