European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 2, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a a a the stars and stripes thursday August 2,1990house panel cuts $2.75 billion from b-2 by Chuck Vinci Washington Bureau. Washington a the House armed services committee has voted to Cut $2.75 billion in production funds for the b-2 stealth bomber next year putting the panel at Odds not Only with the Pentagon but also with the Senate armed services committee. The action by the House panel which is chaired by rep. Les Aspin d-wis., sets the stage for the first of several expected Battles Over funding for big ticket weapons items in the fiscal 1991 budget congressional aides said wednesday. A the administration asked for More costly weapons than can possibly fit in the years of declining Difei Csc budgets ahead a Aspin said after the committee voted 40-12 late tuesday to approve the Bill. The Bill would give the Pinta gun $283 billion next year $24 billion less than the administration requested and $6 billion less than the Senate armed services committee approved in its version two weeks ago. The Pentagon had sought funding for 132 b-2s, but defense Secretary Dick Cheney recently revised that request to 75 planes in the face of mounting congressional scepticism Over whether the program is Worth its massive Cost in the Post cold War Era. The House committee vote came less than a week after Asp announced he would no longer support the b-2, which he called a weapon that lacked a a unique and com pelting  cruise missiles could attack the b-2 s intended targets inside the soviet Union at a fraction of news updates the Cost of $840 million per bomber Aspin said. �?o1 think the Case was never made for the system a said rep. John Kasich a Ohio who along with rep. Ron Dellums d-calif., led the fight to cancel the b-2. The Vole on the b-2 was 34-20, with nine republicans among those who lined up against it Kasich said. The committee would halt production of the b-2 beyond the 15 planes already scheduled to be built but would let research and development continue on the aircraft a stealth technology. In its vote the Senate committee said it would fund two b-2 bombers next year in addition to the 15 already authorized. It voted to continue to provide Money for a eventual Fleet of 75 aircraft at a total Cost of $63 billion. In tuesdays vote the House panel handed the Pentagon another bitter Pill when it voted to Cut the administrations $4.7 billion request for the strategic defense initiative by almost $2 billion. A i think you re going to see a concerted Effort to Cut that funding Back even further when the Bill goes to the House floor for debate by the full chamber a committee staffer said a a that a another system that seems to be losing . The Senate armed services committee also voted to Cut Star wars funding but by a much More modest $1 billion. That would put funding at about the same level approved for the current fiscal year. 7, the House committee vote came on the same Day the Pentagon held a news briefing to tout recent advancements in ski technology. In yet another setback for the administration the committee Cut All funds for the my and Midge than intercontinental ballistic missiles and directed president Bush to decide within 90 Days which system he wants. Bush had asked for $2.1 billion for the multiple War head my and for moving the missiles from underground silos to roving Railroad cars. He also wanted $202 million in research Money for the single warhead Midge than which is designed to move on Large trucks. The House panel instead voted to create a $600 million general fund 40. Develop the next generation of intercontinental missiles. In other hardware moves the committee voted to slow development of the air Force advanced tactical Quot fighter and c-17 cargo transport plane the  a new Light helicopter and the Navy Al 2 attack aircraft. The committee authorized funding for Only one of two sea Wolf attack submarines the Pentagon sought but approved five new Navy destroyers and the 18th Trident missile launching submarine the panel also rejected Cheney a second attempt in two years to cancel the v-22 Osprey program adding $403 million for the tilt Rotor assault transport aircraft. The full House is not expected to begin debate on the defense authorization Bill until after its August recess due to begin next week. Senate leaders want to begin on their version of the Bill this week. Differences in the two Bills would be reconciled in a House Senate conference committee. Contributing to thl it report the associated press and cos news service Ceausescu plea Bucharest up a Nicu Ceausescu the youngest son of the former dictator is dying of liver disease in a prison cell and wants desperately to spend his last Days As a free Man his lawyer said in an interview. Defense attorney Paula Jacob also revealed Ceausescu had a falling out with his father in the last years of his Rule and tried to persuade him to soften his hard line policies. Quot he does no to want to die As a criminal a Jacob said. A the just thinks about spending his last Days in obscurity getting married and maybe going into  Ceausescu. 39, a reputed Playboy and Gambler is being tried on genocide charges stemming from his alleged order to troops to fire on demonstrators in the transylvanian City of Sabiu where he was communist party Boss. Before a monthlong recess was declared in the trial july 20, Jacob appealed to the five member military tribunal to release Ceausescu saying her client is seriously ill and May not live to hear the  Case Moscow apr seven officials have been charged in the june 1989 pipeline explosion that blew apart two trans siberian Railroad trains and killed 575 people soviet Media reported. The officials who held various managing posts at the time of the Accident were charged after the Moscow prosecutors office completed it investigation the newspaper  reported. No details of the charges were Given. The Accident occurred june 3, 1989, alter a liquefied Gas pipeline exploded Between the Central asian Eity of Ufa and the town of Asha 750 Miles Southeast of Moscow a investigators concluded that the pipeline was built in Gross violation of official standards the newspaper Saiof. A Section of the pipeline had been damaged by an excavator in 1985, but no one noticed it said. The pipeline was buried and then leaked and a spark from an overhead electric line caused the explosion of items a some for very Low prices Sheinberg West Germany Call it a going out of business Sale Only the business this time is re Cinberg military Community. New and used furniture and equipment Are up for grabs As. Well As some like new pickup trucks. A we were just informed that there Are Over 700 pieces of office furniture and housing items available a said Fred Otto Egeler spokesman for the defense re utilization and marketing Region Europe in Wiesbaden. A a Sheinberg is closing and we must remove All the items that Are still on  the Sheinberg military Community is All but shut Down with final closure scheduled before oct. I. To Clear out the remaining property the defense re utilization office has set up an auction and two retail sales for next week. Egeler said some of the furniture is new Ana still in its original packaging. The first retail Sale will be from noon other surplus sales. Wiesbaden West Germany a in the no Jet week auctions and sales will be Heitin four military communities in West Germany a the defense re utilization and marketing office will hold an auction at 9 . Today in building 946 at Johnson Barracks in Firth. Registration begins at 8 ., and the Public is invited to attend. Up for bid will be trailers medical equipment musical instruments sporting goods and televisions. Prices will be in dollars and customers must remove purchases w within eight working Days. A the Firth demo also has scheduled a furniture Sale at the same location to clean out its warehouse. The event will take place from 9 . To noon Fri to 2 . Tuesday. . Identification card holders May select from a variety of furniture items featuring China cabinets dining tables and chairs Large and Small area rugs dressers Beds without a tresses living room tables lamps sofas and some office furniture. Prices will be marked in dollars and no checks will be accepted. Customers will have a Chance to buy a some excellent furniture for very Low prices a Egeler said. All leftover items will be sold from 11 . To 3 . Wednesday. Customers must pick up their purchases by 4 . The same Day. Also on wednesday the Public is invited to the auction of 43 general motors and Dodge pickup trucks. The 1976 to 1982 models have Low mileage some less than 3,000 Miles Egeler said. They have been stored for use Only Day and Only . Identification card holders May participate. Featured household items include Beds assorted tables chairs nightstands and one Large Kitchen Wall unit containing a sink stove and refrigerator. Also up for Sale will be dishes bicycles and household goods. Purchases must be moved out immediately following the Sale. The Hanau office will Host a property Sale in building 636 on Rossau Heim Cavern from 9 . To noon Friday with the first hour reserved for . Identification card holders Only. Some of the items offered will be typewriters bicycles televisions unclaimed household goods military clothing sleeping bags and wooden furniture. During annual return of forces to Germany exercises he said. Bidder registration begins at 8 . And the auction starts at 9 . Interested people May inspect the trucks monday and tuesday from 8 . To noon and i . To 3 . Transactions May be in dollars or Marks and customers have until noon on aug 10 to remove their vehicles. The three events will take place in the Reichl building in Sheinberg. Sheinberg is located on Highway b57 near Duisberg which is North of Disseldorf. Additional information on these special sales is available from the Hanau demo at ets 322-8281 or civilian 06181-55614. European Region defense re utilization and marketing office employees and their family members Are not permitted to make purchases at these events. Prices will be marked in dollars and cd omers must remove purchases directly after the Sale. A an auction will take place tuesday in Kaiserslautern in area 100, near the former Auto strip Yard. Registration starts at 8 ., and the auction begins at 9 . The Public May attend and both dollars and Marks May be used. Property up for bid includes typewriters sleeping bags safety shoes electrical equipment jewelry safes and photography equipment. Also available will be bicycles cargo trailers and pickup trucks. Purchases must be removed within eight working Days of the auction officials said. For additional information Contact the demo at the various locations. West bought Freedom for 33,000 e. Germans Berlin apr West Germany bought the Freedom of 33,000 East German Polit Feal prisoners from 1964 until last years fall of the communist government East Germany a Interior minister said tuesday. Peter Michael Diestel told reporters that we tit Germany was paying 95,847 Marks $60,000 for each prisoner in later years. He said such a precise figure had been set by communist authorities to avoid giving the impression that they were demanding a per head Price. When the practice started in 1964, East Germany a communist authorities requested 40,000 Marks $25,000 at today a Exchange rate for the release of each prisoner Diestel said. The Price Rose Over the years. Diestel said the communist government sometimes demanded payment in goods rather than in Money. This happened first at Christmas 1964, when a oranges were traded for the children of the country a he said. The communist government began Selling political prisoners to raise badly needed hard currency. West Germany reluctantly acknowledged the practice. Those released under the deals were allowed to take their families with them to the West. Starting in the 1970s, those released also in dded people jailed for trying to fee West Diestel said