European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 21, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a a the stars and stripes monday May 21,1990holds up projects by Deedee Arrington Doke Kaiserslautern Bureau Ramstein a West Germany a a Pentagon freeze on commissary construction funds is holding up projects in six european countries according to the head of the air Force food stores. The list includes new stores at Vogel sch in Kaiserslautern West Germany san Vito Dei Normanna air station Italy and at Zaragoza a Spain. Also delayed Are renovations at Ankara air station Turkey and Raf bunt Waters England. A warehouse addition at  a Netherlands is another project on hold said maj. Gen. Robert f. Swarts who is in the midst of a tour of european commissaries. The funds used to build new grocery stores arc generated by a 5 percent customer surcharge on purchases. But the Pentagon included the funds in a general construction freeze that went into effect earlier this year. Swarts said the construction freeze Isnit a bad idea Given the uncertainty that surrounds base closings overseas and in the United states. A there arc some things we would like to build right now. But i also have to Stop and say a do i really want to build a facility if in a not really sure commissary Check of ids to changes amps Lynda Davidson maj. Gen. Robert f. Swarts. A provide a capability what a going to be there a a Swarts said. On other subjects Swarts said Many air Force commissaries Are opening later a but closing later a to help single parents and families with two working spouses who May not be Able to shop first thing in the morning. A the key is. To provide a capability for your base population to shop a Swarts said. A your Job is to figure out How to provide that and maybe cutting out an hour or two in the morning is one Way to do  Swarts visit to Europe included stops at air Force commissaries in the azores Greece Italy Spain and Turkey. At those stores he said a we need to Cut the amount of inventory we have. Its hard to manage something when you be got boxes everywhere. If you get it Down to where you can see it count it. Understand what a there and know what to order and when to order it its a lot  by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a military commissary patrons will be asked to Flash their id cards at checkout counters rather than at store entrances when a defense department directive is issued within the next few weeks. The new policy follows an exhaustive study of military commissaries in search of ways to streamline operations and save Money. Staffing store entrances with id checkers costs the services $7.8 million a year the study found. Some army and Navy commissaries already have put the switch into effect in anticipation of the Pentagon order which is expected to be out by mid june. Fifty four of the 79 stores in the army a european commissary Region have made the change As have the Navy stores at holy Loch and Edzell in Scotland. The air Force will wait until the Pentagon directive is issued to alter its policy according to a commissary official for that service. Defense department policy has allowed id checks at the registers in facilities with four or less checkout stands said a Pentagon official who asked not to be identified. Concern has been voiced about problems that could arise because of the policy change such As eligible patrons bringing unauthorized personnel a people Are aware that if they abuse their commissary privileges they could lose  a Dod official into the stores the Pentagon official said. But the services convinced the defense department that local store managers and base commanders can handle such problems. A people Are aware that if they abuse their commissary privileges they could lose them a the official said. Whatever minor hurdles must be overcome to implement the policy the Bottom line is improved service for the customers the official said. Almost All employees who staff the store entrances Are Cashiers detailed to the id duty on a rotating basis. A so this change will free up those employees to go Back to the Cash registers a he said. A i can to imagine anyone objecting to having More Cashiers on  Thornburgh denies cover up charges Washington apr attorney general Dick Thornburgh denied sunday he tried to conceal that a top aide had showed deception on a lie Detector test during a Justice department investigation into news leaks. Thornburgh said the Agency a departing no. 2 official who criticized the attorney general a handling of the investigation was a sadly misinformed about the facts in the Case. Deputy attorney general Donald b. Ayer who resigned earlier this month has claimed that Thornburgh mishandled the Justice departments investigation in an attempt to protect Robert s. A a Robin Ross a longtime Thornburgh aide. A the attorney general was participating in an Effort to prevent appropriate disclosure and evaluation through established procedures of the activities that earlier this week resulted in Robin Ross abrupt removal from office a Ayer was quoted As saying in sundays los Angeles times. Sources have told the associated press that Ross and another Veteran Thornburgh aide David Runkel showed deception on polygraph tests. The tests were Given As part of the departments probe into who leaked information to reporters about an investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving rep. William Gray a a. Thornburgh was asked on Abc tvs a this week with David Brinkley program about whether he tried to conceal Ross performance on the lie Detector test. A absolutely not a the attorney general responded. A we conducted an investigation into leaks. There was no evidence that tied any person on my staff to the unauthorized disclosure of that  Thornburgh also said that failing a polygraph Thornburgh test a is no to evidence of wrongdoing a not in ouf courts of  Thornburgh added a a in a saddened that Ayer feels that he has to lash out against his former colleagues but there is no basis in fact for that kind of  he said the Case has been reviewed by the Fri the Justice departments criminal division and the solicitor general who briefed Congress. The Justice department has been hit with a series of High level personnel changes since Ayer resigned May three Days later Ross stepped Down As Thorn Burghs executive assistant to head a new International division. He said he plans to leave the department in two or three months. Runkel was also reassigned from serving As spokesman. His new Job is director of communications. In the times interview Ayer whose resignation takes effect next Friday criticized the Way Thornburgh dealt with the Gray Case. Thornburgh had ordered the investigation into the leaks a which democrats charged were politically motivated a last Spring As Gray was running for the House majority whip Post. Ayer said Thornburgh tried to keep the results of the Peak investigation out of the hands of the departments internal watchdog Agency the office of professional responsibility. Unsuccessful in that attempt Thornburgh then refused to follow the units recommendation for further investigation Ayer told the newspaper. Ayer said that at a Jan. 30 meeting Thornburgh also rejected his suggestion that he remove himself from the criminal investigations inquiry into the identity of the leaker. In december Thornburgh reported to Congress that the criminal investigation of the Gray leak had failed to identify the source of the Story. Thornburgh told Congress that the head of or had concurred with that  Ayer said the internal watchdog Agency had never seen the report. Colombian convicted of . Drug charges Tulsa okla. Apr a colombian rented to he Hen Cote inn Tulsa okla. Apr a colombian reputed to be an important figure in the Medellin cocaine Cartel was convicted saturday on two Federal drug conspiracy counts. Jose Abello Silva faces up to $8 million in fines and 30 years in prison. . District judge Thomas Brett set sentencing for May 29. Jurors convicted Abello 35, of conspiring to import marijuana and cocaine into the United states and conspiring to possess drugs with intent to distribute. His attorneys said they would Appeal. Abello met with his attorneys after the verdicts and sobbed said defense attorney Richard Haynes. Quot its a Normal human reaction a Haynes said. A a he a devastated. He a Hurt. He a terribly disappointed. He cried. 1  the jury deliberated a Little More than 20 hours Over three Days before issuing its verdicts. Jurors identities remained secret for Security reasons. Prosecutors called 23 witnesses during five weeks of testimony. Many were convicted drug smugglers who identified Abello in the courtroom and said he supervised drug shipments from colombian airstrips through the Bahamas. Abello testified that he was an honest rancher who sold imported cars and fought bulls on the Side. He said he was a Friend of the Ochoa family a alleged to be part of the leadership of the Medellin drug Cartel a but said his visits were limited to dealings with cattle. Haynes and co counsel Patrick Williams said prosecutors secrecy about witnesses Hurt their Case and Haynes criticized pretrial publicity. Vej a plea a e think there Are some errors in the cases a is say he this has been couched in secrecy. We were totally denied Access to previous statements witnesses  Williams said Many of the witnesses were confessed s a a su88esl�,d they had lied about Abello to shorten their own prison sentences. Marta Colombia was indicted in to Tulsa w3s extradited 0ct 29 from Bogota