European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 28, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A. It Page 2 b the stars and stripes thursday february 28,1991. A a a a  a a a War in the Gulf at a glance an Oil Well blazes in Kuwait. V kuwaitis celebrate ignoring radio warnings of mines and Booby traps ecstatic kuwaitis on wednesday poured onto streets patrolled by resistance fighters and greeted a kuwaiti led Allied Vanguard with shouts of Joy. A Page 4 epic Oil fires extinguishing hundreds of burning Oil Wells in Kuwait will be the biggest Job Ever attempted for three teams of renowned Texas firefight Quot ers that will tackle the project. Record one Day tank Kilts two american pilots who Fly As a team reported destroying a. Record 23 iraqi tanks in one Day As Saddam Hussein a Armor started moving to meet he Allied ground assault. A it a a a a a a a pages minefields breached. The minefields Allied ground forces confronted on the offensive into Kuwait this week were a penetrated with relative ease using Standard tactics and equipment. A Page 7 Index Abby Ann Landers. 14 comics. 14-16 commentary. 13 crossword. 14 letters. 12 Money matters. A. 17 sports. 18-24 to listings. 18 weather. 11clarification to take Lead by the los Angeles times from autos to engineering construe Tion to defense Large segments of american Industry Are Likely to be major winners in the aftermath of the persian Gulf War and play the Lead role in the reconstruction of War ravaged Kuwait once he final shots Are fired. . Companies should get the Lions share of the rebuilding business a at least 50 percent a because of the Lead role that american troops have played in driving the iraqi army out of Kuwait Many experts believe. A a the . Companies have the advantage because a lot of kuwaitis believe they owe it to the americans a said Yukuo Takenaka a los Angeles investment banker. Expected to Cost $40 billion or More the rebuilding Effort stands not surprisingly to Benefit such companies As Gen Cral motors and Bechtel behemoths in their respective industries. A Bechtel spokesman confirmed late tuesday that the san Francisco based engineering and construction company has signed a letter of intent to help the kuwaiti Over Ament rebuild its badly damaged Oil Fields. The big three . Auto makers said they already have been asked to bid on contracts to resupply the War torn country with cars and trucks. But Small companies will reap benefits As Well a for instance Van corp. In Orange Calif. A Small engineering and construction company it is getting a lot of attention these Days because it is american and has extensive construction experience in Kuwait. Major building companies in Europe have already approached Van about being their partner in the reconstruction Effort according to company. Chairman Dan Pontano. A they want our pretty Little face up front a he said. Though Japan has been accused in some . Quarters of offering Only half hearted support to the Allied coalition japanese companies Are also expected to Aid in the rebuilding Effort in part because Kuwait and Japan have close Trade ties. In the planning stages since. Last fall the kuwaiti reconstruction work is expected to consist of an emergency phase designed to restore the country to working order within 90 Days followed by a. Long term reconstruction Effort expected to last As Long As five years. I As the damage to Kuwait has become More apparent a particularly the deliberate torching of Kuwait soil Fields by iraqi troops a the Cost estimates for the repair work have continued to Rise. What appeared to be a Ray Nisum $20 billion reconstruction Effort several weeks ago now is estimated at $40 billion to $50 billion and perhaps much More Middle East experts now say. Kuwait is smaller than Massachusetts but has Carly 100 billion barrels in Oil reserves making it one of the richest countries in the world. The staggering town costs of its reconstruction have drawn comparisons to the Marshall plan the .-sponsored rebuilding of Europe after world War ii that Cost about $70 billion in today a  a a it a very reminiscent of the Marshall plan with one very notable exception Quot said Irene Saba vice president of Gulfa Merica a .-Arab Trade promotion group in Champaign 111, a the kuwaitis Are going to be paying for  b. One item they Are Likely to be buying is cars. Though the Cloud cast Over . Auto sales by the Gulf War thus far has shown no sign of breaking up automakers say the Prospect of postwar vehicle sales to Kuwait holds the Promise of a Silver lining. A. The apparent loss or destruction of perhaps most of the cars in Kuwait has created a demand that general motors corp. Is prepared to fill said Jack Smith pm vice chairman for International operations. A Quot a 77. Smith estimates that kuwaitis will buy More than 100,000 new and used cars in the first year after the War. Car sales in Kuwait in 1989 a the year before the iraqi invasion a totalled 35,000, Accord ing to  7/ pm Hopes to do More than regain its former 35 percent share of the kuwaiti Market the company is counting on kuwaiti gratitude and loyalty won at the expense of american lives to help recapture some of the 45 percent Market share held by japanese car makers. On plan to give free vacations to Gulf vets by de Reavis. Staff writer the mayor of Oberammergau in Bavaria is working on a plan to offer free vacations to american veterans of the Gulf War. A just about everyone in town is for the idea of free vacations for the vets a said mayor Klement fend. A we plan to put up the soldiers in hotels and. Pensions. We just have to work out the time  a fend said the idea was a spontaneous reaction to the anti americanism in sonic of the German demonstrations against the War. Oberammergau site of the famous passion play held every 10 years is a perfect example of picture Book Bavaria with its dramatic Snow peaked Alpine backdrop. A we get about 30,000 american hotel bookings a year a said City manager Gerhard Ostler. A a that a about 10 percent of our annual tourist Trade. That spot counting Day tourists but we have no St a1 Ristics on  Oberammergau is one of Many Ger Man communities showing support for american soldiers and the families they left behind in Germany \ a Baum older provided . Military families with 6,000 Marks Worth of bus tickets Good for multiple  the City area. And the local taxi association donated tickets for free taxi rides within the City limits. A a a Neu Ulm has provided monthly passes for free Public transportation for unlimited travel within the City and the surrounding areas. Neu Ulm lord mayor Peter Biebl also offered free tickets to the City a ice skating facility and swimming Pool. V. A a Darmstadt a Utility company offered free and unlimited Public transportation tickets to families of soldiers deployed to / the Gulf. Darmstadt a lord mayor Gunther Metzger also will provide tick ets to the local zoo swimming pools and other recreational  Frankfurt lord mayor Volker Hauff is offering free Public transportation tickets during March and free tickets for the local zoo swimming pools the ice rinks amp map and the botanical gardens. Hauff has urged members of the German mayors a con Fere Nee to follow his example s International Drivers licenses Are not valid in the country in which they Are issued. / a officials recommend that people coming to Europe to care for children of deployed service members obtain the License in the United slates. An article yesterday implied that the i Cense could be obtained a Germany and used there. A. A a Lanau Germany a amps merchants National Bank is accepting donations on behalf of a 158th aviation ref Soldier whose wife was killed in a Freak Accident outside their. Pioneer housing. Area  Kimberly James is survived by her husband spec. James James and four children Whitney 6 Mirinda 4 Johnathon and Christopher 1. Set up for victim s family the Soldier has chosen to be reassigned to fort Campbell. Kyd a under Blue bark an army compassionate reassignment program for soldiers whose spouses die a regiment spokesman said. Donations can be made to the cob both in 158th aviation. Regt cup and Flower fund at any merchants National Bank Branch. The account number is 10442866 and was set up at the merchants National Bank Branch in the Wolfgang shopping Center. .&Quot"7&Quot. The couple were loading their 19/ Mercedes for a drive along the River when the Accident occurred abcs. 11 . Saturday. The car lurched Forward and Struc mrs. James when one of the children apparently turned the key and engaged