European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 20, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10< b the stars and stripes wednesday february 20,19912 gis killed by Friendly fire were in unit from Germany Northern saudi Arabia the two soldiers killed and six injured sunday by a Friendly fire from an Apache helicopter were from the 2nd  div fwd based in Karlstedt Germany. A Pentagon spokeswoman identified one of the victims As spec. Jeffery t. Middleton 26, of he co 1st bit 41st inf regt. The name of the second Soldier was not released because the next of Kin have not been notified. The two were killed when an Apache attack helicopter mistakenly fired hell fire missiles on a Bradley fighting vehicle and an armoured personnel Carrier destroying both. The Germany based division is a heavy brigade size unit assigned to the 1st inf div for the persian Gulf War. In recent engagements elements of the 2nd  div have been serving As a screening task Force along the iraqi Border. An  spokesman said that help cop terms attack occurred during an intense skirmish with an iraqi armoured column. On monday the 1st inf div also re potted its first casualty from enemy fire. It also involved the 2nd  div task Force. Military officials said the unidentified Soldier was hit by mortar fire about 8 a.m., while on patrol along the iraqi Border. The wound was not considered serious. This report was compiled from information filed by Pentagon Pool reporters on Tow Acene bus from Page 1 onslaught in several Days associated press correspondent John Rice reported from the iraqi capital. Black Clouds of smoke drifted Over the City and streaks of red and White anti aircraft fire illuminated the night sky he said. A a a a a a a a a a a a aaa a a a���.,. A. Meanwhile Iraq fired one missile at Israel on tuesday night but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage the chief  spokesman said. Brig. Gen. Nachman Shai said the missile was launched from Western Iraq. He said the rocket hit but did not say where. A reporters in Tel Aviv said they heard sounds indicating that at least two Patriot missile interceptors were fired at the incoming iraqi rocket. They also heard a third explosion they could not identify. Iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz took the soviet peace plan Home to Baghdad from Moscow on tuesday a Day after Gorbachev offered the proposal. The soviet plan is said to include a guarantee that Saddam Hussein can stay in Power if he pulls his  out of Kuwait now. Iraq offered Friday to withdraw from Kuwait but the Western led allies rejected the proposal because of con. Editions attached. In London British prime minister John major echoed Bush a sentiments on the soviet plan telling parliament that a nothing has yet happened which a would incline us to agree to a cease fire or pause in the  it in Washington defense Secretary Dick Cheney told . Lawmakers that any pause in the desert War would be hazardous to american lives. A a we re concerned that a cease fire might create a situation in which he would be Able to resupply his forces a Cheney told the House appropriations defense subcommittee. A a cease fire a pause of some kind would in fact be very dangerous from the standpoint of . And Allied  soviet foreign minister Alexander Bessmer Nyoh said in Moscow that it was not up to Bush to reject the Kremlin peace initiative. A that plan was addressed to the iraqi leadership so he rejected the plan which did not belong to him a Bessmer Nyoh told reporters. A the soviet foreign minister in an address to lawmakers described the Gulf situation As a too delicate to detail the Kremlin peace plan. However he indicated the proposal called for a withdrawal of iraqi troops. Bessmer Nyoh did not directly link settling the War with. Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories a As Iraq has demanded. But he told lawmakers a the events in the persian Gulf give a serious impulse for quickening the Tempo for solving All Middle Eastern problems there is a change in the psychological  kuwaiti foreign minister Sheik Sabah a Al Ahmed was quoted As saying his government will not Fuego Tiatco with Iraq even if Saddam a forces withdraw a we Wilk not hold talks or negotiations after withdrawal neither with the present nor with a new iraqi leadership a Al itt had a newspaper in the United Arab emirates quoted him As saying. Meanwhile tuesday at a red Crescent distribution Center in Baghdad thousands of people crowded around five trucks that brought pita bread from Jordan. Or. Ibrahim Al Nouri head of the iraqi red Crescent appealed for More International Aid saying  Page 1 a. Him to make a Stab with it a one officer said. During the five months since the invasion of Kuwait the iraqi military is believed to have built up a widely dispersed storage of chemical weaponry. One Pentagon chemical expert who also spoke on condition of anonymity contended that the use of chemical weaponry does no to automatically. Assume mass  u a once you release chemical weapons you Are at the mercy of the elements a the expert said. A you need massive amounts of munitions to do anything and its not an easy thing to  during world War i and in the Iran Iraq War there were incidents when chemical agents came Back on the attacking forces that used them the expert noted. A you can expect chemical use to be isolated a he said. A the volume of chemical munitions needed is so great they can to cover an entire  for example the expert said the explosion of an artillery Shell dissipates a Large percentage of its Gas. It would take about 17,000 artillery rounds to Stop one 800-Man infantry battalion. That would require several Hundred guns lobbing shells for nearly an hour. ,. Even though the chemical Protection gear is Bulky and difficult to Wear it provides Confidence when every Soldier has practice using the Ger carries an antidote kit and is trained in decontamination methods the officer said. A a a a a. A a a chemical warfare has never been effectively used against Well equipped Well trained troops a the expert said.�?1 the concern is More on the emotional and psychological  and food Are in extremely Short Supply. An iraqi military communique broadcast by Baghdad radio said Allied air raids hit 65 civilian targets and 179 military targets in the past 24 hours. It said that re Barbaric raids had not demoralized the iraqi Public. J in the War zone Allied forces worked on land sea and air to strip iraqi forces of the will and the Means to fight. In Northern saudi Arabia . Troops repositioned themselves seeking to keep the iraqis guessing. Along the Border Allied reconnaissance teams stole across 12-foot protective berms into the no Many a land Between opposing lines. A France said its Jaguar fighter bombers hit iraqi artillery positions tuesday in Iraq and Kuwait. In the treacherous Waters of the Northern persian Gulf Allied minesweepers intensified efforts to find and explode mines. V a t the guided missile Cruiser Princeton one of two . Warships to sustain mine damage monday was sent to a Gulf port for damage assessment although . Military officials said it was already Clear the ship was badly damaged. A the officials speaking on condition of anonymity said the 9,600-ton ship suffered cracks in its Supe Struc lure and other damage in the blast which lifted it partly out of the water. Three Crew members were Hurt. The other . Vessel damaged monday was the Tripoli a helicopter assault Carrier serving As flagship for the newly mounted mine Clearing operation. It remained on station tuesday after the Crew patched a Hole in its Hull military officials said. The Tripoli apparently hit a Contact mine. The Princeton appeared to have set off an influence mine which can be triggered by the noise water pressure or the magnetic a a signature of a ship approaching or passing overhead military officials said. The iraqis Are known to possess influence mines a which Are harder to find and destroy a but had not used them previously. / amp a we weren to really expecting it a one military official said tuesday speaking on condition of anonymity. A a it a a definite threat a another said. The explosions renewed concerns that Iraq has thickly seeded the coastal Waters with mines which could imperil any plans for an amphibious Landing. Military sources said Allied minesweeper to vessels built mainly of Wood or plastic to avoid setting off magnetic mines were zeroing Rin on areas that might be important in such an assault. R meanwhile iraqis losses reportedly already were mounting. A senior iraqi official was quoted by an iranian newspaper tuesday As saying More than 20,000 Iraq is were killed and 60,000 wounded in the wars first four weeks. Iraqis Deputy prime minister Saadoun Hammadi reported those figures to iranian officials the Jom Huri islami newspaper said. It did not provide a breakdown of civilian and military deaths. Court to Rule on barring workers from reserves Washington a the supreme court agreed tuesday to decide whether employers May Ever bar their workers from serving in the military or military reserves the justices said they will review a ruling in an Alabama Case that said an employees request for a military leave May be denied if it is  although the courts action comes at a time when More than 200,000 reservists have been called to Active duty because of the persian Gulf War they will not be affected directly by the decision expected sometime in 1992. Separate sections of a Federal Law Deal with Reserve duty for training and a Call for reservists to Active duty in times of crisis. / the Alabama Case dates Back to 1987. William King that year was denied a three year leave of absence from his Hospital Job in Birmingham to take a full time position with the Alabama National guard. The National guard is part of the nations Reserve Force. A Federal trial judge and he Atlanta based 11th . Circuit court of appeals ruled against King. The appeals court said a Federal Law the veterans re employment rights act does not require employers to Honor a leave request if it is not reasonable. A no Case has been called to our attention in which a leave of absence of As Long As three years has been held protected under the Law a the appeals court said. A we therefore agree. That a three year leave of absence is per be unreasonable.�?�. A in a seemingly conflicting ruling the 4th . Circuit court of appeals based in Richmond va., interpreted the same Law to mean employers May never interfere with a workers joining or serving in the reserves. Bush administration lawyers asked the justices to resolve the conflict and argued that the 11th circuit court was wrong. A. In View of Congress increasing Reliance on the Reserve forces As an integral part of the nation s military preparedness the question is one of great importance a Justice department lawyers said. By eng rafting onto the statute a a reasonableness requirement the court of appeals. Undermined its purpose a the government argued in the Alabama Case