European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 18, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday july 18, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 5powell push arms treaty senators to ratify cafe pact quickly by Scott Shepard Cox news service Washington a . Military leaders on tuesday urged speedy ratification of a proposed treaty to limit conventional forces in Europe saying it would eliminate the soviet unions ability to mount a Large Swift attack on . Allies. A it will mean the end of the enormous numerical superiority previously enjoyed by the soviet Union Over nato a defense Secretary Dick Cheney told the Senate foreign relations committee. Army men. Colin l. Powell chairman of the joint chiefs of staff assured the committee that under the treaty nato forces could defend Europe even if the soviets cheated on the agreement. Powell said Pentagon studies indicated that nato a would detect any potentially militarily significant treaty violation in time to react and counter  Cheney and Powell were accompanied by the chiefs of each military service who were unanimous in their support of the conventional forces in Europe treaty. Sen. Jesse Helms , was the Only committee member who expressed criticism of the agreement questioning whether it was a just another example of soviet lying cheating and  Helms said that before the treaty was signed the soviets moved Between 60,00 to 75,000 pieces of military equipment from Eastern Europe to an area East of the ural mountains so they would not be subject to the treaty. Cheney said the treaty a will push the Center of Gravity of the remaining soviet forces far to the East a giving nato forces a sufficient time to respond to a soviet strike. Treaty was signed in november by the United states the soviet Union and 20 other countries. It limits both sides to 20,000 Battle tanks 20.000 armoured combat vehicles 20,000 pieces of artillery2.000 attack helicopters and 0,800 combat aircraft. Cheney said the cafe treaty will allow the United states to revise its global military strategy shifting its emphasis from halting a soviet led assault on Europe to preventing regional conflicts. A today with the end of the cold War. There is no single overwhelming  Cheney said. A the threats Are ambiguous and the worldwide situation More fluid than any of us can Ever  on Cia nominee put off for 2 months sen. Frank Murkowski left and sen. David Boren talk before the committee meeting. Cox news service Washington the Senate intelligence committee voted tuesday to delay until sept. 16 hearings on the nomination of Robert Gates to direct the Cia. But the committee chairman insisted t he nomination is not in trouble. A there is nothing i have seen at this Point in time a and i underline a at this Point in time a that would be disqualifying a said sen. David Lyle Boren a okla. The committee postponed the hearings in order to seek further answers from Gates about his knowledge of the Iran Contra scandal during the Reagan administration. The committee also wants to question Gates about alleged Cia assisted arms shipments to Iraq during the Reagan presidency. The committee voted to Grant limited immunity from further prosecution to Alan Fiers a former Cia official who pleaded guilty last week to withholding information from Congress about the Iran Contra affair. Fiers has told prosecutors that Cia officials covered up their knowledge of the affair including the diversion of profits from Kennedy met Smith at restaurant arms sales to Iran to Benefit the nicaraguan rebels at a time Congress had banned government funding of the guerrillas. Gates has said he knew Little about the scandal before it was publicly disclosed nov. 25, in. Fiers has told prosecutors that he told his superiors about the funds diversion in the summer of 1986. Sen Frank h. Murkowski of Alaska the ranking Republican on the intelligence committee said that Gates nomination is Quot on track but that the nominee should a face facts against the dark rumours that Are out  Boren said senior White House officials had agreed that the hearings should be postponed to allow an examination of All relevant issues. President Bush who nominated Gates in april to replace William Webster said last week that senators who wanted to delay hearings were panicking Quot like a Covey of Quail under Public pressure. Sen. Howard m. , a Ohio said tuesday that he resented Bush a attack. A i think the president ought to relax a bit Quot Metzenbaum said. In the stars an la s i Ripe s witness asserts no senator by the los Angeles times Washington a witness statement released tuesday in the rape Case against William Kennedy Smith appears to contradict sen. Edward m. Kennedy a account on when he Learned of the charges. In the statement Steven m. Scott said he saw Kennedy d-mass., and Smith together at a Palm Beach fla., restaurant on the morning of March 31, easter sunday and overheard Kennedy say to his 30-year-old Nephew a a. And Shell say its  Scott said he was unable to Tell the context of the remark and could not say whether Kennedy was asking a question or making a statement. But the Exchange seems to contradict Kennedy a sworn statement to police that he did not know of the seriousness of the accusation until later that Day and that he left the family a Palm Beach estate late sunday afternoon thinking that the Case involved a sexual  Smith has pleaded not guilty to charges of raping the woman 29, at the Kennedy estate Early March 30. The statement said Scott 37, was interviewed Friday. It said he was Able to identity Smith when shown a photo lineup of six Young men. A Kennedy spokesman Paul Donovan disputed Scott s statement. He said that Kennedy had Brunch with his son Patrick and that restaurant employees and the senator had told police that. A any suggestion that sen. Kennedy and Patrick had any discussion at Chuck amp Harold a about rape or any other aspect of the Case is absolutely and categorically false a Donovan said in a statement. A the alleged witness can hardly be regarded As reliable when he cannot Tell the difference Between Patrick and Willie Smith who clearly do not resemble each  the prosecutors office and Palm Beach police refused to discuss the statement. Sgt. Bill Atkinson said a police investigation of obstruction of Justice in the Case a is still Active and  in his statement Scott said he saw Kennedy and Smith at the bar. A while 1 was standing behind the senator i overheard him say umm a and Shell say its  a not certain in what context that statement was made a Scott said. City rethinks plan to ban smoking in bars los gatos Calif. A this Chic City was considering a plan to ban smoking in Barst but tavern owners did so much huffing and puffing that the town Council backtracked. The san Jose suburb which self Magazine Calls one of the nations 10 Best workout areas was considering following 179 California towns and counties in passing some Type of cigarette ban As the state moves City by City toward a near smokeless society. But monday the Council voted to postpone a hearing on the proposal until oct. 7. The ordinance As originally proposed would ban smoking in Public buildings the workplace and restaurants. But a stricter version also would forbid smok ing in All City bars. The postponement came after the los gatos chamber of Commerce withdrew its support for the ordinance. The chamber had come under fire from bar and restaurant owners. It said City businesses needed More time to choose Between the two versions chamber president Ellen Graff said. 10 years ago july 18,1981 More than 400 games had been cancelled to Date As striking major league baseball players and the owners continued their efforts to reach a settlement in time for the All Star game scheduled for the end of the month. 20 years ago july 18, 1971 a two democratic senators urged president Nixon to include a visit to Moscow on his trip to China to avoid an unintentional affront to the soviet Union. 30 years ago july 18,1961 a with tension building around Berlin 4,000 refugees from East Germany fled into West Berlin apparently in fear that it might soon be too late to leave the East. 40years ago july 18, 1951 a the state department confirmed that Donald Maclean a missing British Diplomat handled atomic bomb secrets. Maclean and Guy Burgess a fellow British foreign office official were believed to have slipped behind the Iron curtain after their mysterious disappearance May 25