European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 13, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday september 13, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 5bomber Falls Short in stealth tests by the new York times los Angeles a tests of the stealth bomber suggest that it May be less capable of evading detection by radar than was believed officials say. The officials both in Congress and at the defense department said the Pentagon had begun briefing congressional leaders about the problem in an Effort to head off a weakening of political support for the plane. The disclosure Marks the first time that the air Force has acknowledged any difficulty with the b-2 bombers radar evading or stealth capability. The officials said the problem had shown up in preliminary testing of one of the three completed b-2s, which Are undergoing flight tests at Edwards fab in California. They said this plane had been More easily picked up by radar than the air Force and the b-2 s manufacturer. The Northrop corp. Had believed it would be. It is unclear whether the two other planes encountered a similar problem or whether they had not yet been subjected to the test. Air Force Secretary Donald b. Rice said some measures of the b-2 s stealth capabilities Quot did not meet the required Levels of performance in flight tests. Rice did not provide any details but he said that the Overall test program a has confirmed the fundamental soundness of the planets design. The air Force wants to buy 75 of the Bat winged planes at a Cost of More than $60 billion four of them in the fiscal year that begins oct. I. But the plane s political support has not been tested since the fall of communism in the soviet Union. And word of the problem with the plane came As House and Senate negotiators began the King process of reconciling their Pentagon budget plans for next year. Officials said that although tests on one plane showed that it was easier to pick up on radar than expected this did not necessarily mean the plane would be any More vulnerable to enemy defences. They said there was no indication that an enemy would be Able to track the plane for any period of time accurately launch a missile at it Ami guide a missile near enough to destroy it. The b-2 does not carry any defensive weapons of its own. Leaving it almost totally dependent on its evasive ability to survive on a bombing run in enemy territory. Air Force officials have asserted for years that the b-2, while not totally invisible to enemy radar would be no easier to track than a Hummingbird because of its unusual Quot flying Wing Quot design and the composite materials from which much of the plane is  says personal views Are irrelevant Washington apr supreme court nominee Clarence Thomas told the Senate judiciary committee on thursday it is a a irrelevant whether he holds any personal opinion on abortion spurring new frustration among the committees democrats. But As the hearings third Day got under Way no groundswell of opposition to his confirmation seemed to be emerging. Asked several times by sen. Herb Kohl d-wis., about women s right to end their pregnancies Thomas said a whether or not i have a View is  such answers have frustrated the committees democrats who say Thomas is an evasive witness. They also have voiced scepticism about his backing away from stands he took in past writings and speeches. Committee chairman Joseph Biden d-del., began to show signs of exasperation thursday during spirited questioning about the nominees views on a natural Law a a theory that certain rights exist Independent of written Law. At one Point Biden accused Thomas of using a tortuous  later he referred to one of Thomas replies As a the most a artful Dodge i be  after still another Thormas answer Biden said Quot that s not the question i asked you  Thomas said thursday that Senate confirmation of his nomination would give him a an Opportunity to serve and give Back Quot and to Quot bring something different to the  a i can walk in the shoes of the people who Are affected by what the court does a Thomas said. Several senators were openly sceptical wednesday Over Thomas insistence that he has no opinion on the 1973 supreme court decision legalizing abortion. If that a so said sen. Paul Simon d-ill., a a he a the Only person gathered in the room who does not have an  Kohl added a i m concerned about his Candor his willingness to be  thursday Kohl asked the nominee a is it fair of you to say to us for the most part just View me on what in a saying Here this week Quot Kohl asked the Black Federal judge whether he was offended by published comments calling his appointment by president Bush a  a that would trouble anyone Quot Thomas said adding a i done to think its  he said Bush assured him he was picked because he was the Best qualified of those potential nominees considered. Thomas is expected to continue testifying through today. A the committee next week will hear from other witnesses. Two Pivotal members of the 14-member committee a Howell Heflin a Al and Arlen Specter a a. A also voiced concern about Thomas answers. But the panels traditional third swing vote Dennis Deconcini d-ariz., said Thomas was doing Well. Heflin cited the a appearance of a confirmation conversion Quot and said it May raise questions of Thomas a integrity and  in the stars and stripes10 years ago sept. 13, 1981 a striking Philadelphia schoolteachers defied an order to report for work and scheduled a City Hall rally for the Day they were ordered to report. The 22,000-member teachers federation struck two Days before classes were to begin.20 years ago sept. 13,1971 a at a seminar conducted by the maharishi Mahesh Yogi the head of the army War College revealed that he endorsed transcendental meditation As a possible deterrent to drug abuse and As a Means to help soldiers adjust to stress.30 years ago sept. 13, 1961 a the . Atomic Energy commission said the soviet Union had set off its seventh nuclear explosion since it resumed nuclear testing sept. 1. All of the devices were set off above ground.40 years ago sept. 13, 1951 a Gen. George c. Marshall resigned after a year As Secretary of defense. It was his third retirement from the government since 1945, concluding a half Century of Public service during which he had also filled the posts of army chief of staff and Secretary of state. Mcfarlane stirs up Iran Contra Case by the Washington Post Washington shouting at times former White House National Security adviser Robert c. Mcfarlane said in Federal court wednesday that his testimony at the 1989 trial of Oliver l. North was a co Loredo by the testimony North gave Congress two years earlier. Mcfarlane s account which caught Iran Contra prosecutors by Surprise appeared to make it even More Likely that North a convictions in the Iran Contra scandal would have to be overturned. A reluctant prosecution witness at North a trial Mcfarlane was called Back to the witness stand wednesday morning to determine whether any of the former National Security Council aides immunized 1987 testimony had been used against him. Directly or indirectly at his 1989 trial. A Federal appeals court ordered the Rig Orous review in a ruling last year that set aside North a convictions until the Issue is settled by a witness by witness inquiry of the testimony of All 67 witnesses. . District judge Gerhard a. Gesell opened the hearings wednesday with a prediction that the process could take months. While Mcfarlane maintained he had Learned no new facts from North a televised testimony before Congress in the summer of 1987, he said wednesday a in louder and louder tones As the hearing wore on a that he had been a influenced Quot and sometimes angered by what North said. North a said some things that were just not True Quot Mcfarlane said. In his White House Job Mcfarlane had supervised North who ran a Covert operation Selling weapons to Iran in an Effort to free Western hostages in Lebanon. Profits from the arms sales were diverted to con tra rebels in Nicaragua. North was convicted on three criminal counts but the appeals court overturned a conviction Tor destroying White House documents and set aside convictions for accepting an illegal gift and obstructing congressional efforts to uncover the Iran Contra scandal on grounds that prosecution witnesses May have been influenced by North a congressional testimony. Mcfarlane a testimony was challenged repeatedly by Iran Contra prosecutor Michael Bromwich who said he was a very surprised by the performance of the former White House adviser. Bromwich suggested that Mcfarlane was trying to undercut the government s Case now to help his former subordinate. A look in a telling the truth like i have Over 200-plus hours of interviews a Mcfarlane shouted. Gates Cia nomination remains on track Washington a Senate investigators have found no hard evidence that Robert Gates president Bush s nominee to head the Cia knew about the Iran Contra connection earlier than he previously has admitted a senior Senate Republican says. Despite a two month delay of Gates confirmation hearing to look into the Iran Contra connection and the indictments of two former top Cia officials who worked with him the nomination is still on track said sen. Frank h. Murkowski a Alaska the ranking minority member on the Senate intelligence committee. Gates confirmation hearings Are to open monday with the nominee As the first witness. He will be followed later in the week by a half dozen other witnesses including Alan Fiers former chief of the Ciao scentral american task Force. Fiers who pleaded guilty in july to two counts of withholding information from Congress will appear under a Grant of limited immunity from prosecution. Gates and his supporters will argue that strict compartmentalization of the spy Agency made it possible for Gates to be in the dark about much of the Sale of . Weapons to Iran and the diversion of profits to the nicaraguan contras Murkowski said. Gates now Bush a Deputy National Security adviser Rose through the ranks at the Cia As an intelligence analyst specializing in soviet issues. Murkowski and committee chairman David Lyle Boren a okla. Met on tuesday with Iran Contra special prosecutor Lawrence Walsh to discuss the Gates hearings and whether Walsh could be of any help to the committee in its investigation of the nominee. The outcome Boren said was that a there in t any Way to share in Lorma Tiona because of Legal restrictions on Walsh