European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 13, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday May 13, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 9jewish Graves desecrated women Pray Friday in the jewish cemetery at Carpen tras France where the Graves of their relatives were among those that were desecrated thursday. Paris not a More than 50 Graves in two jewish cemeteries in France have been found desecrated in the last two Days bringing ominous warnings from French political and religious leaders Friday that a racist mood is spreading across the country. In the cemetery at Carpen tras near Avignon in Southern France 34 tombs were badly damaged and one body was exhumed and mutilated. At wisc a Bourg Northeast of Strasbourg at the Eastern Border with Germany 20 gravestones were knocked Over. Coming in the aftermath of bombings of moslem mosques and the slayings of Arab immigrants in recent months the attacks prompted government officials and some opposition politicians to blame the Leader of the extreme right National front Jean Marie la pen for fomenting racist violence. Be pen who has frequently insulted Frances 700,000 jews and 3.4 million Arab immigrants denied that his party was responsible for the desecration of the Graves. A i done to feel guilty at All a he said. A i condemn those who did  at least nine jewish cemeteries were vandalized in France in the 1980s. But the political Impact of the latest desecration has been magnified by the intensity of the recent National debate on racism and immigration. Only last week the National Assembly approved a Bill barring anyone found guilty of inciting racial hatred from holding elected office or government jobs. The move seemed to be aimed at the National front which in recent polls has attracted the support of 15.5 percent of the population. The desecration of Graves at Carpen tras and Wisse Bourg is certain to bring a new wave of soul searching. At Carpen tras amid broken gravestones and crushed flowerpots the police discovered the body of an old Man exhumed and impaled in the Chest with a parasol to hold in place a Star of David. Right Wing Leader Jean Marie in pen denies in Paris on Friday any responsibility for desecration of jew ish Graves. He had been buried last month. The desecration at Carpen tras stunned people across France. Calling on citizens to a pull themselves  president Francois Mitterrand visited the Home of France s chief rabbi Joseph Sitruk on thursday. Quot i have come As one does for a family in mourning a the president said. Sitruk said a a civilization that does not respect the dead is headed toward destruction of the  Jean Kahn Leader of the jewish National coalition said the attacks occurred a in the Middle of a Campaign of incitement to racial hatred in which the language of anti semitism has brutally returned to the lips of certain  Frances Interior minister Pierre Joe flew Down to Carpen tras. He said he was shocked to see a conditions so abominable that one cannot describe them without  a former prime minister Laurent Fabius said the exhumed body had been found with a Spade handle in its  apologizes to Israel for a omissions Jerusalem apr austrian president Kurt Waldheim issued an apology to the jewish state in a newspaper interview Friday saying that he made misleading statements about his service As an army officer in wartime nazi Germany Waldheim also called on Israel to upgrade its diplomatic presence in Vienna by returning the ambassador it withdrew in protest after Waldheim selection in 1986. A in the past years my hand has been extended and it has always remained hanging in the air a said Waldheim in an Appeal made in an interview with the a it t x a a a file a May 1943 photo shows Kurt Waldheim 2ndfrom left when he was a German army officer in Yugoslavia. Liberal Haartz newspaper. Israelis foreign ministry said it had received no official communication from Waldheim and added that it was unlikely that the Diplomat would be returned. Waldheim in speaking with the newspaper reiterated his position that he has not been involved in War crimes. A the accusations against me Are completely baseless a he said. He was referring to allegations that Waldheim was involved in the massacre of yugoslavian partisans and the deportation of greek jews to nazi death Camps. About 45,000 greek jews were sent to German concentration Camps at a time when Waldheim was stationed in the Balkans. A 1988 investigation by six historians said there was no evidence Waldheim had directly taken part in nazi War crimes but said his assertions that he did not know about the Fate of jews deported from Greece were a not  in his official biography Waldheim claimed he left the German army after being wounded on the russian front in 1941. He later admitted to omitting from the biography his reassignment to the Balkans where he served As an intelligence officer until the end of the War. A i apologize that i did not bring up the Balkan matter. I confess that there was a mistake Here a Waldheim said. A i did not foresee that the Issue would open in such a tragic direction. A i certainly express my regret before them on the  Waldheim also dismissed recent charges that he had declared himself a a Loyal nazi in a 1938 letter to the diplomatic College in Vienna in order to secure a study Grant. Waldheim said he was never a card carrying member of the nazi party. A to say i was a member of the nazi party is not Correct. Despite what was claimed i never admitted this a he said. He said he was conducting the interview in a bid to improve his relationship with jews and jewish organizations around the world which have been at the forefront of investigations into his past. Waldheim suggested that the investigations were triggered by jewish anger Over decisions taken by the United nations while he served As Secretary general from 1972 to 1982. He cited As an example the 1975 Resolution equating zionism with racism. A the jewish Community accused me of supporting the Resolution. That simply was not  he said. A the decision was regretful unjust and damaging at least to the United  Waldheim said he had asked his foreign ministry to look into supporting an initiative to reverse the . Resolution. In a related matter Waldheim played Down reports of growing anti semitism in Austria citing a recent poll indicating that 7 percent of austrians consider themselves anti semitic. Austria is no More anti semitic a than any other country a he said. Kurt Waldheim