European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 16, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes thursday August 16, 1990 military round airlines offering waivers to those serving in Gulf Washington a Many major Aidines Are offering waivers to holders or lion refundable tickets who were unable to meet their travel plans because of duty in the Middle East. The assistance applies to military members and their families. The air carriers include american airlines America West Continental airlines Delta air lines pan american world airways Southwest airlines Twa United airlines and us air. Some airlines Are offering full refunds on passenger tickets. Other airlines Are honouring tickets for later travel on the same itinerary for up to a year while others Are Only waiving  cancellation or re ticketing. More information is available from the individual airlines or commercial ticket offices. Navy lodges now accept diners club credit cards Staten Island . A government sponsored diners club cards Wilt now be accepted at All Navy lodges. Travellers on official government business May use their government sponsored cards at Navy lodges to guarantee reservations and to pay for room and Telephone charges. For guaranteed reservations guests will be charged for the full night promptly at 6 . However the room will be held until noon the next Day. If the guest does not arrive by that time the balance of the reservation will be cancelled. Merchandise May not be charged on government sponsored credit cards. World Tod defused mines explode at norwegian resort area Oslo Norway a a defused naval mines thought harmless for nearly 40 years exploded tuesday Al a popular norwegian boating spot but there were no serious injuries reports said. The six to eight mines each loaded with up to 1 ton of explosives May have been triggered by lightning the norwegian news Agency Nib said. They were among 28 sea mines stored since the 1050s Al Rausey an Oslo fiord Island that has numerous summer Cabins and Small boats a norwegian in a boat near the blast was treated at a nearby Hospital for Shock a it is unbelievable that this was not a More serious Accident. There was also a Sailboat very Gose i the blast but no one aboard was injured a Navy cmdr. Johan Lollen told nth. Ave can Only speculate about the cause. When mines Are defused it s supposed to be impossible Abr them to detonate. Hut it  to celebrate party Gdansk Poland apr Solidarity the free Trade Union that ended communist Rule in Poland and helped Spur the democratic upheaval throughout Eastern Europe is throwing itself a two week party to celebrate its 10th birthday. But he festivities Are tempered by a split within Solidarity a ranks that has deepened As Poland makes the difficult transition to introducing capitalism and democracy. A two Wick anniversary festival officially began wednesday in this Baltic port City where Solidarity was bom out of a strike that began aug. 14, 1980, m what was then the Lenin shipyard now renamed the Gdansk shipyard the nationally televised festivities began with a Marathon race a an appropriate Symbol for a movement that proved its endurance by surviving underground for More than seven years after it was banned. Solidarity chairman Lech Walesa sounded the Start of the race for More than 1,200 runners who set off from the Gdansk shipyard to the Gdynia port. The athletes were decked out in Solidarity to shirts and badges with the familiar red logo. Some were in wheelchairs. The sports events concerts lectures and films were to run through aug 31, the Date when the 1980 strike ended with the government signing an agreement to legalize the soviet blocks first free Trade Union and introduce other reforms Walesa recalled the 1980 strike As a the beginning of the end of the old  a in these 10 years despite everything we accomplished a lot Quot he said. A nonetheless i am not satisfied and 1 am still rebellious because Many things Are going too  Solidarity now finds its Trade Union membership Only one fifth of the 10 million members it claimed in 1980-81. Its political Wing is split into opposing Camps a one Loyal to Walesa and the other to his former ally and adviser prime minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki. In his statement tuesday to the official Pap news Agency Walesa lamented the loss of the mass popular euphoria that greeted Solidarity a arrival in 1980. A we have not. Worked out ways of reviving the. A it a y Jit Quot a a a map Union Leader Lech Walesa brings Flowers to a Gdansk Monument honouring slain shipyard workers. Spirit of 1980, which was stifled by martial Law and the people in Power then Quot he said. A and that is Why we need to work out mechanisms for including the Broad masses into what we Are doing now. A if we do not do this the elite by itself will not be capable of building a Good new system of democracy in Poland.&Quot$5.5 million reportedly paid for Swiss hostages Freedom Beirut Lebanon apr a Beirut newspaper wednesday reported that a $5.5 million Ransom was paid to gain the release of two Swiss red Cross workers held hostage. The conservative Al Anwar daily citing Anonymous sources in Southern Lebanon sport City of Sidon did not say who paid the Ransom for freeing Emanuel Christen and Elio Erriquez Swiss and red Cross officials have denied any Deal was made for the two who were kidnapped in october the newspaper said Errique Czi a release monday was delayed for several hours because of the kidnappers demand to raise the Ransom. A the kidnappers insisted on collecting the full amount and that the share of the third party which worked As a mediator be added to the previous amount Quot it said. Erriquez 24, an orthopaedic technician was set free nearly 24 hours after a group calling itself Palestine revolutionary squads said it would release him. Christen 33, also an orthopaedic expert was released six Days earlier. Al Anwar said the kidnappers insisted on getting a Lump sum and not instalments which prolonged pm Quez s release to give time for the mediators to Contact the International committee of the red Cross and the Swiss government. It did not  German party fires official linked to Stasi Berlin apr East Germany s lop political party tired its general Secretary wednesday after a news Magazine said he had worked for the former communist secret police for 1 5 years. The Christian democratic Union of prime minister i Olar de Mai Here said it was relieving general Secretary Martin kure her of his duties the East German news Agency adn reported quoting depots parts chairman Horst Koshella. Inv her seas dismissed shortly alter the West German Maga one Stern reported in its latest edition that lie worked for the notorious secret police As a paid informant Tor 1 5 Sears. Stern ssh Icli cued As sources three former secret police members said knew Ner seas Stork my for the intelligence network when he met Iasi sear u a West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and other West German officials. Kirchner was on vacation and could not be reached for comment. He has denied previous reports in the press that he had ties to the secret police known As the Stasi. The Stern report is the latest of several accusations that prominent people in East Germany s nest democratic system were informers for the once feared Domestic intelligence network in recent months there also one been widespread reports that the Stasi har boxed notorious leftist terrorists and May have plotted and carried out the assassinations of dissidents and refugees. Considered one of the most skilled intelligence services m the world the omnipresent Stasi created an atmosphere of tear and intimidation shut helped keep 1 1 lower the government of former hard line communist Leader Erich Honecker. Honecker was ousted last fall by a popular pro democracy uprising. Quot the Stern report said Kirchner reported to the Stasi details of a meeting w Ith Kohl and other West German officials during the waning Days of the former government. Kohl s West German Christian democrats helped turn the East German Christian democratic Union from a communist linked puppet party into a sister party that will soon merge with its West German counterpart. Quote he Stern report said kure her supplied information from the meeting with Kohl to the Stasi so it could prepare for he jays following Honecker s fall. I he Christian democrats won inc most votes in edit Germain s first free elections on March is by Pronin Una to seek Quick Unity with West Germany de Maiziere has denied accusations that he also supplied information to the secret police. Stern said Kirchner was paid monthly by the Stasi and worked As an informant for the Agency until a few Days before the opening of the Berlin Wall on nov. 9. Stern said two of the three former Stasi members it quoted were Kirchner s Bosses during his relationship with the secret police Between 1978 and 1989. 1 he Stasi had More than 80,000 members but was believed to have had even More people working with it on a  basis. 1 his group included educators scientists and numerous other people. East germans Are torn Between seeking retribution and prosecuting former Stasi agents and informants or Gramma general amnesty