European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 19, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 b the stars and stripes tuesday March 19, 1991 from Page 1 a. A a. A also said however he would a respect the opinion of the russians on the Issue. Although Yeltsin often is described As the russian president he is actually chairman of the russian federation parliament. But he would be a favorite in any popular election for the presidency. Hanging in the balance in the first nationwide referendum in soviet or even russian history was not Only the Fate of the vast country and its More than 100 ethnic groups but also Gorbachev s future. The White House had no comment on the voting. A a we be got to wait a Little longer to Analyse it and see what it All Means presidential spokesman Marlin Fitz water said monday in Washington. I Early returns indicated Strong support for preserving the Union in 90 percent of the country although the governments of six Small republics refused to Back the measure and boycotted sundays vote. But the question also appeared to have been Defeated in Leningrad and the ukrainian capital of Kiev where sentiment was Strong for Reform and reducing the Power of the Central government. The vote totals for Kiev and Leningrad confirmed the results of earlier elections and Public opinion surveys that showed greater support for Radical reforms in big cities than in the Countryside. A a it a quite natural for Leningrad to vote this Way a said Leningrad lawmaker Sergei. Berezensky. A. A at least Here people have More information and have maybe More Freedom to express their real views than somewhere in the Village District a he added. The Day after the referendum it remained unclear what political capital Gorbachev might try to make of his apparent Victory in the National voting. The soviet president had lobbied heavily for approval and predicted Victory in the referendum which asks citizens whether they want to stay together in a renewed federation. A a. With All 15 republics having endorsed some sort of Independence Gorbachev wanted to Appeal directly to the people to restore a National Unity shattered by sometimes violent ethnic Legal and political disputes. Sundays election was marred by scattered violence and charges of irregularities in some districts of the Ukraine and Russia officials lured voters to the polls by Selling such scarce goods As Beer fruit and sweets. On sunday Gorbachev repeated his warning that if the National referendum fails and the Union Breaks up civil War could erupt. A i done to think our people Are suicidal Quot he told reporters after casting h is ballot. Pro democracy reformers tried to turn the referendum into a vote of no Confidence for Gorbachev and his fellow communists saying they feared a vote backing the Union would be used to suppress separatists with violence. soviet Leader has said republics voting not in the referendum May pursue secession under soviet Law. However the Law requires a lengthy waiting period and says any secession must be approved by the National parliament. Independence seekers say it would be nearly impossible to achieve their goals by that route. Unofficial tallies showed the Ukraine the nations agricultural and Industrial heartland with 52 million people approved the referendum by. A Small margin. But a spokesman for the election commission in the ukrainian capital of Kiev said 52,8 percent of Kiev Vot cars cast ballots against the Union. The spokesman Valentin Danilyuk said 78.2 percent of Kiev voters approved a. Second ballot question added by the Republic legislature favouring ukrainian sovereignty . Berezensky said preliminary results showed 70 percent of voters in the country s second largest City opposed remaining in the Union. Bush from Page 1 Fitzwater said the program did not conflict with Bush a goal of reducing the spread of arms to the Middle East. A a we re not talking about cutting off All arms sales a he said. A a we re talking about a balance and a stability in the Region. Sometimes you be got to make reductions sometimes you have to build up. It goes both the program intended to help the Domestic arms in t Dusty during an Era of dwindling defense spending provides government guaranteed Loans to protect against default by purchasers. Sales would be automatically covered to any nato countries As Well As Israel is part and Australia. Moreover the financing would be available to any other country should the president determine it is in the National interest. At the ceremony with Wiesel Bush said he was not put Ting a deadline on achieving peace in the Middle East. A fall in a saying is that while people Are thinking peace and while it is Clear that a major threat has been diminished we ought to try to move Forward now a he said. Ramadan from Page 1 borne corps and soldiers in the Eastern province where most troops Are located. The air Force has not restricted the movement of its airmen said it. Gen. Charles a. Horner commander of the air Force in the persian Gulf. He said though that he has urged All personnel to act appropriately. A we want to give them a Chance to see and experience the culture a Horner said. A but we done to want to cause our hosts to think we Are insensitive to their information was not available on the Navy a policy. The army a order has not played Well with Many troops who Are openly ignoring it. In Dhahran where thousands Are awaiting flights Home shops often Are crowded with american troops. A we know Well be leaving soon and if we done to get our souvenirs now we wont have the Chance a said an army specialist assigned to a Dhahran based military police unit. A a another my said she and others from the unit were willing to risk getting an article 15, non judicial punishment in order to do a Little shopping. it a no big Deal a the sergeant said. A they should just put people in the Back of trucks and bring them Down Here. The people love us. We re spending Money. Nobody a getting in trouble and we re making a Good but some combat arms soldiers recently returned from the front and preparing for the trip Home said seeing the sights Isnit a top priority. A if going shopping for an hour Means my flight Home leaves an hour later ill be Happy to skip the said one infantry sergeant who asked that his Atlanta Delta air lines Jet flying from Frankfurt Germany to Atlanta made an unscheduled Landing in Canada after there was a fire in a floorboard the airline said monday. An unidentified passenger on the l-1011 suffered a minor Burn on a hand in the fire sunday but did not require hospitalization said airline spokesman Neil Monroe. He said the passenger was asleep in a seat adjacent to the area where the fire broke out. The fire in a floorboard Between the passenger name not be used. The monthlong Ramadan Observance which began sunday requires muslims to abstain from eating drinking smoking sexual relations and listening to music during Daylight hours. It is one of the five a pillars of islam and is meant to demonstrate obedience to god. Violations of its Observance Are considered serious offences. A . W v . A a t a. The policy of keeping americans troops and their saudi arabian hosts apart is not new. On wednesday the Central come issued a policy statement directing military personnel to be aware of the sensitivities associated with Ramadan. It ordered troops not to make Light of the religious practices and not to eat drink or smoke in areas where muslims Are present. The xviii airborne corps which at one time totalled nearly 100,000 troops took the policy one step further on saturday when it declared a cities towns and other populated areas off limits to soldiers under its command. Signs have been posted outside some cities along the major Supply route Between Dhahran arid front line troops warning them not to enter. And military police Are reportedly trying to control the movement of troops by patrolling saudi communities. A spokeswoman for the 22nd support come in Dhah ran said the Eastern province commander it. Gen. Wil liar i Pagonis imposed similar restrictions in january. Capt. Thea Bibbs the spokeswoman said it applied to All troops whether assigned to the command or awaiting transportation via Dhahran More than 800 . Civilian employees of the support command also Are affected by the order. She added however that people Are skirting the policy. A a in be seen too Many people downtown Bibbs said. A a they re on their Home and they be saved a Jot of Money. They want to go downtown. Be Cabin and the baggage compartment was put out by flight attendants using hand held fire extinguishers he said. There was Only minor damage to the plane. A preliminary investigation indicated the fire was caused by a Short in an electrical Cable that runs through the floorboard Monroe said. The plane carrying 218 passengers landed in Goose Bay Labrador about 11 30 . Est sunday he said. Delta sent a second plane to Goose Bay for the passengers. A / . Some Detroit up a Nissan motor corp. . Announced monday the recall of about 165,000 1990-Model Nissan sentry cars to replace or update front scat automatic shoulder belts. It the car maker will inspect vehicles for frayed webbing and replace the belts if required. If no fraying is evident the seat Belt guides will be modified. The 1990 sentry Coupe and the new 1991 sentry Are not involved in the recall. All owners of 1990 sentry two door and four door sedans and wagons will be notified by letter to bring their vehicles to Nissan dealers for the repairs. Nissan whose . Operations Are based in Carson calif., said it is not aware of any injuries resulting from this problem.., German state of pact on disaster Aid by Joseph Owen. Stuttgart Bureau Stuttgart Germany the . Military arid the German state of Baden Wiir Temberg signed a pact monday designed to improve cooperation Between civilian and military officials responding to fires accidents and other disasters. The agreement outlines . Military and German responsibilities in the event of a disaster on or off military installations and prescribes procedures for obtaining help according to a Vii corps news release. The pact provides for collective leadership of emergency teams Early Exchange of information regular disaster drills and bilingual alarm systems and response plans. Maj Gen. Roger bean the commander of the Vii corps rear element that remained in Germany during the persian Gulf War signed the agreement for the americans at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart. The German signatory was Dieter Vogel director of the Baden Wirt Temberg state Interior ministry. The state of Rheinland Pfalz entered a similar agreement with the . Forces in late 1989. Quot we took that agreement As a Model a said Helmut Schwall director of the Baden Wiiri Temberg ministry a civil de sense and emergency preparedness Section. He said .-German negotiations in Rheinland Faiz were already Well under Way at the time the Ramstein air show crash occurred in 1988, but that disaster added much greater urgency to the talks. Italian stunt jets collided at the show causing one to Careen into the crowd. The crash and subsequent fireball killed 70 people and some German government officials later criticized the interaction of German and american emergency services during the incident. Baden Wurttemberge also has recent experience with the . Military in coping with disaster. Hurricane Force winds destroyed thousands of Trees and cause major property damage in the state in Earl 1990, and . Military units played a Majo role in the dangerous cleanup Effort. The new agreement with Baden Wirt Temberg clears the Way for military communities to make More specific arrange ments with local governments the i corps release said. Also the Interior ministry Hopes the agreement will serv As the basis for similar agreements wit French and Canadian forces stationed ii the. State Schwall said. Baden Wiir Temberg had hoped to con dude the agreement earlier but the Gul War delayed the process he said
