European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 20, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 28 a the stars and stripes wednesday june 20,1990 Dod now says 16 wounded by a Friendly fire Washington apr the Pentagon revised its figures tuesday on the number of service members accidentally wounded by their comrades in the Panama invasion saying 16 of the 310 wounded in action were hit by a Friendly on monday the defense department released figures showing that two soldiers a and possibly three a of the 23 killed during the dec. 20 military operation had been killed in such a manner. The department also had said 19 of the 324 service members wounded in action had been hit accidentally by their comrades. Pentagon spokesman Pete Williams told reporters that the department had refined the figures in an overnight study of the death reports. The review was prompted by a Newsweek Magazine report that nine . Soldiers had been killed by their comrades and that More than 60 percent of the casualties had Bren caused by Friendly fire. In his first comment on the Issue defense Secretary Dick Cheney lamented the deaths saying such things will occur in Complex nighttime military operations using High tech weaponry. Williams in his briefing said that of the 23 killed in action two rangers were killed by Friendly fire at Rio Hato a during an in tense fire fight with the psf panamanian defense Force near he added that there was one other possible death due to Friendly fire and that it was under investigation. A of the 310 wounded in action it now appears that 16 were wounded by Friendly fire in several isolated incidents throughout Panama a Williams said. A a yesterday a report of 19 wounded in action included some accidental injuries that we have now determined were not caused by hostile fire a the spokesman said adding that since the cases were being looked at very closely the numbers could change again Williams added that another 21 wounded during an intense night fire fight near the comma Dancia the Headquarters of Gen Manuel Noriega a May be the result either of Friendly fire from an ac-130 gunship or psf mortar fire. It is impossible to distinguish whether they were wounded by Friendly fire or by enemy if those americans were wounded by the gunship the incident might have been caught on the videotape that every ac-130 gunship uses during its Mission. But Wil. Liams said he did not know that for certain and was looking into it. Souvenirs from the East american soldiers Check out East German and soviet hats for Sale tuesday in West Berlin. The seller has set up shop near checkpoint Charlie and the hats Are among the City a fastest Selling from Page 1 Diestel vowed in an interview with West German television. For several months German officials have said they fear the coming unification of the two countries could Lead to an upswing in terrorist activities. The red army faction waged a murderous guerrilla War against West German capitalism and nato in the 1970s and 1980s. The most recent victim Deutsche Bank chief Alfred her Hausen was killed in a bombing attack in november. Terrorists claimed responsibility for the her Hausen killing in the name of the a commando Wolfgang Diestel said he expects him to be tried in West Germany along with the others recently captured. In Karlsruhe West Germany a spokesman for the chief Federal prosecutors office said Henning Beer is suspected in the aug. 31, 1981, bombing at Ramstein. Thai attack seriously injured 17 people. Unit not affected by from Page 1 from Page 1 Hail Timofeev identified the Hijacker As Oleg Kozlov 20. Timofeev said the Man had threatened to blow up the plane. Finnish Interior minister Jarmo Rantanen said no explosives were found on the plane but the Hijacker a had a bomb like object under his unconfirmed reports persisted that three people were involved and finnish authorities said they were holding the 55 passengers overnight for questioning. All the passengers were soviets Rantanen said. Silke Maier Witt whose arrest was announced late monday Interior minister Peter Michael Diestel told reporters in East Berlin. Maier Witt and Beer were both captured monday in Neu Brandenberg he said. Beer was linked to the 1981 bombing of Ramstein a which injured 18 people. Maier Witt 40, is wanted in connection with the 1977 kidnapping and slaying of West German Industry chief Hanns Martin Schleyer and an attempted rocket attack that same year against the prosecutors office. Karlstedt West Germany a amps a deactivation of the 2nd army div at fort Hood Texas will have no effect on the 2nd army div fwd in Garl Stedt West Germany a unit spokesman said. The Pentagon announced last week that More than 12,000 military positions in the division will be Cut by the end of fiscal 1991 in a Money saving measure. A the 2nd armoured division Forward is a usar it eur unit and we Are not connected with the decision made in the . To deactivate the division at Fob Hood a said capt. Roger King Public affairs officer for the 2nd army div fwd. As an element of the . Army in Europe the units Fate rests on the conventional forces in Europe talks. A until cafe is Complete the department of de sense is not talking about Force Structure changes Europe a said Millie Waters a Usa eur spokeswoman. The brigade sized armoured unit of about 4,400 sol Diers has been based at Clay Cavern in Karlstedt a boil 20 Miles South of Bremerhaven since 1979. The unit is part of natos Northern army group which is it Spon sible for the defense of the North German plaint aside from the Berlin brigade the 2nd army in fwd is the Only . Army Man Euver unit in North pm Germany. 1cheney presents Bleak View of a 25% Cut by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a the Pentagon would have to scrap 10 land based divisions 111 ships 11 air Force wings and 442,000 Active duty service members to achieve a 25 percent reduction in Force Structure Over the next five years defense Secretary Dick Cheney said tuesday. But those cuts would reduce Overall Pentagon spending by Only 10 percent he said. According to Cheney a numbers a 25 do percent reduction in army divisions Navy fleets and air Force wings would reduce the proposed fiscal 1991 defense budget from $303.3 billion to $302 billion. Over five years it would Cut $8.6 billion from the presidents proposal. Cheney told reporters he had developed the Bleak picture of what a 25 percent Cut in Force Structure would mean at the request of lawmakers involved in a budget Summit with the administration to meet deficit reduction targets. The 25 percent Cut in military strength does not yield a corresponding Dollar savings because it would be phased in gradually and because some of the More expensive elements of the Pentagon budget a such As weapons development and acquisition a would not be Cut deeply. Cheney a figures dissatisfied Many congressional democrats who attended the talks. House armed services committee chairman Les Aspin argued that the defense chief could have made differ ent decisions in the Structure of the military that could have yielded savings of 18 percent to 27 percent. A they have made a set of policy choices to get there that i think Are awfully cautious a Aspin d-wis., said. But Cheney refuses to soften his combative stance with Congress Over the defense budget saying the fact that he provided such information does not mean he is willing to Compromise on defense spending. The numbers exercise was useful a because it conveys. The scope of change that a required to get Down to the Levels they re talking about a he said. A but we be got our offer on the table and in a not offering any new concessions today. Cheney also Drew pictures of what cur ians rent House and Senate budget figure would mean to the defense department through fiscal 1995. Although the Bush administration a asked for $303.3 billion for fiscal 1991, the House has approved $283 billion Loi defense while the Senate budget committee has approved $285.6 billion. The Senate spending Levels if extended through fiscal 1995, would tra Siaw into an Overall Cut of 35 percent in tort Structure including a reduction o 560.000 Active duty personnel am 180.000 civilians Cheney said. The House figure would Cut fort1 Structure by 50 percent Over the nes four years including a Cut of Active duty personnel and 250,000 pm 1
