European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 12, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Overseas tour extensions continue under Stop loss by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a soldiers in Europe who had their Tours extended during operation desert storm probably Wilt have to wait five months or longer before they can rotate to new assignments an army official said monday. Until the service can redeploy enough stateside based units from the Middle East there will be an insufficient number of replacements for soldiers serving in Europe the far East and other overseas locations the personnel official said. Officials already Are dealing with misconceptions about the link Between overseas extensions and the relaxing of some aspects of Stop loss which keeps military personnel on Active duty past their Normal separation or retirement dates. An army message sent out saturday modified some Stop loss restrictions but the personnel official said the message should not be taken to mean that Stop loss has been lifted completely or that tour extensions will end soon. The Only troops for whom Stop loss has been completely and immediately suspended Are those in units that Are not deployed overseas he said. Stop loss for All overseas personnel is technically still in effect although overseas commands Are authorized to release soldiers if they Are not needed to meet operational requirements or maintain readiness the official said. But there is no relationship Between the Stop loss changes and the overseas tour extensions he said. A we have career soldiers chomping at the bit in Europe who think they should be Able to rotate because Stop loss a has been lifted a the official said. A but Stop loss and tour extensions done to have anything to do with each the extensions have been necessary to keep personnel strength at acceptable readiness Levels throughout the army during the massive deployment to the persian Gulf he said. Officials would have had to extend see extensions on Page 10 rebels falling to heavy fire iraqis report Nicosia Cyprus apr shiite Muslim rebels were holed up in mosques in the iraqi holy City of Karbala under shelling and tank and artillery fire from president Saddam Hussein a troops opposition leaders reported monday. They said that the bombardment was slaughtering. Quot cd in the War in the die hard fighters As Well As civilians trapped Cross fire and that 500 have been killed or wounded since Friday. Official sources in Baghdad claimed Republican guard troops have re established control of the City 55 Miles South of the iraqi capital after several Days of fierce combat. They gave no details. But Saddam a forces appear to have been isolating centers of resistance such As Karbala and the Southern port City of Basra and pounding Thein with artillery and tanks. A Karbala famed for its mosques is revered by shiites As the burial place of Imam Hussein grandson of the Prophet Mohammed and one of the sects principal saints. It has a peacetime population of about 120,000. Ayatollah Taqi Al Modaressi Leader of the shiite islamic labor organization said in Beirut that Republican guard units were a ruthlessly and indiscriminately see iraqis on Page 10 Baker to that a my dad two year old Benjamin gets a close up look at dad sgt. Marc Ogle at Sembach a. Ogle was one of about 290 air Force personnel returning to Germany from the j Middle East. A base spokesman said three ec-130 planes with some 140 personnel from the 66th electronic combat Wing arrived around 3 . Monday Jerusalem apr on a Mission marred by violence Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii undertook monday to persuade the israeli government to set peace terms Arab nations could accept. He denounced the stabbing deaths of four israeli women sunday by a palestinian As a an Effort to kill police said the assailant had told them the stabbings were meant As a a message to the Secretary of state scheduled a meeting with a palestinian delegation while carefully ruling out a renewal of . Talks with the Palestine liberation organization criticizing Yasser Arafat a group for siding with iraqi president Saddam Hussein in the persian Gulf War Baker said the meeting scheduled for tuesday afternoon with palestinians in the Home of . Consul general Philip Wilcox a does not represent a reopening of the dialogue broken off a year ago Over terrorist attacks on Israel. The Palestine news Agency Wafa said monday that the Plo had Given its approval to the meeting. In Israel Wafa did not identify the palestinians who would meet with Baker but said they Are a the same personalities who held talks with the troika last week. It was referring to a european Community delegation of the foreign ministers of Luxembourg the Netherlands and Italy who held discussions with is see Baker on Page 10american, German couples found slain a Page 8 ,
