European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 27, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 a the stars and stripes wednesday March 27,1991war from Page 1 fully pay their pledges which total More than $16 billion each. But congressional budget officials citing the Short duration of the War and the unexpectedly Low losses in equipment say the Cost of operation desert storm will be closer to $40 billion. If that figure proves accurate the government May not need the $15 billion in taxpayer dollars appropriated fast week by Congress in a Bill that awaits  signature. In fact if a strict Standard is. Used to gauge direct costs of the War the Treasury could Windup with Money left Over. There is agreement that the Tab for moving troops and equipment to the Gulf and Home again should be counted As Well As the Cost of lost air planes tanks and other equipment and for spent ammunition missiles and bombs. Other costs however Are in dispute. For example should the Pentagon be Able to claim higher fuel costs due to the War s Impact on Oil prices should the figure include Wear and tear on equipment or any delays in the planned reduction in the military s size and what about Money doled out to allies As compensation or rewards for their help about $7 billion in military debt from Egypt has been forgiven Israel is receiving an additional $650 million and Turkey stands to receive an extra $200 million. A we Are suspicious about some of the defense departments costs a said one Capitol Hill budget analyst who requested anonymity. The Prospect that the United states could reap a Windfall from the War already has angered the germans. Chancellor Helmut Kohl last week questioned whether his nations full pledge should be paid. But after a 3v-hour meeting monday with Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady Taigel promised that Germany would pay the $1.7 billion balance of its pledge later this week. Taigel said Brady had assured him the final tally of War costs would be a certainly More than the $42.6 billion Congress approved in last weeks emergency spending Bill. In Tokyo japanese prime minister Toshiki Kaifu said his country will not boost its War pledge to make up for $400 million lost through changing currency Exchange rates. In january the japanese pledged 1.17 trillion yen or $9 billion at the time. But the yen has weakened against the Dollar since then making the pledge Worth Only $8.6 billion. T missiles space a from Page 1 elimination of an entire class of weapons from . And soviet inventories. The 487th became fully operational in december 1987. Later that month the two superpowers sighed the inf treaty and the first treaty limited items were removed from Comiso in november 1988. The last 16 missiles based at Comiso were trucked to Simonella last week. Half of those missiles along with transporter erector launchers flew out of Simonella on monday aboard an air Force c>5 bound for the cruise missile elimination facility at Davis Monthan fab Ariz. The last Pershing ii missiles which had a Range of 1,000 Miles left Germany on March 13. A a. V the ground launched cruise missile a Mobile system with a maximum Range of about 1,500 Miles was first deployed to Europe in 1983 at natos request. The request came after the soviet Union deployed intermediate Range Mobile ss-20 nuclear missiles. A the deployment of the missiles at Comiso was a great Success because it contributed to deterrence and to the inf treaty a Olschner said. Nato employed a dual track approach regarding the intermediate Range missiles continuing to negotiate with the soviet Union for removal of the ss-20 while deploying the ground launched cruise missiles and Pershing is. / in addition to Comiso four other ground launched cruise missile units were based in Europe two were at Raf Greenham common and Raf moles Worth in England. One was at Florenne a Belgium and another at i Aschheim air station Germany. Won Sprecht Netherlands was designated a missile operating base but a cruise missile unit was never activated there. All units at Molesworth Florenne and i Aschheim have been deactivated and Greenham common is scheduled to stand Down by june. The 487th tac missile Wing is scheduled to be deactivated on May 27. About 200 . Military personnel will remain at Comiso to maintain the facilities there until the base is returned to the italian government in late september. The future of the installation at comi so where nearly 2,100 people were assigned has not been decided. It is the subject of discussions among Italy the United states and nato under the inf treaty the United states has declared 846 missiles including 443 ground launched cruise missiles subject to elimination according to a news release from the . European come. From september 1988 through March is of this year soviet inspectors have viewed the elimination of 760 . Missiles including 379 ground launched cruise missiles. The remaining . Missiles will be eliminated by May 31, As required by the treaty the release said. The soviet Union has declared 1,846 missiles for elimination and . Inspectors have witnessed the elimination of 1,804 of them the release added. From Page 1 73 space available seats tuesday. A spokesman warned that could change however when More desert storm troops begin passing through England. Kemper said the situation changed without warning at Rhein main where As recently As last week 10 flights a Day left each with 40 to 50 space available seats there Are now Only two or three flights to the United states each Day from Rhein main arid most Are carrying troops from the Gulf she said. A a we were told last week that there was a Zero to one or one to three Day wait a said Danette Gerken who has been waiting at Rhein main with her husband and two Small children since sunday morning. A everybody was told Zero to one or one to three Day wait a Valerie Ransbottom is trying to take advantage of a provision that allows spouses to travel without a sponsor if the sponsor is assigned to the persian Gulf Region. A fall the propaganda on television and All the news coverage in be seen is trying to encourage spouses to travel space available a said the Kaiserslautern resident. A a Ransbottom has been waiting for a flight at the Mac terminal since Friday. Quot when i signed up on tuesday of last week was told there was a one to three Day wait a said Ransbottom who wants to have her 15-month-old daughter baptized in Ohio. A i was told i should have no problem getting out on  As of tuesday morning she was still waiting and said the staff duty officer had bad news monday night. A the does no to think Well get out of Here period a she said. A a it a a bad  also waiting at Rhein main was Jean Nie Baze whose Sailor husband is stationed in Naples Italy. She and her 9-month-old daughter were trying to reach the states. A my Mother Hasni to seen my baby Quot she Saida a. A is amps Jim Dert Elm pvt. 2 John Gunter uses his bags As a Pillow As he Waits for a space available flight from Rhein main a Germany to the United states on thursday she was told in Naples that no flights were available. But she called Rhein main and was told she could probably get out on the same Day or the next Day. It a when we got Here Friday it was a Well we done to have anything a a she said. A a v a a she was told at Rhein main that flights with empty seats were leaving Ramstein a. After a two hour bus ride to Ramstein she said a they just laughed at  she returned to Rhein main and was still there tuesday morning sharing the discomfort with the others a the baby cribs Are filled a she said. A my baby is sleeping on the floor every  a she could have an even longer wait. The few flights through Rhein main have Only a handful of empty seats if any. That leaves space available passengers with a wait of six to seven Days. The situation is even worse at Ramstein a where the Only flights headed to the states Are unscheduled a spokeswoman at the base Public affairs office said tuesday that there was a 10-to 15-Day wait. She said three aircraft going to the states last week picked up Only seven space available passengers. Even at Torrejon air planes have Little room for space available passengers. The base spokesman said a backlog of passengers with orders Are awaiting empty seats on the nine flights passing through daily on the Way to the states. At Raf Mildenhall there Are Only two flights but there Are More empty scats because few desert storm participants Are passing through. The flights leave each Day for the states with a total of 25 to 30 space available seats a base spokesman said the current wait is Zero to two Days. A a it a not easy to get out of Here although it sounds easy a said the passenger service officer at Mildenhall a military Airlift come terminal. Capt. Kevin Brewer said that although the terminal currently has seats available he expects that number to decrease As More troops stationed in the Gulf come through Mildenhall. Kemper of Rhein main said there has been no attempt to mislead anyone trying to get to the United states by telling them the wait would be relatively Short. A that might have been the Best information the person had at the time a she said. And while sympathizing with people waiting for flights she said space available travel is always a Gamble. A a that a the name of the game a she said. A when seats Are available people can  contributing to the report staff writer Amy Geiszler Jones in England import to states a Mannheim Germany a service members and civilian government employees returning to the United states have been granted an exemption to import pos world War ii firearms manufactured in some former Warsaw pact countries. The Bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms now will accept applications from military and civilian employees for permits to import firearms manufactured after 1945 in Bulgaria Czechoslovakia East Germany Hungary Poland and Romania according to european come customs officials. East european weapons Are among those banned from import into the United states by the International trafficking in arms regulations political changes in Europe prompted the Bureau to Issue import permits for some of the banned weapons. However the state department ordered that the Issue of such permits be halted. European come customs officials then asked for the policy exemption a customs spokesman said. The department reversed its decision March 15. Many service members in Europe have bought such firearms with czech weapons being the most popular command customs officials said. The exemption does contain some restrictions. Only one firearm of any particular Type or Model of pistol revolver or Long gun can be imported. The firearms can Only be for personal use and May not be resold. Officials Are trying to obtain a a Grandfather Protection for people who own More than one specimen of a particular Model customs officials said. The exemption does not lift the ban on Post-1945 firearms from Albania Cuba Cambodia North Korea outer Mongolia the soviet Union and Vietnam. Firearm import permit application forms Are available at local customs offices