European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 a a the stars and stripes tuesday june 26,1990 a French Soldier looks at Dart munitions monday during the exhibition of French made weapons near Paris. High tech Leclerc tank highlights Mammoth French weapons show Paris apr a state of the Art tank was the Star exhibit monday As French weapons manufacturers opened a major weapons show hoping to reverse last years Sharp drop in foreign sales. More than 300 companies Are displaying 3,000 types of weaponry vehicles and equipment at the we Klong arms exhibition at Satory outside Paris. Attendance is by invitation Only and the 30,000-name guest list includes representatives of 60 foreign governments. According to press reports proceeds from French arms exports dropped from $3.2 billion in 1988 to $300 million last year. One Factor was the end of the Iran Iraq War which had provided France with a steady flow of orders. Both state subsidized and private arms manufacturers in France have received moral support from the socialist government which has not made any proposals to reduce its military budget despite the thaw in the cold War. The Leclerc tank unveiled at this weeks show is a product of Giat which the government is molding into a major state controlled armaments maker comparable to the Aero spatial aircraft manufacturer. The 54-ton Leclerc is armed with a Standard nato 120mm Cannon and will come into use in the beginning of 1992. It has been described in the French press As a prototype of the next generation of tanks a 60 percent of its Cost reportedly relates to its sophisticated electronics systems. Another major display item is the pr4g radio unit designed by Thomson Csc to resist enemy attempts to intercept or interfere with its operations Thomson announced monday that it had completed its first Sale of the pr4g a 500 units to the French government when the product is ready for use at the end of 1991. Iran from Page 1 the islamic Relief organization red Crescent. About 95 percent of the buildings were destroyed or damaged in the quake. The stench of decomposing bodies Hung Over the City As rescuers aided by police dogs pulled bodies from the rubble. Officials were worried about contamination of water supplies and the spread of infectious diseases As they struggled to Bury the overwhelming numbers of dead. A a done task me How Many Are dead. Ask How Many survived a Irna quoted a Man from Kotteh As saying a Only me my son and a woman from my Village. A my survival was a Miracle because tons and tons of rocks Slid from Mountain peaks and buried the Vil Dublin Ireland apr leaders of the european Community agreed on monday to meet in december to work out details on achieving political Union by 1993. The agreement came despite reservations by Britain and Portugal. Also monday Britain told its european partners that it is premature to heed West German and French Calls for immediate Large scale Aid to the soviet Union. French foreign minister Roland Dumas announced the agreement to hold a special conference on dec. 14 shortly after the 12 Western european leaders opened their two Day Summit. Dumas told reporters that Britain and Portugal raised concerns that the still undefined form of political Union should not Rob states of National sovereignty. The agreement had been widely expected after Britain said it would not try to Block the conference on political Union which it envisages As amounting Only to closer cooperation among the members of the Lage and All the villagers livestock and Orchards Are under mountains of Rock and rubble a the Man said. Four Days after the quake there were still conflicting death tolls. The Tehran times considered close to president Hashemi a Sfanjani quoted an unidentified senior Relief official As saying 50,000 people died and 200.000 were injured in the quake. He said even that was a conservative estimate because Quot the figures Are quoted taking account Only of those who have been registered officially As dead or  Many victims were not counted he said. In Geneva senior . Relief official my Hamed is Saafi estimated the toll would reach 50,000 dead and 200.000 injured. Tehran radio had put the toll late sunday at 48,000 killed and 100,000 injured. The . Supplies were among tons of Relief equipment arriving in the iranian capital Over the weekend. The foreign ministry however said that a due to the magnitude of the disaster Iran would accept All such Aid except from Israel and South Africa. Wealthy trading bloc. On soviet Aid a British government spokesman said some Type of support was in order. The question he said was a not whether we assist the soviet Union. It is  a we have to ask ourselves whether it makes sense to throw Large amounts of Money at the soviet Union a said the spokesman speaking on condition of anonymity. A it is not exactly a deprived  West Germany argued for the Aid. Government spokesman Hans Klein told reporters it is a in the interests of the entire free world to support the Reform movements set in motion by soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev. Klein acknowledged that the european leaders probably would not reach any conclusions at the Dublin meeting but instead would Lay the groundwork for More talks about the Issue at the seven nation Summit of leading industrialized nations next month in Houston. Gis prepare to Start loading chemical arms Eckenbach West Germany a amps a . Soldiers will begin loading chemical munitions into secondary containers tuesday at the Clausen army depot in preparation for their removal from West Germany. The specially designed Vapo proof containers will then be loaded into military shipping containers a spokesman for the joint press and information Center said monday. The entire operation is scheduled to be carried out from july through september. It is aimed at moving 100,000 artillery shells filled with the liquid nerve agents vex and Sarin from Clausen Arney depot to the Railhead at Miessau by truck Convoy. From there the cargo will travel by rail to the North sea port at no Denham and then by ship to the Johnston atoll in the Pacific Ocean where the weapons will be destroyed. No Date has been set for the beginning of the Road convoys that will carry the 155mm and 203mm artillery shells to the Miessau  done to have a real tight time constraint a spokesman Jim Boyle said. A we anticipate it will take two months to Load the rounds into the secondary containers and into the vans. Officials have not decided whether the Road convoys will begin during the two months he said. The vans will remain in guarded holding areas at Clausen until the convoys begin a statement issued by the press Center said. The commander of the 59th Ord brigade said in March that 30 convoys of 70 vehicles each would be needed to transport the weapons from Clausen to Miessau. Twenty vehicles will be military trucks carrying the weapons and the remainder will carry police firefighting teams and other emergency personnel. The transportation plan announced in March also involves seven overnight train shipments from Miessau to no Denham and two ships to carry the weapons to the Pacific. Blast hits tory club in Central London London apr an explosion monday ripped through the conservative party a social club in Central London trapping and injuring an unknown number of people the fire brigade said 40 firefighters were rushed to the Blaze that broke out following the explosion on the ground floor of the three Story Carlton club. The club is near Trafalgar Square and a few Hundred Yards from Buckingham Palace. Further details of the evening blast were not immediately known. Mandela from Page 1 were vital in softening the South african governments hard line on apartheid. A it is therefore necessary for you to continue to put the pressure on your government and on Congress a said Mandela who was freed in february after being imprisoned for 27 years by the South african government. Assistant Secretary of state Herman Cohen said the main . Emphasis was to find out Mandela a views on How to proceed with negotiations Between the an i and the South african government. The . Sanctions which have had a harsh Impact on the South african Economy include a ban on All new . Investment and Trade embargoes on items such As Oil and agricultural products. Mandela arrived at National Airport in mid afternoon sunday and was greeted by Randall Robinson a Leader in the . Anti apartheid movement. Officials of the District of Columbia government and Effi Barry the Wile of mayor Marion Barry also greeted Mandela. Mayor Barry who is on trial on drug and perjury charges did not attend. At a Brief Airport arrival ceremony Mandela had said he was a greatly encouraged by his rousing reception in the United  a motorcade passed some of the country s most famous landmarks such As the Lincoln memorial before arriving at the Madison hotel. At the hotel hundreds of people lined up behind ropes on the sidewalk across the Street in Hopes or catching a glimpse of Mandela. Some danced Ano waved banners As police watched. Dec sets Summit to plan Union by �?T93