European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 24, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday july 24, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 9panama drug trafficking alarms Gao Washington a while drug trafficking seems to de increasing Panama a anti narcotics Force is so hard pressed for Money that it sometimes can to afford dog food for the animals on its canine drug detection team congressional investigators say. The general accounting office said it was told by a . Customs service attach that the panamanian government does not always provide its customs Agency with the Money needed to feed a five dog drug detection team used by inspectors. The Gao also reported monday that the panamanian maritime service is patrolling the country a coastlines with two shrimp boats that it leases because its own vessels Are not operational. It said Panama a special anti narcotics unit has no aircraft and Only five automobiles which the panamanian government limits to 10 Gallons of gasoline per Day. A Money laundering continues to flourish in the country and drug trafficking May be on the increase 18 months after dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega was deposed and arrested by invading . Troops it said. The Gao an investigative Arm of Congress based its findings on interviews with . Government officials in Washington and Panama. Rep. Charles b. Rangel d-n.y., chairman of House select committee on narcotics abuse and control said in releasing the study a when president Bush explained to the american people his reasons for sending the military into Panama Many people rejoiced in the belief that this would have a significant Impact in curtailing the flow of drugs from South America. But As this report indicates Panama has become even More of a land of Opportunity for drug traffickers. Noriega who is awaiting trial in Florida on drug trafficking charges was removed from Power in Tate 1989 during a . Military operation. The Gao said the drug enforcement administration reports that the amount of cocaine seized in Panama increased from 1,728 kilograms in 1989 to 3,959 kilograms in 1990. The report said the special anti narcotics unit has a 56-member Force consisting mostly of Young College graduates with Basic Law enforcement training. A the state department believes that the new personnel appear to be highly motivated but they need additional training before they will be effective in combating narcotics activities a the Gao said. It said Panama a drug unit maritime service and customs service All a Lack facilities Basic supplies and Law enforcement equipment such As cars radio communication equipment and technical Field  it said much of this equipment was destroyed during the . Invasion or looted in its  largest . Drug haul seized on boat   mimii�in11111iinjim11. A i i i ii. A Burlap bags filled with cocaine Worth an estimated $700 million on the Street arc piled up in new York. By new Day new York a Federal drug agents scored the third largest drug bust in the United states when they boarded a fishing vessel off Long Island and seized 10,771 pounds of cocaine stored below deck in hundreds or Burlap sacks. The sunday afternoon seizure also signalled the first known collaboration Between South american drug lords and new York organized crime families Federal investigators said. Although the cocaine with an estimated Street value of $700 million was apparently supplied by the Cali Cartel of Colombia it was shipped by traditional organized crime elements in new York. The boats owner Peter Califano 35, of Staten Island has ties to the Gambino organized crime family allegedly controlled by John Gotti Law enforcement sources said. Califano and two Crew members a John Saracco 38, of Staten Island and Thomas Van Salisbury 30, of new Jersey a were charged with drug trafficking. They were awaiting arraignment in Federal court in Brooklyn on monday night. If convicted the three face possible life imprisonment and fines of $4 million. A the traditional organized groups have always been involved in heroin in marijuana but never cocaine with the colombians a said Robert Bryden head of the deals office in new York. A this is a disturbing new  the cocaine wrapped in plastic and marked with the code names a rolex and a ovals go had been stuffed into 210 Burlap bags and concealed in cargo bins beneath ice in the Forward hold of the  blast kills three . Soldiers Manama Bahrain apr three american soldiers died in an accidental explosion tuesday near the . Military Camp at Doha Kuwait the . Military said. The soldiers were Clearing ammunition remaining from the fire and explosion that occurred at the Camp july 11 when some of the remains detonated. A statement from the joint information Bureau in Dhahran saudi Arabia said the Accident occurred at 2 . The names of the soldiers were being withheld until their relatives could be notified. A while the cause of the Accident has not been determined we know it was not due to hostile action or sabotage a the statement said. A Shower of shells and shrapnel from an explosion at the Doha . Army depot on july 11 injured 53 american and six British soldiers. One of the americans was critically injured. Military officials said at the time that they believed the fire was started by an electrical Short on a truck loaded with 155mm howitzer shells. No sabotage was suspected. The Camp 12 Miles North of Kuwait City houses 3,700 american soldiers mostly members of the 11th army Cav regt from Fulda Germany. France confirms cancellation of Mobile missile program by Alan Riding the new York times Paris a in a significant change of military policy brought on by the cold wars end the French government confirmed monday that it has scrapped plans to build a new system of Mobile nuclear missiles to replace a 20-year-old Battery of ballistic missiles fired from fixed silos. The step was the first confirmation that Frances carefully nurtured Independent nuclear capability has been affected by spending cutbacks resulting from the decline of communism. Until now France has announced plans Only to reduce its troop strength in Germany. Defense minister Pierre Joe confirming a decision first reported saturday by the newspaper be Monde said the government would halt development of the s-45 Mobile missile system but would seek to adapt the new m-5 submarine launched missile so that it could replace the existing land based s-3 missiles. The s-45 systems Cost was estimated at $5 billion with about $100 million allocated for the project this year. The Cost of completing the m-5 system and adapting it for land based use is expected to exceed $2.5 billion. Be Monde said president Francois Mitterrand had Long harboured doubts about the usefulness of the s-45 system and was worried that its presence would alarm residents of Southern France where it was to be based. The decision to cancel it was made by the Cabinet on july 10, the report added. Joe also said monday that military units consisting of 10,000 soldiers and 1,600 civilians based in Germany would be dissolved in 1992. He noted that Frances total troop strength in Germany would fall from the current 50,000 to 30,000 by the end of next year. However the defense minister emphasized that France would maintain its Independent nuclear deterrent with warheads that can be delivered by Mirage 2000 fighter bombers submarines and land based missiles. The existing s-3 missiles Are expected to be usable until the year 2000. The original plan had been to replace 18 three stage fixed base missiles with 30 two stage s-45 Mobile missiles. Now be Monde said they will be replaced by about 10 m-5 missiles in silos. It said the government would also continue to develop a new Short Range nuclear missile called the hades to replace its Pluton Battlefield support weapon after 1993