European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 c the stars and stripes saturday september 21, 1991 at a glance the Usa eur commanders private luxury train is for Sale a victim of the end of the cold War. See Story on pages 14-15.at&t techs were at school technicians who Monitor the at amp to Call switching Center that shut Down this week in new York were absent because the company had sent them to class on a new alarm designed to avoid the very trouble that caused the outage. A Page 4thomas hearings end confirmation hearings for supreme court nominee Clarence Thomas ended Friday with the Senate committee vote expected by the end of next week. A Page 5new diet plan want to lose weight fast go into space. Preliminary results from Nasa s most elaborate medical research Mission show the seven astronauts lost up to 6 pounds each after just one Day in orbit. A Page 6arsonist sentenced a Bronx judge nearly wept As he recalled the human devastation of the Happy land social club fire before he sent Julio Gonzalez to prison for 25 years to life. A Page 7referendum in doubt philippine president Corazon Aquino said she would give up her plan to Call a National referendum to save the . Naval base at Subic Bay if it fails to generate Public support. A Page 8 Index , Abby Ann Landers.  Wax a .21 comics. 21-23 commentary. .13 letters. 12 Money matters. 18-19 sports. 25-32 to listings. Weather. 11 Baker meets with palestinian says . Against separate state from wire reports Amman Jordan a Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii told a palestinian representative Friday that the United states was firm in its opposition to an Independent palestinian state As he wound up an 11-Day peace Mission to the Middle East. After bakery Shourong Surprise meeting in Amman with Hanan Ashrafi there still was no Clear indication whether palestinians would agree to participate in a proposed Middle East peace conference next month. Baker left for Home after flying to Syria for a meeting with president Hafez Assad who has indicated Syria would not attend a conference boycotted by the palestinians. Ashrafi a professor who lives in the israeli occupied West Bank is one of three palestinians who have previously met with Baker to discuss a peace conference. The other two negotiators were unable to make the trip to Jordan. The fact that the Baker Ashrafi meeting took place was regarded As a sign that the Palestine liberation organization was tempering its resistance to a palestinian delegation attending the Confer ence the United states Hopes to Convene by the end of october. A decision on the question of Plo endorsement of a conference is expected next week when the Palestine National Council meets in Algiers. Ashrafi initially rejected a Baker invitation to meet in Jordan. First word that she was coming a with the Blessing of the Plo a came about 2 40 . Jordanian time. A we made some Progress but i done to want to say we have a series of understandings now a said a state department official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The basis for the discussion was the letter of assurances Baker gave the palestinians on monday. The letter spelled out . Positions on issues of particular concern to the palestinians. Asked if the letter were being amended to meet palestinian concerns the official said emphatically a we Are not doing amendments for the  in a news conference in Amman Ashrafi said that a some Progress had been achieved during her talks with Baker but she refused to elaborate. But she added a i think there a a lot to be done before we reach a final draft on the letter of  the United states has refused to disclose the contents of the letter but Plo sources have said it gives each party to the negotiations the right to its own interpretation of . Resolutions calling for the return of occupied land. It also says that the palestinians would participate As part of the jordanian delegation and that the status of East Jerusalem would be decided by negotiation. On the critical question of a palestinian state the . Letter reportedly says the conference would work toward an interim settlement that provides limited self government for the palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza strip. It set a goal of one year for reaching a settlement that would remain in place for five years after which new negotiations would commence on the ultimate status of the palestinians. The palestinians oppose formulations that would deny them control of the land and its resources leaving them under the jurisdiction of the israelis who have occupied the territories since the 1967 six Day War. Israel plans Jerusalem settlement Jerusalem a the housing ministry on Friday announced plans for a jewish settlement in the heart of Arab East Jerusalem the latest in a construction drive that has exacerbated tensions Between Israel and the United states. The plans were disclosed As Secretary of state James a. Baker 111 was on his seventh trip to the Middle East to arrange a regional peace conference. The report of the plan coincided with a Sharp attack by finance minister Yitzhak Modai on the acceleration of jewish housing construction in the occupied Arab territories. A a there a no particular need to anger the americans a Modai said in an interview published Friday in the daily be doth Ahro Noth. A accelerated building in the territories As a deliberate provocation against them is an act of stupidity of the highest  he accused the housing ministry of failing to provide the Treasury with a reliable information about the scope of building. He said his ministry knew of plans for 3,000 housing units in the territories. However housing minister Ariel Sharon has promised 16,000. In a related development the parliaments finance committee on Friday approved a special $6.4 million allocation to settlements in the occupied West Bank Gaza strip and Golan Heights. The funds will be used for Industrial and tourism projects mounted by jewish settlements in the territories committee members said. Bakery stalks have been marred by a fight with Israel Over the jewish states request for $10 billion in loan guarantees to help Settle soviet jewish immigrants. The Bush administration has asked for a 120-Day delay before the measure is considered. Bush has said he fears a debate Over israelis policy of settling jews on land won from arabs in the 1967 Middle East War could hamper the proposed  Gina Youngkrantz will autograph her Cookbook authentic German Home style recipes from noon to 2 . Sept. 28 at the stars and stripes Bookstore in the Heidelberg Germany shopping Center. The Date for her Heidelberg appearance was wrong in an article on yesterdays food  from Page 1 hostages from France or Britain should be released without regard to the israeli prisoners of  there was a time he added a when people openly said that the life of a Frenchman or the life of an englishman was of greater value than the life of a jew. I done to believe that anybody holds these opinions  Israel released 51 lebanese prisoners and the bodies of nine Muslim guerrillas last week in Exchange for confirmation that one of its servicemen missing in Lebanon was dead. It also allowed a deported palestinian to come Home in Exchange for the remains of another Soldier killed in action. Israel still seeks information on five other servicemen missing in Lebanon a we were surprised with the release of 51 detainees and nine martyrs a the kidnappers statement said. A it appears that the Issue is Likely to be complicated anew unless 20 More detainees Are released by Israel according to the agreement and thus we arc freed from our  in the lebanese capital of Beirut a tearful Sunnie Mann told reporters on Friday that after thursdays communique from the kidnappers she had lost All Hope that her husband would be released soon. Mann has been held since May 12, 1989. The revolutionary Justice organization communique came hours after two shiite Muslim leaders seeking a hostage for prisoner Swap said two German captives might be excluded from the proposed Deal. The move could be an attempt to bargain for the release of two lebanese terrorists jailed in Germany. The shiites who spoke on condition of anonymity also claimed two of the 11 Western hostages a an italian and a Bri ton a had died in Captivity. Numerous previous reports have suggested that British writer Alec Collett and italian businessman Alberto Molina i died years ago. The two influential shiite leaders who have close ties to the militant Hezbollah faction gave no details on the bodies or How the men died. Hezbollah or party of god is believed to be the umbrella group for extremist factions holding the hostages. Kuwait . Sign Accord by the new York times Washington the United states and Kuwait signed a military Alliance on thursday that Broadens the Long term presence of american forces in the persian Gulf Region. The 10-year Security pact is the first of several such accords expected to be signed with other Gulf nations to allow Access to ports by . Navy ships the storage of military equipment and joint training. The Accord with Kuwait does not provide for a permanent american Garrison in Kuwait. With president Bush a decision wednesday to authorize american warplanes to Fly into Iraq to protect . Inspectors if needed thursdays action underscores the administrations military commitment to the Region. A the purpose of the agreement is t enhance postwar Security and stability i the Gulf a Pentagon spokesman Pete Wiliams said earlier this week. Williams said thursday that discussions with other countries in the i Gion a Are progressing very  but some administration officials has expressed impatience with the Pace it talks with other Gulf states. Saudi Arabi is the Centrepiece of the network of Sec Rity arrangements the United states trying to forge but negotiations with to Riyadh government have bogged Dott Over issues such As How Many tanks to United states will be allowed to Stoi there and who pays for maintaining pal positioned equipment. The kuwaiti Accord had been neg it tinted since the end of the persian go War