European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 21, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 28 a a the stars and stripes monday May 21,1990 panel May expand anti spying Laws by the Baltimore Sun Washington a the Senate intelligence committee is weighing major changes in counter espionage Laws that would allow prosecution of people for crimes Short of actual spying and give less financial privacy to government employees holding top secret clearances. The proposals to be disclosed at a hearing this week Are the product of months of work by a panel headed by businessman Eli Jacobs the Baltimore orioles owner who has a keen interest in National Security issues. Overall they aim to make it easier for the government to deter catch and prosecute suspected spies. The key impetus for the new proposals is the recognition that greed rather than ideology has emerged As the prime motivating Factor in recent espionage cases. The proposals also address the problems in prosecuting alleged spies. Those problems were highlighted in the Case of Felix Bloch the High ranking Diplomat who investigators believe spied for the news briefs soviet Union but who has never been charged with a crime because of insufficient evidence. To obtain an espionage conviction prosecutors now must prove that secrets were passed to a foreign Power with the intent to harm the United states. Rather than reduce the Standard of proof required in a full blown espionage Case the Senate committee is weighing expansion of the espionage Laws. The proposals would add to the list of current crimes certain types of a clearly injurious conduct that Are not now covered by espionage statutes according to sources familiar with the Senate panel s deliberations. In such cases criminal suspects could be prosecuted without prosecutors being required to a bring a full blown espionage the proposed changes would also allow people to be prosecuted without disclosure of sensitive National Security information in a trial As is sometimes necessary in espionage cases sources said. Under the classified information Protection act the government now can be forced to scuttle prosecutions in order to prevent Public disclosure of secrets deemed by a court to be essential to the defense. The proposals would also refine the Security clearance process to focus More attention on people who hold the highest clearance level. The advisory group found that Only about one fourth of those currently holding Security clearances have Access to highly secret information such As codes that if disclosed could seriously damage National Security. This smaller group would be subject to More thorough background investigations and would also have to surrender privacy rights to certain financial information for the duration of the clearance. Currently there is Only a limited period that the Fri can gain Access to an officials Bank student loan and credit records in the course of an initial or follow up background investigation. Under the new proposals investigators could if Given sufficient reason to suspect a crime re examine these i cords at any time. Sources said the Bush administrates has been a very helpful in preparing the proposals. But a Justice department spokesman said the Agency was win holding comment until the proposals has been disclosed and fully reviewed. The advisory panel which included number of former High ranking official from Republican and democratic administrations was appointed by Intelli gence committee chairman Davi Boren d-okla., and vice chairman a Liam s. Cohen a Maine. While suspecting Bloch of having spied for the soviet Union for years investigators apparently Are unable to prosecute him because they cannot establish what kind of material he May Havi passed to a soviet agent. Meanwhile h has been suspended from his state department Job and his dismissal is pent ing before an Appeal Board. A Texas family revs up their Motorboat engine before going out for breakfast on gets first hand look at Texas flood damage by the associated press flood swollen Rivers in Texas and Louisiana rushed across thousands of acres of normally dry land to the Gulf of Mexico on saturday and president Bush made a close up Survey of the destruction. Thousands of people have been evacuated at various times in Texas Oklahoma Arkansas and Louisiana. Estimates still Are being compiled on the amounts of damage to crops and property but it is expected to exceed hundreds of millions of dollars. Bush on a weekend visit to Texas briefly visited the Livingston dam on the Trinity River in Southeast Texas and flew Over flooded areas downstream on the River Northeast of Houston. A this is remarkable a Bush told Polk county judge Wayne Baker. A i remember it was fairly dry Here not too Many years the Federal emergency management Agency announced saturday that three More Texas counties were declared disaster areas because of Spring flooding bringing the total to 41 of the states 254 shifting of soldiers spurs fear of Pakistan War new Delhi India apr India is moving tens of thousands of Battle ready soldiers to its Border with Pakistan prompting fear among Western diplomats of another armed conflict Over Kashmir. Western military experts say India also is seeking to buy Large quantities of movable Bridges troop transport boats and other equipment that could be used in an attack. Experts say the developments Are doubly disturbing because both countries Are believed to possess nuclear weapons technology. Iran a a Sfanjani reportedly gives condition for release of hostages Tehran Iran up a iranian president Akbar Hashemi a Sfanjani reportedly said sunday that the remaining Western hostages in Lebanon could All be freed if the United states would make a Goodwill gesture in response to the release of two captives freed last month. The newspaper Tehran times said a Sfanjani made the remarks in a meeting with Iran a . Representative Kamal Kharazi. The iranian president said the United states and other Western governments had at their disposal the Means to have the remaining hostages freed if they would respond to the Steps taken by the hostage takers in Lebanon. Tehran radio which also reported rats Anjanie a remarks quoted him As saying a the Western governments can by taking corresponding Steps create the grounds for freeing All the hostages including iranian and lebanese Iran has called several times in the past three weeks for a Goodwill gesture from the United states following the release last month of american hostages Robert Polhill and Frank Reed. A Sfanjani said Iran took Steps in Lebanon and shiite groups who were holding the Western citizens hostages responded positively. They were now waiting for a Goodwill gesture from the United states he said. Since Reeds release toward the end of april Iran has called on the United states to pressure Israel into releasing palestinians and lebanese taken captive in Southern Lebanon particularly a shiite cleric. Sheik Abdel Karim Obeid. Kharazi reportedly told the president that Iran a moves to have the a hostages freed had had a Sfanjani positive effects on world Public opinion. Early this month president Bush said he would make a Goodwill gesture by seeking information fro lebanese Christian militia leaders on four Irania who disappeared in Lebanon in 1982.., soviets from Page 1 Moscow and to Exchange 1,000 undergraduate students on both sides for study in the other country Baker said. Shevardnadze said Gorbachev a coming visit to the United states is important for a imparting a broader human dimensions because of the soviet leaders travels. He said the a Central elements of the Summit will be a statement by Bush and Gorbachev that a agreement has been reached on the Point of Radical reductions in offensive the soviet foreign minister conceded that a sub Stantial differences still persist with the United states on the issues regarding the military and polite ical status of a United Germany. . Officials said both sides repeated their positions but there appeared to be Little movement toward agreement on German issues during the Baker Mission. Shevardnadze who has been on the receiving enc of Many human rights appeals from the United states especially regarding soviet jews said in i news conference after the meetings with Baker tha his country Hopes the United states will a increase its quota of jewish immigration from the Sovie Union. He noted that Many More soviet jew would like to go to the United states than can do so undercurrent . Immigration War from Page 1 ments will be made armchair reductionist Are also looking at the much debated 8th inf div headquartered in bad Kreuz Nach. According to conventional Wisdom the division is tactically handicapped because its stationed on the Western Side of the Rhine River. A probably conventional Wisdom is not so Wise a said maj. Michael Maher a division spokesman. Among other things he likes to tout the 8th�?Ts River crossing prowess. And like everyone else he a waiting on the outcome of the conventional forces reduction talks in Vienna Austria. We have not heard anything different in weeks months on the status of the division and its future Maher said. He said it s not too smart to try to second guess Thi army and cited the december invasion of Panama As an example. A Good old 5th Mech a fort Polk la., unit Thal took part in the invasion is probably near the Bob Tom of the list of divisions that Are supposed to by alerted to go off to combat a Maher said. And we All know where they spent their f Wain it . A Suh writer be Quot Claue Quot in
