European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 03, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Or Page 6 a a a the stars and stripes sunday february 3,1991 a a a a. A. A a a a. A is amps Waves Chad Jon Hon Nett station manager of the British forces broadcasting service affiliate in saudi Arabia prepares to go on the air. With an Eye toward moving North the station has already made a sign to hang in broadcasters provide sounds of Home for troops by Dave Schad Middle East Bureau Las i Ern saudi Arabia a when the world began its countdown toward a persian Gulf War the 30,000 or so British troops in saudi Arabia found Comfort and a bit of Home in the English accented voices that carried music and news to their front line radios. The men behind the voices a it civilian volunteers from the British forces broadcasting service a began sending out their round the clock signal from a Small Mobile pm station on Dee. 17. Aside Iron the radio station the seven men Froin bibs also set up a video loan Center for units in the desert. Every night they take two Mobile Heaters out to show movies to the troops. A a a a. Station manager Jon Bennett said this is the first time since world War ii that his organization has begun operating before a War ended. A a bibs roots go Back to a few soldiers who went into a a France on a Day in converted army radio trucks and followed the allies broadcasting the news a said Bennett who a normally based in Cyprus. A since then we be evolved into a civilian organization that operates under contract to the ministry of defense. We be got operations in nine foreign countries such As Hong. Kong Germany and Belize and we also provide audio and video programming to All of her majesty a according to Bennett the push to get bibs on the air came from the British forces commander in saudi Arabia. \ a a a Quot he fought in the falklands War and he saw bibs raised the morale of the men serving there a Bennett explained. A we did no to get Here As quickly As we would be liked because the army had to secure funding and persuade the ministry of defense to f let us a while the paperwork was catching up to bib so Ambi-tn.ius7 Alton Andrews helped till in the Gap Tor Ilic British troops by broadcasting two hours Arjay on the . Armed forces radio and television service Andrews. Normally based in Northern Germany from where the bulk of the forces deployed arrived in saudi Arabia on nov. 7 to do Field reports for the bibs network. He said he volunteered because a my audience is Here and i Felt 1 should be compared with arts whose broadcasters Are All military the British broadcasters said they have a fair amount of Freedom. They do Wear uniforms but that a about As far their military connections go. A your Chain of command runs straight to London and. My audience is Here and i Felt i should be a Alton Andrews we can Tell the military a no a Quot Bennett said a if an american officer tells one of their broadcasters to do such and such to be a sergeant and he might not have a Andrews said his time working with his american counterparts left him with a lot of respect for them. A i was impressed by their resources their technology their people and their genuine commitment to go in and broadcast during Quot the War a Andrews said. A but they put out a lot More of what id Call Subtle propaganda. Things like spots on anti terrorism operational Security Legal rights and dead heroes a lot of it seemed needless to me. Out Here the average Soldier wants to be entertained and informed and that a Barry Williams an audiovisual technician is in charge of the britons. Mobile Cinema service that takes movies to two different units each night. With one of two specially built land rovers Williams or another technician moves into a units area and sets up the outdoor theater in less than an hour. The units can pick two movies from the selection of 90 that the vehicles carry. .1 Quot a a Williams said its not unusual for the troops to show up and watch the films in their sleeping bags and so far the biggest single audience Wasni bout 55tfmen from an Armor unit fac most popular Finis. Williams added include Quot lop gun a a Heartbreak Ridge a a Quot Crocodile Dundee Quot Quot mad Max Quot Quot spies like us Quot and Quot War of the Quot i guess you could say that history is repeating itself Quot Williams said. Quot this started in North Africa Quot during world War ii and we be had cinemas in most of our campaigns since he said he will follow the land forces North and show the movies wherever the troops Are. Bennett said the radio station can be relocated in 24 hours and it has already prepared a sign that save Quot bibs Kuwait v. W y arms Laden ship halted at canal egyptians say Cairo Egypt up a Egypt has prevented a qatari registered ship from carrying arms and explosives bound for the United Arab emirates across Suez canal egyptian Security sources said saturday. Officials fearing terrorist attempts to Block the canal asked that the ships cargo be unloaded outside the strategic waterway. They told the vessel s skipper to move the explosive cargo off the ship and onto trucks saying it would be returned after the snip crossed the canal said the sources who requested anonymity. Iraq has called on its supporters to unleash terrorism on the United states and coalition members confronting Iraq in the Gulf. After the outbreak of the persian Gulf War Egypt tightened its Security in particular that of the vital canal. Allied warships have been allowed to Cross the canal fully Laden with arms and military spare parts to reinforce coalition forces in the Gulf. Although both Qatar and the United Arab emirates Are allies of Egypt egyptian Security personnel decided they could not risk allowing the Container ship to Cross the waterway with its volatile Load. They cited a possible Accident or terrorist action that could Block the canal and delay supplies for Allied forces according to the official said that two iraqi Crew members were aboard the ship but that there was no immediate evidence linking them to terrorists. The vessel Fatah Al Khair was heading for the port of Dubai. It entered egyptian territorial Waters last wednesday carrying 13 tons of military equipment including explosive materials and plane fuel storage tanks. A the vessel asked the Suez canal authority Fot peo Mission to Cross the waterway for Dubai at the same time that radio Baghdad said there was a Surprise waiting for the Suez canal when the Fatah Al Khair passed through a the official said. The vessel was 100 tons of highly explosive int that could have been ignited by Remote control he said. Quot the source claimed the ship which had docked at France and Italy before leaving canal had in the past been suspected of smuggling weapons Between Spain and Britain. Since the Gulf crisis erupted Egypt has also been wary of Cement loaded ships crossing the waterway. Officials said they fear terrorist attempts to sink them which could Block the waterway sources said. Police cordon off Berlin area near Berlin apr police on Friday blocked off Street around the towering 37-ton statue of the goddess c Victory which is in danger of crashing to the group after a Gulf War related bomb attack. The gilded statue perched High above the Victor column just blocks from the Brandenburg Gate is on of berlins most famous landmarks. Opponents of the .-led. Allied military Force in Thi Gulf damaged the shining statue last month with a bom . Ever since the attack there. Have been reports p damage to the statue s base which is 26 feet High. On Friday police blocked off nearby streets and Ira flip Circle at the Victory columns base after expert determined that the statues collapse was possible. The statue weighs 37 tons a District mayor Wolf gang Naujokat said. Quot if it comes crashing Down from 6 meters 210 Leet no one can say what w ill he said pieces could shoot out like shrapnel on Impact of the statues collapse. Construction Crews w to attempted to prop up Thi statue apparently caused further damage to the base Naujokat said. Experts eventually determined that Ever a moderate wind could Knock it Over. A a Quot officials said the area would be blocked off until exports figure out what to do. A
