European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 5, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 8 the stabs and stripes. A A tuesday March 5, 1991 s plummeted poli says Bonn Germany apr Chancellor Helmut Kohl once the rising Star of european politics who crafted Swift unification of the two Ger Many has dropped to his lowest Public opinion rating a newspaper says., Kohl and his government have been rocked by International criticism Quot of Germany a perceived lukewarm support for the persian Gulf War and Domestic outcry Over broken promises not to raise taxes after German unification. In a poll of 1,017 people 69 percent of those questioned said they were disappointed in and trusted Kohl less compared with 31 percent who had a High level of Trust in him said the. Newspaper Bild am sonntag. The feb. 27-28 poll was conducted by the Dortmund based polling Institute Forsa for the newspaper and the television network sat-1. No margin of error was Given for the poll released Early monday by the newspaper to other news Media. Bild am sonntag a mass circulation newspaper based in Hamburg said it was Kohls lowest Public Trust rating Ever. / according to the polls results 69 percent said they were disappointed in Kohl that he had broken his Campaign pledge of no new taxes. That figure was higher a 71 percent a in the five new states that comprise the old East Germany. Kohls opponents especially the social democrats accused him of covering up. The True costs of German unification to win speedy approval of the merger and election As reunited Germany a first Chancellor. Last week Kohls government acknowledged what had become evident a that there would have to be Broad tax hikes to raise about $30 billion to cover unification and Gulf War costs. Kohl has blamed the increases on higher than Cupec cd unification costs and the unforeseen expenses of helping to finance the Gulf War Coalt Tion. Since Germany s Constitution prohibits it from sending troops to Kohl the War zone the country a Europe a wealthiest a instead gave about $10 billion and support equipment. If an election were held now the poll concluded Kohls Christian democrats Christian social Union coalition would Garner Only 39 percent of the vote nearly 5 pc cent less than in the Dee. 2 elections that swept his conservatives to Power. The social democrats would receive 37 percent of the vote an increase Over its 33.5 percent showing in the last election. The poll 43 percent of those polled would now prefer the social democrats nominated new Leader Bjoern Engholm As Chancellor compared to.34 percent for Kohl. The rest of those polled wanted neither in Ati interview on thursday Kohl acknowledged he had underestimated the problems in the East but he also said the former East German Economy had Date Rio rated More than expected partly because of a drop in orders from the soviet Union. Hundreds of thousands of people turned out in Eastern Germany cities last week to protest their deteriorating economic stature., Kohls International standing was Hurt by his coun try a role in the Gulf War. Although bound by Law from sending fighting forces outside the nato Region Many critics thought Germany could have been More supportive of the Allied cause in addition to giving Money. Germany was also the scene of some of the largest Antiwar demonstrations. Germany a reputation was also damaged by repeated allegations that German firms had sold Iraq technology that helped develop its unconventional and conventional weaponry. On saturday another report in the leading news Magazine Der Spiegel named a Hannover based company As being implicated in helping Iraq develop its Poison Gas capabilities. Soviet time a by the Washington Post Washington draft dodging in the soviet Union has reached a record High with More than 20 percent of draftees failing to report for duty since the last Call up according to . Intelligence officials. A a a a 1 Gen. Harry e. Soyster director of the defense intelligence Agency told the Senate armed services committee at a closed hearing recently that the new rate represented a startling increase in resistance to military service. A a year ago a he pointed out a draft resistance Only amounted to about 1 percent of those called but by january he said More than one in five of those ordered to duty in the fall 1990 Call up had not reported. A ethnic strife and separatist challenges to Moscow a authority jeopardize the fun Turc of the All Union armed forces Quot Soyster said. Armenia Georgia and the Baltic republics All torn by unrest arid secessionist sentiment accounted for much of the 20 percent despite their Small tons the Dia director draft boards Are expected to round up about 1.5 million conscripts a year or an average of 4,100 soldiers sailors and airmen a Day. The soviet defense ministry showed its alarm at Ibe dwindling turnouts in january when it said it was deploying thousands of crack troops to enforce presidential decrees against draft dodging in seven restive re a Public. \ Soyster said the use of regular military forces to suppress internal dissent is eroding their already sagging morale and prestige. A a a. A a a v despite the bad morale both the Dia and the Central intelligence Agency said soviet military authorities arc trying to preserve a significant combat capability by moving tens of thousands of weapons and putting them outside the Purview of the conventional forces in Europe treaty signed last november. A a As of feb. 1, Soyster said the soviets had put More than 10,000 modern tanks about 4,000 armed combat vehicles and More than 20,000 pieces of treaty limited artillery in storage depots East of the urals. A Dia spokesman said the a vast majority of the weapons were moved in anticipation of the nov. 19 signing of the still a ratified treaty Only transfers after that Date would violate the Accord. Cia director William h. Webster told the committee that the ability of soviet theater forces to launch a Strong premeditated attack against the West will remain Low Over the next five More immediate danger the committee was told lies in the possibility of massive civil unrest and even civil War within the soviet Union As president Mikhail Gorbachev becomes increasingly dependent on the Kab the military and the communist party to maintain Law and order. 1. Marks were made available in unclassified form last week. But websters statements on the civil strife although reported in the Washington Post and the Wall Street journal from an unclassified draft were stamped a secret Quot shortly before the hearing feb 22 and remain that Way. Websters remarks contrast sharply with Public testimony he gave Iasi year saying that Gorbachev was committed to a a sweeping decentralization and liberalization of the soviet system and that a a major reversal of his policies could come Only with his removal. Webster said in the draft however that he was a considerably More pessimism tic Quot because of Gorbachev Snow heavy Reliance on institutions a that Are comfortable with the coercive methods used to enforce Law and the More widespread the repression becomes Webster added a the greater the potential for massive civil unrest and even civil portions of websters and Soyster a re War.�?T4 gunned Down in i stack it pub in n. Ireland Belfast Northern Ireland up1 a four roman Catholic men were shot to death and a fifth was seriously injured in a gun attack on a Northern Ireland bar police said monday. The attack late sunday in Ca Pagh 65 Miles West of Belfast apparently was carried out by the Ulster Volunteer Force an outlawed protestant group the Royal Ulster constabulary said. Three of those killed had been in a car outside the pub when the shooting started at 10 30 . The fourth Man who died was in the bathroom of Boyless bar 100 Yards outside the Village. Residents identified the dead As Thomas Armstrong 52 John Quinn 21 Dwayne of Ponnalla is and Malcolm Nugent in his Early 20s. A fourth Man in the car was shot in an Elbow and Side. He was taken to a Belfast Hospital where he was listed in serious condition. Police said four men drove up to the pub just after closing time and started shooting. They escaped in a car that later was found burned in an abandoned Quarry about a half mile away. On Friday a British Soldier was killed and three wounded in a mortar attack not far front the pub. Report claims German guards querying women on abortions Bonn Germany apr a political juror erupted sunday Over reports that German women returning Home from were being questioned by Border guards about whether they had abortions in that country. It is illegal for most German women to have abortions without permission regardless where the procedure occurs. However for years women in Western Germany who could afford the procedure have travelled to Holland where abortions in the first trimester Are a Legal. It a ,. Awhile the abortion controversy is an old one in the Western part of Germany it has taken on new impetus since october a German reunification. Women in East Germany were permitted abortions upon request in the first three months of pregnancy. West German Law limited abortions in the first three months Only in cases where the mothers life is endangered the fetus is deformed or extraordinary social circumstances Are proven a determined by a group of Independent Counselor. When East West agree on a Corn Promise for unified Germany they decided to leave intact the old East German regulations for women in the Eastern part of the country until the new government could devise new Laws. Quot politicians have been debating the emotional Issue Ever since. It blew up again when Germany a leading news Magazine Der Spiegel reported in this week s editions that Border police were questioning some women returning from whether they had abortions there. /. A Spiegel cited the Case of one woman identified Only Quot As Kathrin k., who faces charges for having an illegal abortion. After her car crossed into the German Border town of Gronau from Holland Border police searched it and her purse and then asked whether she had had an a of Tion in Holland Der Spiegel said. When she refused to answer the Border police forced her to go to a nearby Catholic Hospital far a by a ecological examination Der Spiegel said Quot according to Der Spiegel every other investigation into illegal abortions in the West German state that abuts Holland originates at the Border. The. Interior ministry was Quick to reject the. Dei Spiegel article. A a _ in a statement late saturday shortly after the telex of the Der Spiegel article was released the ministry said there had been Only 10 investigations in the last 10 years of women suspected of obtaining illegal abortions in Holland. To Dia not give the outcome of. Those the statement said in each instance the women ap1 patently had freely admitted what they had done. Ii Dued that Border guards were bound by Law to report to prosecutors suspected violations of Law. Nonetheless politicians across the spectrum Wert outraged by the report. The opposition social Denio crafts on sunday termed it a
