European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 16, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 b the stars and stripes saturday March 16,1991 cleaning up after tragedy cranes on Friday lift a massive steel girder that fell and crushed a Row of vehicles in Hiroshima Japan. The Accident occurred thursday when workers on an elevated Monorail dropped the 60-ton beam onto the vehicles killing 14 people and injuring 9. Belgrade Yugoslavia map a the serbian Leader of Yugoslavia s eight Man. Presidency resigned Friday after he and the army failed to Force the governing body to declare a nationwide state of emergency. Bolisay Jovic said in a National television address that he Felt the country was heading inevitably toward a civil War and that he did not want to take responsibility for it. He said the majority of representatives in the presidency favored breaking up the country and were attempting to tie the hands of the army. The presidency whose leadership is rotated among eight members is made up of representatives of each of Yugoslavia a six republics and two provinces. A i am not ready to go along with such decisions that Are leading to the breakup of the country with possible catastrophic cons quinces for its people a Jovic said. Serbia the largest Republic and the army tried in three Days of meetings this week to Force the presidency to declare a state of emergency. Serbia a hard line authorities Are facing unprecedented pressure from anticommunist protests that began on saturday. Shortly before Jovies announcement the last Day of meetings ended with an announcement that an Effort to impose a state of emergency had failed because the majority of eight representatives voted against it. The presidency formally in charge of the military rejected the military a argument that a state of emergency in Yugoslavia was needed to preserve the centralist federation and save communism in Serbia. Serbia wanted the declaration to restore order but the Liberal republics of Slovenia and Croatia claimed that Serbia a socialist leaders just want to save their  to the National newspaper Borba the military was split Over whether to intervene. The defense minister Gen. Veljko Kadijevic and his Deputy adm. Stane Brovet oppose intervention while Jovic and the military chief of staff Gen. Blagoje Adzic support it Borba said. Croatia charged earlier Friday that the Federal army already has a plan for imposing a state of emergency in Yugoslavia. A a. V 7 7. A a a under the Constitution the presidency commands the military. But the army is dominated by serbian officers and is partial to serbian president Slobodan Milosevic who wants to maintain Yugoslavia a current Federal system. Slovenia and Croatia the westernmost republics want a Loose confederation of the republics or barring that Complete Independence the two republics have indicated they would immediately proclaim Independence if a state of emergency was introduced in Yugoslavia. In daily protests that began saturday tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Belgrade the capital of Serbia and Yugoslavia initially to protest pro Milosevic censorship in the serbian news Media Many of the demonstrators also demanded Radical democratic changes and new elections. The protests and clashes with police that left two dead and 120 injured have posed the strongest Challenge yet to Milosevic who became serbian communist party chief in 1987 and was easily confirmed As Leader of the Republic in elections in december. Germany denies Honecker fled As part of Deal Bonn Germany apr Germany on Friday denied intentionally letting former East German Leader Erich Honecker flee to the soviet Union but acknowledged not taking immediate action to try to Stop him. Dieter Vogel spokesman for Chancellor Helmut Kohl rejected speculation that Kohl agreed to let Honecker leave As a part of a Deal to ensure the soviets done to renege on their Promise to withdraw red army troops from former East Germany. A there was never any arrangement a any discussions a that fed to this. That is clearly not the Case a said Vogel. He said Kohl first found out about plans to Fly Honecker to the soviet Union about an hour and a half before it occurred on wednesday. The soviet ambassador in Bonn told the government Honecker would be leaving a red army Hospital near Berlin for medical treatment in the soviet Union. Kohl got the word while attending a parliament debate said Vogel. Government ministers then began examining How to respond to Honecker a planned flight said Vogel. He contended a it was not possible within this time to decide on a measures to try to Stop Honecker. Earlier Friday Germany a  demanded that the soviets immediately hand Over Honecker. But a newspaper quoted Honecker a lawyer As saying the former Leader plans to spend the rest of his Days in the soviet Union. Will work to Beirut Lebanon up a a pro syrian weekly Magazine said Friday that Syria and Iran both Power brokers in Lebanon have agreed in principle to coordinate efforts and free 12 foreigners held hostage in Lebanon. \ a a a the Ash Shiraz Magazine quoting an unnamed key syrian source said Syria and Iran a have reached an agreement during a recent visit to Damascus by iranian vice president Hassan Habibi on the necessity to act and release the foreign hostages Quot earlier this month diplomatic sources reported that serious efforts by Syria including negotiations with Iran to win the release of the captives were part of conditions Given to Syria to win a role in. The Western envisioned regional order. Shiite political sources close to Syria speculated that some of the hostages May emerge from Captivity soon a perhaps next week a As a result of Secretary of state James a. Baker Illus recent talks in Damascus Syria. A there Are six . Nationals and three britons among the 12 kidnapped foreigners. The hostages Are believed held by iranian linked shiite gunmen in Southern Beirut or Lebanon s Eastern Bekaan Valley. Ash Shiraz said a ranking lebanese ministerial Fig ure recently advised some iraqi opposition groups to play a role in efforts to free hostages. The Magazine said the ministerial figure advised the opposition to a use their Good offices with Iran and release the  a the lebanese official told opposition leaders that they would gain some credit in the eyes of the Bush administration while strategists seek to find an alter a live to Saddam Hussein a regime Ash Shiraz said. More than 17 iraqi dissident groups ended a three Day conference in Beirut on wednesday vowing to topple Saddam during the conference iraqi islamic shiite figures repeatedly noted to the Western Media that they oppose terrorist methods. A lebanese conservative daily newspaper a1 Liwana reported Friday that a the hostage plight has been placed on hot fire a signalling that the problem would be resolved soon. The newspaper reiterated reports that Iran through indirect channels has sought to persuade the United states to use its Good offices with Israel to release Sheik Abdel Karim Obeid. Obeid a lebanese shiite Muslim cleric close to Iran was snatched by israeli paratroopers during a lightning raid in Southern Lebanon in 1989. Stuttgart Germany up a authorities launched investigations against Daimler Benz employees following claims they were involved in the illegal Export of military vehicles to the Middle East an official spokesman said Friday. The announcement was made after about 100 police customs and internal Revenue officials searched offices of the giant Daimler Benz concern and its Mercedes Benz subsidiary near this Southern German City. A spokesman for the state prosecutors office in Stuttgart said investigations were under Way against employees of the two firms suspected of being involved in the illegal Export to the Middle East of vehicles specifically built a for military  he gave no details of the investigations but. Stuttgart Media said the vehicles were apparently shipped to Iraq through Brazil a radio station said the exports continued until a few Days before the outbreak of the Gulf War in violation of a Trade embargo the United nations imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait on aug. 2. The spokesman said that the Daimler and Mercedes employees were also being investigated for a disloyalty to the companies a an indication the firms themselves were not under suspicion