European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 28, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 b the stars and stripes sunday july 28, 1991cancels briefing on Mia talk envoy questioned laotians on photograph from wire reports Bangkok Thailand a Deputy assistant Secretary of state Kenneth Quinn asked laotian officials saturday about a controversial photograph purported to show american servicemen missing in Indochina officials said. The . Government however cancelled a planned briefing by Quinn on his return to Bangkok from the laotian capital of Vientiane at the end of a two Day trip to Vietnam and Laos. . Embassy officials said Quinn held talks in Vientiane on the photograph that surfaced earlier this month. Relatives have identified the three men in the fuzzy Black and White picture As american servicemen missing in action in Vietnam and Laos. The officials who asked not to be named said there was no immediate word on the outcome of the talks in Laos. The men in the photograph shown holding a hand lettered sign with what is believed to be the Date of May 25, 1990, were identified As air Force col. John Leighton Robertson of Seattle shot Down Over North Vietnam on sept. 16, 1966 Navy it. Larry James Stevens of los Angeles missing in Laos on feb. 14, 1969 and air Force maj. Albro Lynn Lundy or. Of los Angeles lost in Laos on dec. 24, 1970. Although not the first picture said to show missing american service members still alive the photo of the three men sparked interest because . Government analysts did not immediately Brand it As a probable fabrication. When relatives said they were sure of the identities of the men the government formally asked Vietnam Laos and Cambodia for cooperation and dispatched Quinn to hold the talks in Vietnam and Laos. A briefing by Quinn set for his return saturday however was cancelled hours before his return. Diplomatic sources said Washington was wary of the unusual publicity surrounding the picture. On Friday president Bush Stop National Security Deputy scoffed at photographic evidence purporting to show . Service members held captive in Vietnam. 1 the National Security adviser Brent scowcroft said he does not believe any americans remain As pos in that  As scowcroft spoke the half brother of missing army capt. Donald Gene Carr insisted at an emotional news conference that he is certain that a recently released photograph shows Carr being held in a laotian prison Camp. To bolster that Contention Matthew Carr and activist Jack Bailey produced a report in which Michael Charney a forensic anthropologist who has criticized the Pentagon a handling of the pow-m1a Issue in the past wrote that he was certain that Donald Carr was the Man in the recent photograph. Quot Slit a capt. Donald Gene Carr shown at left at his 1961 wedding is purportedly pictured at a laotian prison Camp right. By using a computer to compare that photo with a 1961 wedding shot of Carr Charney wrote that he was Able to determine that the two images were of the same Man. Until a week ago Matthew Carr said he had accepted the governments Contention that his half brother died when his plane was shot Down Over Laos in 1971. But Friday he broke into tears As he told reporters a the was my brother. He is my brother and will be my brother  there has been a push in Congress for an additional committee to oversee the defense department units responsible for handling the Mia Issue because of claims of tack of effectiveness in tracking Down reports that americans Are still being held in Indochina. Earlier saturday the official laotian radio said its files showed that two of the men allegedly identified in the photograph of the Trio Lundy and Stevens were shot Down Over Laos in 1966 and 1969. It said the two were listed As a killed in action a but gave no further details. On Friday vietnamese officials told Quinn that the picture was a fake. They gave the . Diplomat what was said to be evidence of the death of Robertson who was shot Down Over North Vietnam. The vietnamese also called on the . Government to ask those who made the picture Public to step Forward and assist the investigation into its authenticity. On thursday a Pentagon official said analysts have reached no conclusion about the picture but basically dismissed the authenticity of audio tapes and documents provided from questionable sources to support claims the three men Are in Southeast Asia. It. Col. Kerry Gershaneck a Pentagon spokesman said the data collected during the past year includes highly suspect biographical information personal statements and letters supposedly written by the three servicemen. Gershaneck said a defense intelligence analysis showed the documents contained incorrect or false information on Basic matters including the misspelling of names As Well As inaccuracies on military and family data. He said one source that supplied the bogus information was a group that specializes in counterfeiting data on mias. There Are 2,273 . Military personnel listed As missing in  rights chairman endorses Thomas Washington a an architect of government affirmative action programs has endorsed Clarence Thomas a nomination to the supreme court even though the Black judge is an outspoken opponent of racial preferences. Quot Arthur a. Fletcher a Black Republican who chairs the . Commission on civil rights said Friday that he is convinced Thomas is committed to ending racial discrimination even though he has opposed Many affirmative action remedies. Fletcher spoke at a press conference organized by a the Council of 100, an organization of Black republicans. Fletcher who devised programs that required government contractors to set goals and timetables for minority recruitment when he served in the Nixon administration said he still supports class action suits to a purge the system of systemic  just because Thomas believes class action suits no longer serve their purpose a does no to mean he opposes affirmative action a Fletcher said. Even though he disagrees with Thomas on this Issue Fletcher said that he was confident the Black Federal appeals court judge would show his commitment to ending discrimination if he goes to the supreme court. When he gets on the supreme court Thomas a will be the freest Black american in the country a Fletcher said. A there is Hope for  Fletcher said Thomas decision to leave a roman Catholic Seminary because he encountered White racism shows a a spiritual Quality of his blackness that ainu to going away when he puts on the Black  chief gets year in jail for altering records Birmingham Ala. A the City police chief was sentenced to one year in jail Friday for altering records in what prosecutors said was an attempt to cover up the arrest of the mayors daughter. Circuit judge Joseph Jasper also fined Arthur Deutcsh $2,000 for Misdemeanour tampering with documents involved in the arrest of Erica Arrington. The chiefs lawyer said they would Appeal. Arrington was arrested july 4, 1990, on three Misdemeanour charges after a disturbance in Birmingham s trendy Southside nightclub District. She was 18 at the time. During Deutcsh a a trial in May prosecutors said the chief ordered subordinates to alter jail records to cover up the Case. Three other officers Are awaiting trial on charges of records tampering. Mayor Richard Arrington testified he did not ask Deutcsh to alter the records. Arrington has said he would not fire his handpicked police chief of 10 years. Deutcsh remains police chief and is free on Bond pending his Appeal. The officers destroyed fingerprints and photos taken of Erica Arrington someone attempted to delete her file from a computer data base and several references to her were whited out on records prosecutors said. Deutcsh a a attorneys said the chief Only asked officers to gather information so he could Brief the mayor. Charges against Erica Arrington eventually were dismissed. The arresting officer was fired and the City Council gave her $21,000 to Settle a claim that she was roughed up by police