European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday. July 14. 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3still holding at Low level Washington apr declining food and Energy prices helped hold wholesale Price inflation to a modest 0.2 percent in june despite a worrisome jump in the Cost of other items the government said Friday. The Rise in the labor department s producer Price Index for finished goods one Stop Short of the retail level followed a Rise in May of 0.3 percent. It brought wholesale inflation for the first half of 1990 to an annual rate of 3.7 percent compared with 4.8 percent for All of 1989. The number was about what economists anticipated. However prices for items outside the volatile food and Energy sectors jumped 0.6 percent in june the steepest increase in a year and about double the expected Rise. Analysts consider this so called a a cores rate a better indicator of underlying in nation pressures in the Economy. However the jump follows a string of five moderate rises of 0.3 percent or 02 percent. Another report Friday showed retail sales bolstered by a big jump in department store sales shot up 0.5 percent in june posting the first increase in five months. At the White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said the administration was pleased with the figures on both producer prices and retail sales. A inflation has been steadily declining since the first of the year confirming our conclusion that the january Price increase was indeed temporary. This is excellent news for the Economy a he said. You re out of line kid Sas pm Cal or ill try Nicholas Mingus 3, is unimpressed even sary of the 1st army div. The audience Usa eur commander and a former though his father an artillery Battery estimated at More than 5,000, included commander of the 1st aim div re commander is one of 1,300 soldiers world War ii veterans of the division As viewed the troops. The division was Deac standing formation in Ansbach West Well As German War veterans they had Tiv ated for five years after world War ii Germany Friday for the 50th Annivera fought against. Gen. Crosbie e. Saint then reactivated in the states in 1951.meeting held to reassure North bases workers by Ken Clauson Bremerhaven Bureau Bremerhaven West Germany a . Military officials in Northern Germany met with German and american civilian workers Friday to quell fears about possible base closures in the area. J the meeting attended by hundreds of workers came a Day after an announcement by Usa eur officials that parts of the Nord deutschland military Community Are being considered for closure or consolidation. The stars and stripes was barred from the meeting but obtained an audio tape of the session from a civilian employee. During the meeting col. James Becker assured workers that closings or consolidations Are not predetermined and that a final decision rests with Usa eur commander Gen. Crosbie Saint. Becker the Community a Deputy commander also Heads the 543rd area support group about 8,000 soldiers and 1,250 German civilians work in the Community most at Carl Schurz Cavern in Bremerhaven and Lucius d. Clay Cavern in Karlstedt. The Community also includes 30 smaller Sites. However the Usa eur announcement said Karlstedt would not be closed and will be considered Only for consolidation v a this study is similar to those that Are starting to be conducted at other . Army installations in Europe arid i fully expect that we will hear More and More announcements of similar studies a said Becker who leaves next week for an assignment in Giessen West Germany. He told the workers that the study will be conducted by 21st theater army area come and nor Deutsch land military Community officials. A in other words we Are not just being asked for input but will be part of the study team Ana that a very important a he said. Despite his assurances Many local National employees left the meeting still concerned about their futures. Some noted that the meeting began at 1300 hours on a Friday the 13th. A i think the German workers Are still of the opinion that the study is More or less done Quot said Reinhard Hensel chairman of the support groups 800-member works Council a the local National workers have the feeling that they will not have jobs after  the employees Are convinced that the Bremerhaven posts will be closing and that a a it a Only a question of How Many will be Able to get jobs at Karlstedt a Hensel said. Karlstedt is Home to the 4,400 members of the 2nd army div fwd which employs about 100 German civilians. Many of the other German civilians work in Bremerhaven at a North sea port facility operated by the army since december 1945. All privately owned vehicles bound for . Government personnel in Germany and Scandinavia Are processed through the port along with most service members Auto bound for Italy the Netherlands and Turkey. The Bremerhaven port is also a major shipping Point for military equipment and supplies and for commercial goods for commissaries and Post exchanges in Europe. The 543rd area support group supports a variety of army air Force and Navy units in Northern Germany flip unit employs 110 soldiers 55 . Civilians and about 8 x germans. Its support Mission ranges from administration and Supply to maintenance and Security according to Fred m Ikon a spokesman for the Community. Many workers believe the 543rd will be moved to Karlstedt and that port operations will be skilled to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. A it would be inappropriate to comment because the study has not been completed a Milton said in a statement a any response at this time would be speculative Quot islamic front claims it blew up Plant in Texas Amman Jordan apr an extremist islamic group Friday claimed responsibility for an explosion at a Texas chemical Plant july 5 that killed 17 people. Arco chemical co. Of North America said from its Headquarters in Newtown Square pa., that it had not heard of the claim and did not know whether it was valid. The cause of the blast is under investigation and no signs of sabotage at the Plant have been reported. A spokesman for the islamic liberation front told the associated press that the Arco Plant in Channel View Texas was attacked because the United states supports Israel despite a its killings and terrorism against our palestinian families in the occupied West Bank and Gaza step. Washington a ignores the human rights of our palestinian people a said the official who met with an a reporter and spoke on condition of anonymity. A we want Washington to taste the pain of the deaths of its people the same Way we feel the pain of the killings of our palestinian families at the hands of the zionist criminals a he said. There was no Way to independently verify the claim of responsibility. However the islamic liberation front had threatened two weeks ago to attack . And israeli interests worldwide to avenge the May 20 massacre of seven palestinian labourers in a Tel Aviv Israel suburb by an former israeli Soldier. The front is a relatively Large group based in the West Bank and Gaza it has followers in Jordan and several other Arab countries. It advocates armed struggle against neighbouring Israel and Calls for the elimination of the jewish state. Since 1983, the front has opposed Palestine liberation organization chairman Yasser Arafat s moves toward a settlement with Israel and hundreds of guerrillas have broken away from the Plo. The front was responsible for an attack on an israeli army patrol May 17 near the West Bank City of Hebron an israeli Soldier was wounded in that raid. A this factory was providing the . Army with chemical equipment although it was publicly operating As a factory manufacturing supplies for civilians a the fronts spokesman claimed. A one of our unit commanders operating in the United slates of America informed our Headquarters in the occupied territories last Friday that our comrades had set ablaze a Texas chemical factory and that the Mission was successfully accomplished Quot he said. He refused to give any further details for a Security  the Arco Plant 15 Miles East of Houston was wrecked by the explosions and fire w hich levelled an area the Sie of a City Block. Arco spokeswoman Sallie Anderson said from the company a Headquarters Friday that the cause of the explosion had not been determined. She also said she was unaware of any recent threats against the company