European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 13, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 c the stars and stripes Friday september 13,1991 at a glance Mary Louise Wright smiles alter being placed on probation wednesday. The woman was arrested this summer after being a fugitive since her prison escape 22 years ago. See Story on Page 7.fbi joins investigation the Fri joined the investigation into the crash of a commuter plane that witnesses said went Down after a fiery explosion blew off a Wing near Eagle Lake Texas. All 14 people aboard were killed. A Page 4auto death rate Down transportation department officials said that As of april the rate had dropped to two deaths per 100 million vehicle Miles travelled and that if the trend holds the figure for the year would be the Best since records were begun in 1921. A Page 6no funds for Croton the Senate appropriations committee on thursday passed a $8.4 billion military construction Bill for 1992 that prohibits spending . Funds on a new nato air base in Croton Italy that the Bush administration says is critically needed. A Page 7aquino wants vote president Corazon Aquino will ask voters to decide the future of the . Subic Bay naval base in a referendum if the Senate rejects a new lease for the base. But administration and Senate sources said the referendum proposal is dead. A Page 9wholesale prices up wholesale prices posted a modest 0.2 percent increase in August As the third straight decline in food prices helped to offset the biggest jump in Energy costs in 10 months. Page 17 Index so a a Abby Ann Landers 19 comics.19-21 commentary.13 letters .12 Money matters.17 sports.22-28 to listings.27 weather. A a a 11troops from Page 1 might have been killed in the operation a once we went through there other than the ones who surrendered there Wasny to anybody left a said capt. Bennie Williams who was awarded the Silver Star for his role in the assault. The unprecedented tactic had been hidden from Public View reporters were banned from witnessing the feb. 24-25 attack that occurred near the tip of the Neutral zone that straddles the Border Between saudi Arabia and Iraq. Not a single american was killed during the attack that made an iraqi body count impossible. A for All i know we could have killed thousands a said col. Anthony Moreno commander of the 2nd brigade that led the assault on the heaviest defences. A thinner line of trenches on Moreno a left flank was attacked by the 1st brigade commanded by col. Lon Maggart. Mag Gart estimated that his Force buried about 650 iraqi soldiers. Estimates could not be obtained from 3rd brigade commanders. The 3rd brigade was made up of units from the Germany based 2nd army div. The 3rd brigade was in Reserve during the initial attack on the iraqi lines according to maj. Roger King the 2nd army div Public affairs officer. About 12 hours later the 3rd brigade did pass through the lanes cleared by the first two brigades. A we can to speak As to what they did a King said referring to the first two brigades. The 3rd brigade did not practice filling in trenches As a matter of Clearing King said. A late in the War in the third or fourth Day the 3rd brigade was involved in some Trench Clearing a but it was accomplished in the traditional manner by dismounted soldiers a he said. A . European come spokeswoman on thursday referred questions to the department of defense saying that it would be inappropriate for the Europe based command to comment because the operation came under the department and . Central come Moreno and Maggart were among 1st div troops to provide the first Public details of the Trench line attack during a series of interviews with new Day. Secretary of defense Dick Cheney made no mention of the 1st dives tactics in a recent interim report to Congress on operation desert storm. The Only mention of burying iraqi troops came when Cheney acknowledged that 457 dead enemy soldiers were buried by . Forces at 56 Sites during the ground War. In most cases each Section of Trench line was assigned two Abrams main Battle tanks with plows shaped like giant Teeth. The tanks took up positions on either Side of the trenches most of them 3 feet wide and 6 feet deep. Bradley fighting vehicles and Vulcan armoured carriers straddled the Trench lines and fired into the iraqi soldiers As the tanks covered them with Mounds of Sand. A i came through right after the Lead company a Moreno said. A what you saw was a Bunch of buried trenches with Peoples arms and things sticking out of  every american in the assault was inside armoured vehicles impervious to iraqi Small arms fire. As the juggernaut rolled along it had a dramatic effect on iraqi troops watching the operation. A was iraqi soldiers saw what we were doing and How effective and fast we were. Doing it they began jumping out of their holes and surrendering Quot Moreno said. Moreno and Maggart said the tactic was used As a Means of minimizing . Casualties. A i know burying people like that sounds pretty Nasty a Maggart said a but it would be even nastier if we had to put our troops in the trenches and clean them out with  Moreno acknowledged the attack was at Odds with an army doctrine that Calls for but does not require troops to leave their armoured vehicles to clean out the trenches or to bypass and isolate fortified positions. A this was not doctrine a Moreno said. A my concept is to defeat the enemy with your Power and equipment. We re going to bludgeon them with every piece of equipment we be got. In a not going to sacrifice the lives of my soldiers a its not  the 1st div Engineer it. Col. Stephen Hawkins who helped devise the tactic said it was designed in part to terrorize the iraqis into surrendering and to destroy defensive positions for troops who might reinforce the defensive line. A it caused an instant hands up in Many k laces a Hawkins said. Both Hawkins and Laggart stressed that the assault tactic gave iraqi forces an Opportunity to surrender. But All the participants involved said the prime objective of the burial assault was to destroy the iraqi defenders. Hawkins ordered construction of a three mile wide replica of the front lines at the iraqi saudi Border so that the division could practice the burying tactics before the actual assault. The Pentagon has withheld details of the assault from both the House and Senate armed services committees according to committee officials. Senate chairman Sam Nunn d-ga., said he was unaware of the burial of iraqi troops during the assault. A it sounds to me like another example of the honors of War a said Nunn who said he would seek additional information from the Pentagon. Stall writer Ron Mckinney contributed to this report report from Page 1 did not sponsor the commissioners european visit said a spokeswoman in the commission office. However a because he is the chairman of the commission people of course Are going to confuse the  the Issue would become a commission matter however if the members vote to look into it in their regularly scheduled meeting the spokeswoman said. Peterson the Neucom spokesman said the command which oversees army air Force and Navy operations in Europe a will not tolerate any instance of discrimination or civil rights  a Quality of life for our military service members civilian employees and their families is the top priority for our commanders in Europe Peterson said. A implicit in that objective is for All our people to be treated fairly and with  in his report Fletcher also voiced particular concern at the treatment of Black children in schools run by the defense department. Frank of Gara spokesman for the Germany Region said thursday the Region had not seen the report but would a Welcome the Opportunity to speak directly to teachers and students about some of the allegations Region officials Only read in the newspaper and heard on television. From regional level a a Strong commitment is made to parents students and teachers a to carefully examine any allegations brought to officials a of Gara said. If in any of its 135 schools Quot insensitive comments situations or practices that people feel Are discriminatory in nature occur we urge them to bring them to the attention of the principal a he said. Of Gara said Dodds acknowledges its disproportionate minority student to minority teacher representation and would Welcome a Chance to talk to Fletcher about its efforts to recruit More minorities. The residentially appointed commission chairman was unavailable for comment thursday. Arthur w. Diggs president of the european a act which sponsored Fletcher a visit said he a was reasonably certain the commission members would vote to come to Europe to a Start turning Back the covers to what we know will be a rates nest of racial injustices a complaints from military members and defense department civilians have been a coming in daily at the commission office since Fletcher a return to Washington the spokeswoman said but she said she was a not in a position to comment on the number  Fletcher told the stars and stripes that he based his allegations of systemic discrimination on a hundreds of complaints he received while visiting bases. Thirty three complaints Are now under review the spokeswoman said. Gen. Crosbie e. Saint . Army Europe commander challenged Fletcher to come Forward with specifics of his complaints so that they could be a quickly and resolutely addressed. The commission official said that Fletcher has not yet responded to saints aug. 29 letter but he does intend to. Diggs request to meet with Saint to discuss his letter to Fletcher was turned Down thursday. Saint told Diggs in a letter that he Felt such a meeting would be inappropriate while he is awaiting a reply from Fletcher. A after such a time please request a meeting if you deem it necessary a Saint told Diggs. Saint told Diggs he would be available to meet with Usa eur soldiers civilians or their family members a at virtually any  Diggs said his organization has been repeatedly refused meetings with army and air Force commanders in Europe and has been largely shunned in its attempts to cooperate with military equal Opportunity inspector general and equal employment Opportunity officials. A when the ship sinks we re All going to go Down together Quot said Diggs referring to problems in the military. A it behoves us to sit Down and hold hands and try to find a solution  former Cia official pleads not guilty Washington a Clair George the Ciao a former chief of Covert operations pleaded not guilty thursday in the Iran Contra scandal to a 10-count felony indictment charging him with lying to Congress and a Federal grand jury. A not guilty a a grim faced George said in a loud voice at his arraignment before . District judge Royce Lamberth who allowed George to remain free on his own personal recognizance. George a Security consultant to several corporations is the highest ranking Cia official to be charged in the scandal. The defense will be making voluminous requests for classified documents his lawyer Richard Hibey told the judge. A court hearing on those requests was scheduled for oct. 3. George was allowed to keep his passport. A Federal grand jury accused George last Friday of perjury making false statements and obstructing investigations into the Iran Contra scandal. He could face up to 45 years in prison and fines of More than $60,000