European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a the stars and stripes Friday August 9, 1991 Dod won t end homosexual ban Washington apr the department of defense plans no change in its policy barring homosexuals from military service according to its written response to 32 House members who asked that the ban be lifted. The Pentagon Slegal policy director Navy capt. . Keating wrote to rep. Gerry Studds d-mass., disclaiming a military document obtained in june by Ludds that suggested the exclusion May end. The undated document with the Label Aqda or Headquarters department of the army Laid out a basis for ending the practice of barring homosexuals from military service. A if military Mission accomplishment is not compromised the army has no basis upon which to justify such continued discrimination Quot the document stated. Studds along with 29 other democrats an two re publicans signed a letter in june to defense Secretary Dick Cheney urging a formal end to the policy against homosexuals. The letter mentioned the army document a which appeared to propose its  replying for Cheney Keating said no such change is being considered. His letter was released publicly wednesday. A the department of defense is not reassessing its policy on homosexuality a Keating wrote. A the army document referred to in your letter was prepared by a staff officer on his own initiative. It reflects one individuals thoughts on How the army might react in the event the homosexual exclusion policy was  Keating said no senior army officials Ever considered or endorsed the document. The Pentagon response comes Days after Cheney appearing on a nationally televised weekend talk show said he believes that homosexuals should be allowed to hold civilian jobs at the Pentagon. As Long As their Job performance is satisfactory Cheney said a their private lives Are their  Cheney described the policy against homosexuals As one that a i  but he did say there is a distinction Between allowing homosexuals in civilian jobs and barring them from the military with its a unique As pacts a such As lengthy deployments at sea. Last week Cheney said concerns that homosexuals in the Pul itary could become Security risks if they were blackmailed were outdated. Under questioning from rep. Barney Frank d-mass., who is Gay Cheney called the use of the Security risk argument a a bit of an old  aids definition to include thousands a 4. A of his infected cases by the new York times the Federal centers for disease control has revised its definition of aids and the change could add tens of thousands of people infected with the virus to the ranks of those considered to have the disease. The change to take effect in january allows doctors to diagnose the disease based on Levels of a certain kind of immune system cell in the blood. These cells Are depleted by the aids virus. The Atlanta based centers have been using opportunistic infections or other conditions resulting from damage to the immune system to define aids. The list of the illnesses that define aids has Long been criticized by advocates of people infected with the virus because it did not include Many conditions seen most often in his infected women and intravenous drug users two groups increasingly affected by aids. The change would not alter figures of the number of americans infected with the aids virus now estimated at about 1 million. The revision recommended by the Council of state and territorial epidemiologists and endorsed by the association of state and territorial health officials will be announced after the details of its implementation have been worked out with state and local health departments. A Host of agencies from private insurance companies to government social service offices use the list to decide who automatically qualifies for aids related benefits. But Many of them including the social Security administration had already begun taking cell Levels into account when determining whether applicants qualified for benefits. Officials had resisted adding to the list of conditions saying that continuously updating the list would seriously hamper their ability to Trace the epidemic. They also said Many of the conditions suffered by people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus were not necessarily a result of the infection. But the drug at and other therapies that delay the Onset of opportunities tic infections have masked the True number of people with severely weakened immune systems they said making the revision necessary. The new definition will include in the aids caseload any his infected person with a count of 200 or fewer to cells per cubic millimetre of blood. This immune system cell which in a healthy person is found at Levels of about 1,000 per cubic millimetre is destroyed by the aids virus. Or. James w. Curran director of the aids division at the cd cd a National Center for infectious diseases said the broader definition could add 150,000 to 200,000 people to the aids caseload. As of last june 182,834 aids cases had been reported to the Agency,1 116,184 of which have resulted in death. He said it would also detect cases of aids sooner. A this allows cases to be reported at the first Laboratory sign of severe immunodeficiency a he said. A a that a the time when people Are in severe need of medical care and  he also said the change would a have implications for virtually every symptom associated with his Quot health officials in new York City which has the largest number of reported aids cases in the country said the expanded definition would increase the caseload by 40 percent to 50 percent adding 14,000 to 17,000 to the current caseload of 34,393. A what it la do is allow us to count a lot of people a year or two earlier a said or. Polly Thomas director of aids his surveillance for the new York City health  mob Boss fires barbs at . Judge who dismissed his attorneys by the new York times new York a his lawyer disqualified by the judge John Gotti Rose angrily wednesday in . District court in Brooklyn and defended himself calling the prosecutor in the Case a  a the can to handle a Good fight and he can twin a fair trial a the reputed mob Leader said shaking a Finger at assistant . Attorney John Gleeson who is prosecuting Gotti and three others on racketeering charges. Gotti complained at length about judge Leo i. Glasser a decision late last month to disqualify three defense lawyers. The judge acted after the prosecution argued that the lawyers were too close to the Gambino crime family which Gotti is reputed to head. 1 a Why can to 1 have my counsel with me a Gotti asked referring to Bruce Cutler who has helped him win acquittals in three trials. Glasser had ordered Gotti and two co defendants Salvatore Gravano and Thomas Gambino to appear Vith jew lawyers wednesday to determine whether the trial could begin As scheduled on sept. 23. But the three men showed up without lawyers. Glasser first asked Gotti if he had a new lawyer. The defendant wearing a dark Blue suit and a Flower print tie stood up and Shook his head negatively do you know Gotti where Cutler is a the judge asked. A you said sir he a not my lawyer a Gotti responded. A i did no to dismiss him for pretrial proceedings a Glasser said explaining that after these proceedings the disqualified lawyers could not appear during the trial but could continue to advise their clients outside of court. Gotti said he had been interviewing other lawyers but complained that without Cutler the prosecutors were trying to Stop attorney Bruce Cutler disqualified by judge him from having a fair trial. Glasser then turned to Gravano who with his fellow defendants Hawjeen held without bail for eight months in the metropolitan correctional Center. Did he have a new lawyer the judge asked a in five Days a Gravano shot Back. A it took six months to get rid of my lawyer and you give me five Days to find a new one. From the Mcc its pretty  orders secret documents released in Noriega Case Miami apr a Federal judge on wednesday ordered the government to surrender classified documents at the heart of Manuel Noriega a efforts to show he worked with . Intelligence agencies in Central american drug deals. The sealed ruling followed a week of closed hearings last month attended by prosecutors defense lawyers and attorneys for the Cia and the state department a it is now not going to be what the government wanted it to be a a Garden Vari qty run of the Mill drug Case a defense attorney Frank Rubino said after Reading . District judge William Hoeveler a 41-Page opinion. A a it a going to be in the context of what was really happening in Central and South America. Involving the intelligence communities a he said. Diane Cossin spokeswoman for the . Attorneys office said she would not comment on details of the ruling. A we will abide by any order judge Hoevler issues in this Case and we Are preparing for trial a she said. The government can Appeal Hoeveler a decision to the 11th . Circuit court of appeals in Atlanta according to Rubino who also declined to discuss specifics of the ruling. But a source knowledgeable about the ruling who spoke on condition of anonymity said Hoeveler agreed the following issues were relevant a documents regarding Cia drug enforcement administration and other agencies operations allowing Safe passage to drug planes in Panama Costa Rica and Nicaragua. A Panama a involvement in the training of .-backed Contra rebels in Nicaragua a a operation tipped Kettle a the Al fort by former National Security Council aide Oliver North to collect weapons in the Middle East and deliver them to the contras. A joint .-Noriega drug interdiction efforts. A . Intelligence Agency payments to Noriega