European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 15, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday january 15. 1991 the stars and stripes a a a Page 9local military commander ordered assault in Lithuania Gorbachev says Vilnius . A president Mikhail Gorbachev on monday said a local military commander decided to use Force in the breakaway Republic of Lithuania where an assault by soviet troops on sunday claimed 14 lives. A the manner of defense was decided by the commandant a a Gorbachev said of the assault. A i Learned Only in the morning the Early morning when they got me up. When it happened no one  Lithuania a foreign minister who is in Poland with instructions to form a government in exile if the Kremlin takes Over the Republic said the army is taking control in the soviet Union. A in Vilnius the soviet army is the enemy and nobody knows Yho is commanding it a said foreign minister Algirdas Saudargas. Gorbachev said sundays assault came after a group of what he called a workers and intellectuals had asked the military commander in Vilnius the lithuanian capital to a give us  he appeared to be referring to opponents of lithuanian Independence who have formed a self declared National salvation committee. A sundays deaths were the first in the 10-month-old standoff Between the Kremlin and the Republic of 3.7 million people which was annexed by the soviet Union at the Start of world War ii. The storming of the republics main broadcast facility provoked harsh condemnation from the United states the european Community and nato. European Community foreign ministers meeting in Brussels Belgium agreed monday to condemn the soviet military crackdown in Lithuania. But Luxembourg foreign minister Jacques Poos said the ministers did not suspend a $1 billion Aid program recently approved to help the ailing soviet Economy. The nato nations deplored the soviet military crackdown and warned that any further use of Force in Lithuania would have a negative consequences on the allies relations with the Kremlin. In his comments to reporters during a break at the supreme soviet legislature in Moscow Gorbachev did not identify by name the military leaders who ordered the assault. Nor during his 10-minute conversation with reporters did he express regret for the deaths or explain Why he waited until monday to comment on the violence. The other Baltic republics Latvia and Estonia braced monday for possible crackdowns. Citizens set up barricades in the streets of Riga the latvian capital and gathered to protect Telephone and radio buildings. Latvia a parliament met through the night. In Lithuania monday the streets were quiet and the Republic closed its schools to begin three Days of official mourning. Earlier monday soviet defense minister Dmitri Yazoo and Interior minister Boris Pugo said the assault was requested by the National salvation committee. Soviet tanks Roll through the lithuanian capital of Vilnius sunday during an assault on the radio and television station. But in remarks to the supreme soviet National legislature neither of them explained How the shadowy committee had the authority to order army tanks and troops into action. Soviet paratroopers the Kab and communist party loyalists have also seized a radio relay station bringing to eight the number of buildings occupied in and around Vilnius said lithuanian parliament spokeswoman Rita Dapkus. Yazoo said he issued orders Early monday that tanks in the City not use their weapons and that troops be confined to Barracks. The defense minister said he wanted tanks removed from the downtown area but too Many objects were blocking their path. The National salvation committee on sunday declared a 10 . To 6 . Curfew and said a military commandant was in charge of Vilnius. It forbade the use of photocopying machines fax machines and amplifiers banned most Public demonstrations and. Authorized the military to make spot checks. The committees full membership has not been publicly revealed but it includes leaders of the anti Independence Branch of the communist party. It also appears to be linked to Yedin Stevo a movement to protect the rights of ethnic russians and russian speakers who form a minority in the Republic and it clearly has support from the Central government. Most lithuanian residents still seemed to support their elected government instead of the salvation committee. About 9 percent of Lithuania a 3.7 million people Are ethnic russian. Ethnic russians make up 28 percent of Estonia a population of 1.6 million and about 33 percent of Latvia a 2.7 milion people. A a a a a a committee spokesman Juozas Jarmala Vicius the lithuanian communist party ideology chiefs said members Are a in contacts with Gorbachev but he would not elaborate. V a if there is not the immediate introduction of presidential order immediately there could be Suffre deaths a a Jarmal Vici unsaid. Dapkus said lithuanian president vytautas Landsbergis spoke to Gorbachev by Telephone monday but the soviet president refused to answer questions about who ordered the military Force. She said Gorbachev agreed to allow medical workers into the occupied build Ings to Check for injured people. Soldiers standing guard have suggested they Are holding prisoners she said. Dapkus said the death toll from sundays assault Rose to 14 when an. Injured Man died in a Hospital monday. She said 166 people were injured the Interior ministry said 163. A a thousands of lithuanians defied the first curfew in Vilnius staying past Midnight in the City scentral Freedom Square where they had gathered throughout sunday to Pray sing hymns and form a human shield around the parliament building. After Midnight when lithuanian leaders reached a truce with soviet army officers Landsbergis leaned out of a window in the parliament building and urged the crowd to go Home. Gradually most drifted away. But about 200 remained waving lithuanian hags Many huddled around bonfires to keep warm. Landsbergis said the soviet officers promised during the negotiations that if t lie crowd complied with the curfew and dispersed the army would not try to seize the building. A it would be Good if this would end w Ith no More suffering a Landsbergis  opens into deadly soccer Brawl Johannesburg South Africa a police and soccer officials opened inquiries monday info the cause of a fight that touched off a Stampede at a soccer stadium leaving 40 people dead and More than 50 injured. The violence erupted at an exhibition match sunday Between two of the country a most popular professional soccer teams the Kaiser chiefs and the Orlando pirates. When the chiefs scored a goal 27 minutes into the match fans began  panic ensued and the crowd in the main grandstand tried to push through a wire Fence onto the Quot Field at Orkney 80 Miles Southwest of Johannesburg. Many of those injured were in serious condition and the death toll could Rise police said. Police said an investigation was under Way but gave no additional details. There were no indications that the violence Vas politically motivated. The National soccer league the governing body for the sport sent officials to investigate and held an emergency meeting of its management committee monday. A this tragedy is unprecedented in the history of South african soccer and it must not be allowed to happen again a said Cyril Kobus the leagues chief executive officer. A More than .20,000 Black spectators were attending the match held at a stadium on the grounds of the Vaal reef Gold mines. Anglo american corp., the company that owns the mines said it would conduct  inquiry. A we will be talking very closely with promoters who hired the stadium a said Adrian Duplessis a spokesman for Anglo american. The crowd was a mixture of mine employees local residents and fans from the Soweto township outside Johannesburg where the two learns Are based. Most of those killed and injured were trampled to death. But  Zulu a photographer for the newspaper so Wetan said some people were stabbed. A there was chaos. Everyone was running for cover a Zulu said. A people were using chairs and anything they could to protect  the game stopped and the players were not involved in the fighting Zulu said. He said ambulances had to struggle through crowds of people to reach the stadium