European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 a a a the stars and stripes tuesday August 14,1990 Jolt a an f-14 tomcat Jet fighter is guided to a Landing aboard the Carrier Nimitz off the coast of san Francisco. Officers say Carrier could be vulnerable to chemical War aboard the Nimitz apr the presence of . Aircraft carriers in the Middle East could help Stop iraqi aggression but the massive floating airports could be vulnerable to chemical warfare officers aboard the aircraft Carrier Nimitz say. The nuclear powered Carrier performing flight operations off the California coast has cruised the Middle East and the persian Gulf area before. In 1981, two of its aircraft shot Down libyan planes Over the Gulf of Sidra. One Sailor said he hoped the ship would go to the Middle East. Quot i would like to see something done Quot said Chris Szymanski 20, a Bedford mich., native who works in the Galley. "1 would like to see the Nimitz go but 1 know that some of the people would not like to see the Nimitz go because of their girlfriends or their  but the Nimitz which left its Home port of Bremerton wash., last week had no orders to go to the Middle East. Officers aboard the Nimitz say their sister carriers could be a deterrent to iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein and his million Man military. The Carrier Dwight d. Eisenhower and its flotilla recently crossed the red sea into the Indian Ocean. The Carrier Independence and its 13 escort and support ships Are in the Northern arabian sea and the Saratoga and its 15-ship Battle group Are in route to the Mediterranean. Over the weekend the Pentagon declined to comment on a number of reports that the aircraft Carrier Kennedy would be sent to the Middle East from Norfolk va., where it is being supplied for a new duty cruise. The carriers can each carry at least 5,000 men and More than 70 aircraft including a-6e and Fa-18 attack bombers and f-14a tomcats. They also carry anti submarine sea King helicopters and e-2c Haw Keyes whose rotating radar domes provide Early warning capabilities. The ships also have their own missile defense systems. Quot the Carrier has a Long to deliver weapons to hit targets and it can move around Quot said cmdr. Bruce Ross an officer in the Nimitz a combat defense Center the nerve Center of a Carrier. With four catapults a Carrier can launch an aircraft every 30 seconds. Radar hammers would make it difficult for an enemy Fleet to find the carriers. A i Don t know How Many wars and How Many conflicts have been prevented m the past 20 years by having a Carrier Battle group present off the coast or in a position to strike potential adversaries a said Nimitz capt. Robert c. Williamson a 27-year Navy Veteran. Quot in this particular Case i done to think we desire to have a conflict or any expansion of the warfare that has taken place right now but i do know we will do fend saudi Arabia militarily Quot he said. Iraq used chemical weapons in its War with Iran and . Ground troops Are equipped for defense against them. Nimitz officials say carriers also can be susceptible to chemical attack. A if you want to neutralize a Carrier the Best thing that an enemy can do is to use chemical weapons Quot said it. Cmdr. Tom Tanner a combat damage control assistant who helps train sailors on chemical warfare defense. The ship frequently has drills during which Crew members Don cumbersome masks. The sailors also Are equipped with rubber boots and gloves and charcoal lined pants and hooded tops. Quot by just threatening a chemical attack a and having to get your Guys onto the flight decks with their suits a they be met their Mission Quot Tanner said Quot it puts you in a position hat cuts Down your  but the Nimitz a Captain minimized the possibility of raq harming a . Navy Battle group. A i done to feel very threatened by iraqis at All when we re operating in the arabian sea a Williamson said. Quot if i were Saddam id quit right now Quot he added. Gas prices up by a dime a gallon los Angeles apr the Middle fast crisis helped drive up gasoline prices at the pump by More than a dime a gallon Over the last three weeks an Oil analyst says. The nationwide Lundgerg Survey of about 13,000 stations found the average Price for ail grades of gasoline including taxes was $1.27.94 a gallon on Friday up 10.2 cents from july 20. Anahel to nil Lundgerg on sunday said that . Oil companies base been forced to pay inflated prices for Oil and gasoline on the Short term spot Market to meet consumer demand during the summer driving months. Quot the refiners Are More susceptible to what Sha pening in the Middle fast now than at any Oulu time a she said. Refiners also raised their wholesale prices quickly t prevent panic buying that would leave them unable t fill customer orders she said. There was a Bright spot for Consumers. Dealers Faik to pass on the full Cost of wholesale Price increases to the customers. Between july 20 and aug. U. Their profit Ilia gins shrank but 0.8 cents a gallon  said stateside executive to decide Calif. Lawmakers salaries Sacramento Calif. Apr gov. George Dukmejian selected one of the highest paid private executives in the state to head a new commission to decide How much California a lawmakers should earn. Claude s. Brinegar executive vice president of Union Oil co. Of California earned More than $1.6 million last year according to a report in the san Jose Mercury news. But Brinegar who was . Secretary of transportation for two years said in a recent interview that his current salary will not affect his decisions on the legislative salary commission. He a known a flow salaries too he said Quot when 1 went to the . Government As Secretary of transportation i took a Cabinet Post at $60,000, and i lived on it a As chairman Brinegar will preside Over a panel appointed to judge the adequacy of legislators current salary of $40,816 a year. The California citizens compensation commission a ifs created after voters passed an initiative package designed to halt ethics  with engine afire makes emergency Landing Belgrade Mont. Apr a Continental airlines Jet with 157 people aboard made an emergency Landing shortly after Takeoff sunday morning when one of its three engines caught fire officials said. The Boeing 727, bound for Denver landed safely shortly after 9 a.m., said Leo Royske air traffic manager at Gallatin Field about 70 Miles Southeast of Helena in Central  hostage 84, makes thief feel at Home new York apr a bungling burglar got Motherly treatment from an 84-year-old woman he held hostage for 5 i hours with a Home cooked breakfast and a scolding about his criminal line of work police said. Ruth Wolko was held inside her Bronx apartment sunday during a standoff Between police and Jose Cruz 29, before he set her Loose and surrendered detective Dominick Misino said. Quot they developed a very unusual rapport a a Misino said. Cruz broke into Wolkoys Riverdale apartment after neighbors called police when he allegedly was discovered ransacking another apartment. Armed with a realistic looking toy gun he threatened to shoot his hostage if police stormed the building the detective said. Wolko calmed her captor with offerings from her refrigerator and sincere concern about his predicament police  says girl 6, wins court Battle for painting new York apr the great granddaughter of photographer Edward Steichen has won Back a Matisse painting valued at $800,000 after a Legal Battle with new Yorkus museum of modern Art according to a published report. But 6-year-old Anana Rodina Calderone Stahmer probably will never see the painting in her Home because it will be sold to cover Legal Bills her family has to pay the new York times reported in sunday editions. The times said the museum settled out of court of Friday but terms of the arrangement in Federal court in Bridgeport conn., were not made Public. The child s family spent More than $100,000 in Legal fees in the dispute the newspaper reported. Henri Matisse presented Edward Steichen with the painting a vue de Colli Oure a 1�?Teglise,�?� in 1908 to thank him for helping arrange the first . Exhibition of his works and to commemorate the birth of Steichen a daughter Kate. Steichen gave Kate Steichen the painting on her 53rd birthday and she in turn loaned it to the museum in 1973, the year her father died. She died m 1988 and the museum and the family have argued Over the painting Ever since. I he museum said miss Steichen donated the painting to the museum. The family said miss Steichen bequeathed the painting to her grand Niece. Ariana. Who lives in Pennington