European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 06, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 24 a a the stars and stripes sunday january 6, 1991. A a a a it. A. . Evacuating americans from Somalia. A a ,. A. A. A a a a a. It a <1.  .1 i ii ii  m i i Ai. Washington apr the United states mounted a military operation to Rescue americans stranded by civil War in Somalia Hying two helicopters and a Small  marines into the East african nation. In the initial hours of the operation Early saturday 61 people were evacuated from Somalia s capital of Mogadishu and flown to ships offshore said a state department statement. A the evacuation is proceeding successfully. We anticipate the operation will he completed soon a it said. The Marine i i-53 helicopters took off front the Trenton an amphibious transport Dock ship and headed for the . Embassy in the Seaside capital Mogadishu where americans were told to congregate for evacuation. 1 i lie Trenton was among the  ships deployed in the area As part of operation desert shield said an administration official Odio requested anonymity. A Small unit fron the 4th Marine expeditionary brigade was flown into the capita to assist in the rapid evacuation  department said. The marines  into the capital from the  and the amphibious assault ship Guam. A their Mission is solely to assist in the rapid and peaceful departure of americans from Somalia a the state department said. A they Are not involved in any Way in the conflict there.�?�. The Pentagon declined to say where the evacuees were being taken but sources in neighbouring Kenya said the american ships would probably take its evacuees to the kenyan coastal City of Mombasa about a Days voyage away. The Pentagon did say the evacuees would first be taken to the two ships. Between 70 and 80 americans a among a them 37 . Government personnel a were among some 500 foreigners stranded in Somalia since fighting began dec. 30 Between rebels and government forces of president Mohame Siad Barre. Italy the former colonial ruler of the strategic Horn of Africa country sent four planes to Somalia to pick up 100 italians and 70 other foreigners.. And italian diplomats had held Oft. On the Rescue so they could arrange a truce in the fighting both countries agreed to. The rebels demand that the evacuation he conducted under the auspices of the International committee for the red Cross. The administration kept its plans secret and was dismayed when italian foreign minister Gianni de Mich Lis told reporters in Rome Early saturday that american helicopters were sent to pick up 60 to 70 people of various nationalities at the . Embassy compound in the capital. The . Government designated the embassy As the main Assembly Point for the evacuation and. Began informing americans on Friday through voice of America broadcasts ,. The broadcast said americans a should be  act quickly As the evacuation will occur at the first available Safe opportunity.�?�. A a bus from Page 1 a quoted Ramadan As saying a if the direct aggression is launched against Iraq the Arab and islamic Arena will be one operation  meanwhile in Amman Jordan dozens of americans britons and other Western nationals thronged the Airport saturday to catch flights Home under advice from their governments to leave the Region before Jan. 15. Despite the renewed diplomatic overtures fear of an iraqi inspired global terrorist Campaign in the event of warded More airlines to suspend Middle East service and forced increased Security precautions on. Some North sea Oil rigs. Security also has been tightened in Germany to Dent with potential pro iraqi terrorists who probably already have slipped into the country officials said saturday. Other German officials also urged tighter vigilance at Borders airports and other places where extremists could either infiltrate or stage attacks. Germany a target of past Middle East terrorism and Home to Huff Leeds of thousands of americans has become increasingly worried about the potential for extremist attacks spawned by the Gulf crisis. Iraq and the United states also remained firm in their positions about How to resolve the crisis and the consequences of War Saddam has sought to link a Gulf settlement to discussions on the palestinian Issue. Bush on Friday reiterated his opposition to such a condition. The 12-Natiort european  Friday to offer to meet Aziz the Day after his talks with Baker. But Aziz iras declined tiie dec invitation for talks on the Gulf crisis the official iraqi news Agency reported in other developments saturday. A police pushed iraqi demonstrators Back from the american embassy compound in Baghdad where they had gone to protest the  embargo against Iraq. A -. A a. A. A a Michel Rauzelle president of the French National Assembly a foreign affairs commission met with.sad-, dam for several hours a French Diplomat said. A both sides in the crisis have stepped up preparations to care for mass casualties in event of Warthe multinational forces have  Beds As tar away As Spain and Britain for  murdered . Says san Salvador Al Salvador apr . Officials said saturday that a medical investigation has confirmed two . Soldiers were fatally shot after their helicopter was downed by salvadoran rebels. Or. Glenn n. Wagner assistant armed forces medical examiner told a news conference that the team concluded two of the three men aboard the helicopter were victims of �?ohomicide.�?�. A. The preliminary medical report supported earlier claims by . Officials that two of the soldiers were executed by members of the Faramundo Marti National liberation front after the helicopter was shot Down on wednesday. Gis from Page 1. Right. Aggression done to pay a he added. A it bolsters the Pride we have for our country to have somebody come Down and show us their Pride in what we re doing a spec. Billy Nance said. A it shows that they actually care a spec. Michael Bruining added. 1 other soldiers w Ere More relieved to finally be on their Way to saudi Arabia. A the waiting is Over a said  Kyle Liggett. A that s. What a hard knowing you re going but not knowing when. You think about it. You have to. You just can to think about it too much or you get stressed  Liggett and three buddies in the 4th in started Basic training at fort Knox ky., on aug. 2 a the Day of the iraqi invasion of Kuwait. A so you can imagine what Basic training was like a he said. Liggett and his pals who were trained or be tankers really weren to too surprised when the army sent them to Germany to drive trucks. Liggetts buddies even joked about it in the tense hour before the final leg of the journey to the desert Quot that Sall you can do a spec. Scott Koutnik said. A you gotta have a sense of humor to make it a cause we done to really know what might happen Down  rebel spokesmen have denied the allegations and called for an Independent investigation. They said the soldiers were found alive in their Huey helicopter but died minutes later of their wounds. The rebels who originally said they did not know they were firing on a . Helicopter said Friday that they shot at the Craft after it fired on a Village. Us. Officials denied shots were fired from the helicopter. The . Report said that a at least three different weapons were used to kill it. Col. David h. Pickett and pvt. 1st class Earnest g. Dawson. It said two were High velocity rifles and one was a handgun. The report said that Only chief warrant officer Daniel s. Scott had died in the helicopter crash. The three members of the . Army a 4th in 228th aviation regt were returning to their base in Honduras after a routine service Mission to san Salvador the . Government said. Despite vow army medic deploys with unit to Gulf Rhein main a Germany a amps the army medic who said he would go to saudi Arabia Only in a straitjacket deployed to the desert with part of his unit Friday evening a v corps spokesman said saturday. Army officials had said pfc. Sean plodder would be. Handcuffed and put on the plane. But on saturday it. Col. I ick Bridges was unable to say if restraints or Force. Were used on Hodder. The medic who is assigned to the 4th in 67th army regt said he is protesting the deployment based on religious grounds and is also seeking conscientious objector status. A member of the Jehovah a witnesses he said he has been trying to get out of the army since july because he is not Cut out for military life. He claimed that his application for co status was met. With a wave of harassment and said he. Went awol on Dee. 1. After returning to his unit he was put under 24-hour guard at Ray Barracks in Friedberg until the deployment. A a a a a a a a. A a the army denies that Hodder was harassed. A spokesman said his co status and awol offence will be dealt with in saudi Arabia.b-52from Page 1loads of conventional explosives has shrunk to no More than 40. The air Force was in the process of retiring a Wing of 32 b-52s based in Guam when operation desert shield began. The so called Christmas bombing of Vietnam in 1972 a part of the controversial operation linebacker a employed 130 of the huge b-52s, operation cobra a bombing Campaign that helped Allied Landing forces break through German defences in France in 1944, used 1,495 medium and heavy american bombers. Defense analysts estimate that any prolonged bombardment of iraqi Date Psi a positions would require about 100 b-52s, each of which can carry a 30-ton bomb Load. But while almost 200 More b-52 Are now available most of them serve in the . Nuclear Arsenal. For the air Force to deploy these nuclear specialists for operation desert shield the president would have to take them off their doomsday Alert duties at bases throughout the United Stales. A i done to know what More evidence you need to reconsider this policy of letting your bomber Force dwindle at a time when your bombardment needs Are increasing a said bpm International s record. A we could not do another linebacker today and we might have another linebacker staring us in the  _ for now it is Clear that by taking some b-52s off nuclear Alert the United states could Field a Force of bombers big enough to cause untold misery among iraqi troops in the kuwaiti desert. The iraqis have built entrenchments that Are designed to slow ground assaults but not to protect a from air attacks. Although senior . Military officials have warned of simultaneous assaults on Kuwait and Iraq from the sea air and land Many . Officials say that the Bong bar dment of trenches would come before a Large scale ground attack. The air Force has drawn up plans for bombardments that could last for As Long As two months a tactic that could claim the lives of tens of thousands of iraqi soldiers and cause disorientation and despair among most of the survivors. But military experts acknowledge that the Bush administrations eagerness to wage a Quick and violent War probably will hit the time that bombers will be per med to mount their preliminary barrages. Quot Quot we know exactly where these de Tensive entrenchments arc find you can in a couple of Days obliterate them a. With bombs ranging from 5uu to 2,000 pounds and canister bombs that scatter land mines said a source who is familiar w Ith . Plans. Such weapons shatter eardrums and their explosive Impact and the blast Waves they set off stun and kill the enemy. Their effect would be psychologically devastating to troops who have been hunkered Down for months then suddenly get pinned Dow n without any certainty of reprieve. A the enemy does no to know if this will Goon for another hour or if you can do this for a year a and we can a one proponent of Large scale bombardment said.  he can to even get out of his Trench to Send the body bags  a a a As of now neither saudi Arabia nor its neighbors has permitted the United states to base its b-52s in the Middle East so the planes await word from . Bases in Guam in the Pacific Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean Loring fab in Maine Arm Castle fab near Merced Calif. If War Breaks out however . Otic lib expect several countries including egg a 1 and saudi Arabia to approve the temporary operation of b-52s front their soil