European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 16, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Inside stripes a language was foe in exercise.,. Page 2 a former defense official sees huge budget cuts. Page 3 a Dole declares War on child labor abuses. Page 4 a East germans wary of Cost of change. Page 28 the so amp and gripes authorized unofficial publication for the . Armed forces Good morning vol. 48, no. 333 Friday March 16, 1990 a a 25 Dally and sunday d 8693 a Farzad Bazot Libya Plant reported Kod by fire Washington apr the Bush administration said thursday that a libyan chemical weapons Plant had been extensively damaged by fire and apparently was unable to function. White House press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater denied anew that the United states was responsible for the Blaze at the rata chemical Plant. A we done to know the origins of the lire a he said. A we done to know if it was sabotage. We done to have any idea who did it. Somebody could have knocked Over a kerosene lamp or  without revealing the source of his information Fitzwater characterized the damage at the Plant As extensive. A common sense would Tell you its not functioning a he said. A we assume its not  however he said a the building is there but is it All burned out inside we Don t really  libyans Leader col. Moa mar Gad a ii threatened thursday to retaliate against West Germany if its agents set ure to the Plant. West Germany denied responsibility. A Qadhafi said the heavily guarded Plant was designed Only to produce phar  ?e libyan Leader had tired to pay millions of dollars to any see Libya on Back Page Iraq hangs reporter Britain recalls envoy Baghdad Iraq apr the government thursday defied International appeals for mercy and hanged a London based newspaper reporter who was arrested near a military Complex and convicted of spying for Britain and Israel. Britain recalled its ambassador from Iraq accusing Baghdad of an act of barbarism for executing Farzad Bazot 31. The iranian born journalist was working for the British weekly observer and travelling on British documents. Britain a foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd also announced the suspension of ministerial visits and said All iraqi students would be sent Home. Bazot was convicted saturday by a revolutionary court in a closed trial. He was arrested in september near a Plant where ballistic missiles Are reportedly being developed. He was investigating reports that hundreds of people Nad died in an explosion. Robin Kealy the British Consul in Baghdad spent More than an hour with the condemned reporter before the hanging. He told the British broadcasting corp. That Bazot looked a hollow eyed and  information minister Latif Nassa if Jas Sim said the body was turned Over to the British embassy. A a British prime minister Margaret Thatcher wanted him alive. We sent Nim in a Box a he told journalists. A this is a very very grave and serious see Iraq on Back Page a stars amp tribes special a part cafes reaping big on gasoline sold in by Steve Taylor Munich Bureau Munich West Germany a the army and air Force Exchange service Sells gasoline to americans in Europe at five times the profit of its stateside operations. Unfettered by Competition and taxes cafes has imposed a huge markup on the Cost of gasoline in Europe. Fuel prices could drop 23 cents a gallon if cafes settled for the same pricing margins in Europe that it uses at its . Stations according to Exchange figures. But by operating a virtual monopoly the Exchange service is free to set gasoline prices High enough to bolster other less profitable retail operations official said. A a lot of what we do make on Gas offsets losses a said Brig. Gen. Thomas Robison the commander of cafes Europe. A a number of activities such As Field exercises done to generate a profit but in fact Cost us  despite the huge earnings Levels gasoline is a one of the Best deals in Europe a said Frank d. Hardt Robisonn a Deputy commander for operations. A the logic we use with gasoline is that it is a reasonable value when compared to the local  cafes earnings in Europe Are eventually returned a and then some a to the continent and used to build and Reno vate Exchange buildings and to fund military morale welfare and recreation pro Grams other stones pages 8 and 9. A stars and stripes analysis of cafes gasoline sales in Europe shows a cafes Europe tacked on an average 50 cents per gallon to the Cost of source cafes Lundberg surveys amps Sharon Killday includes sales of Oil and Auto accessories earnings Europe fuel in 1989. In the United Stales the average cafes markup was about 15 cents a gallon. A cafes spends More than twice As much to run its service stations in Europe As it docs in the United states 22 cents a gallon compared with 10 to 11 cents. A customers pay the same whether they use cafes stations or buy coupons for Esso and by stations on the local Economy even though providing Gas through foreign stations costs cafes significantly less. A the average earnings in 1989 were 28 cents a gallon compared with 5 cents at stateside cafes stations. A average 1989 prices at cafes Europe stations were 9 cents higher than at cafes stations in the United states. A gasoline earnings reached $30 million in the 12-month period that ended Jan. 23, excluding any share of cafes overhead costs generated in the United states. The figure is $4 million greater than the year before. A gasoline accounts for 7 percent of cafes sales in Europe but 21 percent of earnings. Despite the High earnings margins Exchange Gas prices Are less than half those on the Economy in West Germany where the bulk of american military members and civilians in Europe live. The reason is simple there arc no continued on Page 8military May ease e. Berlin travel restrictions by Ken Clauson Bremerhaven Bureau of a r  soon May be Able to stay in in Yin past Midnight and use Public transport while visiting the soviet sector of the City. Are among several proposals that the . Slim la submitted thursday to Gen. Crosbie e. Is nne a commander of the army in Europe. A decision cd pc Tec until saturday said Russ Anderson a spokesman for the . Come in Berlin. Currently All . Forces personnel and their family members must return to West Berlin via checkpoint Charlie by Midnight. They Are not allowed to enter East Berlin before 8 . Under the proposed regulation there would be no restrictions on the amount of time visitors could stay in East Berlin said capt. Pete Pierce a command spokesman. . Forces visitors Are now prohibited from using any Public transportation in East Berlin. But the change would allow them to use taxis subways and buses except when crossing to and from East Berlin. . Forces visitors would still be required to process with the military police at checkpoint Charlie when entering and leaving East Berlin. Another proposed regulation would allow Berlin based service members to travel to East Berlin in civilian clothes while using a . Forces Berlin identification card. But All other Scricc members still would be required to Wear class a or class b uniforms. Anderson said the proposal did not include extending the civilian clothes authorization to service see travel on Back Page