European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 14, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 b the stars and stripes thursday March 14,1991in the Gulf a Saks  Saddam s forces struggle to quell unrest Washington up although forces Loyal to iraqi president Saddam Hussein apparently have the upper hand in civil unrest once disturbances Are put Down in one Village and the troops move to another the first Village erupts in dissent again1, a Pentagon a fical said tuesday but Pentagon spokesman Pete Williams said there is no evidence so far that Iraq has used napalm or chemical weapons on its populace to quell the disturbances that erupted after its humiliation in the Gulf War. Williams also said there is no evidence Iran has directly assisted the dissidents. Meanwhile at least 14,000 of the 540,000 . Troops originally in the Region have returned Home. But Williams said the daily return rate might fall under the 5,000 once forecast by defense Secretary Dick Cheney. \ a number of Navy vessels including the carriers Midway and Saratoga Nave headed toward their Home ports with their support  said the unrest was More violent in the kurdish North of Iraq than in the shiite South. But he said a in the cities and towns where unrest has been suppressed by government forces As they suppress a movement in a Given City or town and the military forces move on then sometimes a the unrest will re turn a the dissident action or the insure Williams gent action will begin to come Back up again once the heavier forces depart to Deal with unrest elsewhere quote termed it a a fluid situation in cities towns and villages in the South but added a government forces do appear to be gaining some greater control Over the situation particularly in and around the shiite holy cities of Nadav and Karbala. But they seem to be dealing with considerable unrest in that general area again  in the smaller cities in the kurdish area of the country he said a there continue to be High Levels of dissident activity As welt., but the bulk of the military activity has been in the South. He said the fighting Between the Republican guard and dissident forces a sometimes joined by regular iraqi army. Personnel who fled the War zone after their massive defeat had dissipated and now a a it a More of insurrections demonstrations some fires that kind of  the Pentagon official said that while there has been no evidence of the use of unconventional weapons a what we Are. Seeing is some use of heavy armoured tanks artillery. We have seen use of helicopters including firing weapons from helicopters. We be seen use of High explosives that kind of thing but no unconventional  also said the roughly 100,000 Allied forces in Southern Iraq will not assist the dissident forces there and although some were being pulled out a some number Quot of the Force would remain until a cease fire is agreed to and the Al lied coalition decides it is Safe to withdraw the forces. A and he said it would be a of great concerns if there were abuses of human rights in Kuwait where marshal Law has been de dared following the liberation. There have been published reports that palestinians Are being singled out for punishment sometimes in the presence of   said he knew of no in. Stance when that was the Case. Williams also said he was not aware of any estimates of iraqi troop. Strength in the theater lower than the 545,000 Esti mated by the Pentagon at the wars outset. Newsweek reported that the actual number was about 250,000 and cited the Gap As a major intelligence failure Williams noted the Pentagon figure was an estimate based on a number of factors but defended its accuracy nonetheless. A. A i done to believe anybody around Here feels there was any failure of intelligence to estimate the number of iraqi forces a he said. 12 germans indicted for helping Saddam produce Poison Gas new Dawn Over Kuwait two minarets on a Muslim mosque Frame a military helicopter As it flies Over Kuwait City on tuesday Kuwait s skies have been blackened by smoke and soot from Oil Wells set ablaze by iraqi troops but occasionally Clear skies manage to break through the Haze creating what appears to be a new Dawn. Berlin a twelve germans were indicted tuesday for allegedly Aid it a ing iraqis Poison Gas production the latest in a series of reports of German Aid to Saddam Hussein that have deeply embarrassed the German government. For weeks there have been nearly non Stop allegations of German companies shipping weapons to the iraqi Leader raising criticism in the United states Israel and other countries. Darmstadt prosecutor Georg Nauth said the enormous interest in the cases led him to take the almost unheard of step of announcing tuesdays. Indictments even before the defendants were notified. A a a 1 a a a people were clamouring to know Quot Nauth said. A the news Media put is under so much  Nauth said the 12 defendants who have been under investigation since 1987, were charged with violating German Export Laws fraud and breach of Trust. A company was also charged but Nauth declined to identify the defendants or the company. A according to us they delivered the material to produce Poison Gas a he said. Prosecutors throughout Germany Are investigating an array of allegations involving German  and Iraq. They Range from the alleged delivery of bomb rack parts to German help in extending the Range of Saddam a deadly scud missiles so they could hit Israel. The. Allegations prompted foreign minister Hans Dietrich Genscher to pledge further action to Stop the a merchants of death among German Compa a Nies. A Quot. / -. Quot Germany Isnit the Only european country questioning exports to Iraq. The Netherlands launched an investigation tuesday into allegations that Delft instruments , illegally sold american night vision technology to Iraq just before the Gulf War dutch authorities said. Prosecutor s spokesman Hans Vos said Delft has admitted that it sold two night vision systems to Iraq As recently As last april and one to Jordan in december. Vos said investigators Are determining whether to charge the company with violating a dutch Law Banning the Export of Quot strategic goods to areas of unrest. But Delft said the sales took place through its belgian subsidiary and were Legal under belgian Law. In Germany Nauth said some of the 12 defendants Are charged with repeatedly violating Germany Laws regulating materials that May be exported a crime that brings up to three years in prison on each count. One of the suspects is in jail five others Are out on bail and six Are free on their own recognizance. The indictment said several of the suspects even filed for compensation from the government for exports they said should not have been blocked Ana then continued to Export the material anyway. Fraud carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. News Media reports repeatedly have said that two companies have also come under scrutiny in the Case. They Are the Pilot Plant company in Dreilich just South of Frankfurt and the Walter engineering trading company in Hamburg. Iraq reportedly has produced Mustard Gas and other chemical weapons although they apparently were not used in the Gulf War. Bush oks medal for Guif veterans Washington a president Bush has ordered that a new medal be established for troops who served in the persian Gulf War. The Southwest Asia service medal a May be awarded to members of the armed forces of the United states who participated in military operations in Southwest Asia or in the surrounding contiguous Waters or airspace on or after aug. 2,1990,�?� the president said tuesday in an executive order. The medal also May be awarded posthumously Bush said. Aug. 2 is the Date that Iraq invaded its of Nch neighbor Kuwait prompting the . Military buildup in the Region and the launching of hostilities in january