European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 27, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a the stars and stripes Friday september 27, 1991b-2 squeaks by in Senate vote Washington apr the b-2 stealth bomber program narrowly survived an attempt in the Senate to kill it but the Bush administrations plan to eventually build 75 of the radar evading planes appears increasingly in jeopardy. In a 51-48 vote wednesday night the Senate Defeated a move led by sen. Jim Sasser d-tcnn., to Stop production of the b-2 at 15 planes already authorized by Congress. At $864 million apiece the Bat winged b-2 is the most expensive plane Ever built. Sasser a amendment to the 1992 defense appropriations Bill would have scuttled the administrations plan to buy four b-2 planes for $3.2 billion in the budget year starting oct. 1. In a separate vote the Senate Defeated 50-49, an attempt to Cut $1.1 billion from the $4.6 billion in the spending Bill for the anti missile strategic defense initiative. The closeness of the votes reflects a growing sentiment in Congress that . Defense priorities need reordering in Light of the collapse of soviet communism. Vice president Dan Quayle presided Over the vote on the b-2 As Senate president in Case administration supporters needed him to break a tie. Just eight weeks ago the Senate voted by a wider margin 57-42, to defeat an attempt to kill the b-2 program. The bombers future has come under increased scrutiny since the air forces disclosure earlier this month that a july 26 flight test indicated the plane was More easily detected by radar than originally expected. The air Force says it can Navy to buy fewer sea Wolf subs than planned Washington a the Navy is going to Purchase a a much smaller number of sea Wolf attack submarines than it first planned and could end up with As few As a half dozen the services top Admiral said wednesday. The sea Wolf a More than $2 billion Price tag and the dramatic changes in the soviet Union mean the Navy must develop a less expensive submarine adm. Frank b. Kelso ii said. A without some change in the world i done to see 30 sea wolfs. It would be a much smaller number than that a Kelso said. A the most 1 could see is until you could reach the next generation of submarine that hopefully we could find out How to do it a Little  the Admiral said he fully supports the sea Wolf program but he is aware of the budget pressures that have made it a a big tickets target on Capitol Hill. Last week an attempt was made to delete the $2.38 billion for the sub from the 1992 defense appropriations Bill. However the Money was restored the next Day after a flurry of Pentagon Navy and contractor lobbying. The sub is the most expensive Ever ordered by the Navy. Designed to be larger faster and quieter than the los Angeles class sub the sea Wolf was created to find and destroy the most sophisticated submarines in the soviet Navy. But with the military cuts and economic turmoil in the soviet Union questions have been raised As to whether the sea Wolf is needed. While the Admiral insisted that scrapping the program a is not an option a he said the most optimum binding schedule May Welt be a at Best a sea Wolf a year until 1997 or 1998, when a newer smaller class of submarine could be on the horizon. Queried whether that meant that there would be Only a half dozen sea wolfs the Admiral acknowledged the figure was a possibility. A i done to see a Large number of ships a Kelso said. Overcome the problem but critics have expressed doubt. Even considering defeat of Sasser a Effort to halt production the administration is far from gaining final congressional approval to buy the four b-2s it wants in 1992. The Senate appropriations Bill stipulates that the $3.2 billion for the planes cannot be spent until a separate vote is taken next year. It also says the plane must pass certain flight performance tests. The House appropriations Bill contains no Money for new b-2s and ends production at 15 planes. House Senate negotiators will work out a Compromise Bill this fall. Quot president Bush has said he will veto a defense Bill that lacks Money for the b-2. Sen. A James Exon d-neb., opposed Sasser a amendment but said so Many former b-2 supporters were switching their allegiances that he believed the Senate eventually might end production before 75 planes Are built. Sen. Carl Levin d-mich., said he could not see a reason to build More than 30 b-2s, although he voted with the b-2 supporters Sasser a amendment came on the opening Day of debate on the $269.7 billion defense spending Bill. Among other provisions the Bill would reduce Active duty military forces by 106,000 in 1992 and reduce the ranks of the National guard and reserves by 35,000. Besides targeting the b-2 and ski programs Sasser proposed cancelling $200 million earmarked for research on making the my ballistic missile Mobile by rail. No vote was taken on this amendment wednesday. A fall three Are anachronisms a Sasser said. A they Are cold War relics that we keep trying to re adapt to a world that Wilt no longer have  Sasser said the foundation for his argument against the b-2 was a concern that military spending in general was too High at a time of growing budget deficits. Sen. Ted Stevens a Alaska said Congress has approved spending of More than $30 billion on the radar evading b-2 since the program began More than a decade ago. A this amendment would completely abandon that investment a he said and leave the United states without an advanced Long Range bombing capability in the Early 21st  officer censured for Gulf incident by the los Angeles times Washington a a Navy fact finding Board issuing the first official ruling of wrongdoing by american troops in the persian Gulf War has found that a Navy skipper ordered . Helicopters to open fire on iraqi soldiers on Oil platforms despite reports that some appeared to be surrendering officials said wednesday. In what one knowledgeable defense official called an apparent a cover up by the skipper the Board also found that the senior officer of the frigate Nicholas withheld reports of the possible iraqi surrender from the commanders of operation desert storm. But the three member Navy Board concluded that even though the commanding officer of the Nicholas cmdr Dennis g. Morral a demonstrated extremely poor judgment a he did not violate the rules of engagement in the Gulf or International Laws of War. As a result the Board called on the Navy to Issue Only a non punitive letter of caution a recommendation that has been endorsed by the chief of naval operations adm. Frank b. Kelso ii. The relatively mild censure which would not be entered into Morrales personnel file has stirred controversy among those familiar with the boards findings officials said. A some lawyers think this Guy should have gotten Hung out to dry a said one department of defense offi Cial familiar with the Case. A there was a lot of political pressure to impose sterner punishment the official said. The panels findings have cast a pall Over a raid that was one of the Navy a most significant and successful operations during the six week Gulf War. Five iraqi soldiers were killed three injured and 23 taken prisoner in the Navy a raid on nine Oil platforms off Kuwait which took place on the night of Jan. 18 in the Early hours of the War against Iraq. The iraqi troops were said to have been firing anti aircraft guns and missiles at . Planes As they mounted an intensive bombing operation against iraqi forces in Kuwait and  s $1 million estate has 6 widows fighting Redwood City Calif. A six women who claim to be the widows of the same Man Are fighting in court Over his $1 million estate. When Auto repair shop owner Richard Jenkins of Oakland died of a heart attack four months ago his wife Laura Jenkins went to the Alameda county coroners office to claim the body. So did Paulina Jenkins and Kili Jenkins. Three other mrs. Jenkinss also turned up. And Richard Jenkins left at least five children. Lawyers for the six women gathered tuesday in san Mateo county Superior court to Start untangling the Legal snarl of dividing Jenkins estate. The trial is scheduled for nov. 21. Richard Jenkins 52, first got married in 1956 in Louisiana to Nerva Jenkins according to court records. The couple separated later that year. In the 1960s, Jenkins moved to the Oakland area and married Kili in 1971. Eight years later Kili sought a divorce but for unknown reasons the dissolution was not granted. Jenkins married Paulina in 1979 in Reno Nev. The couple lived in the same Foster City Home he previously shared with Kili. Four years later Nerva a who is not part of the Case a divorced Jenkins. Jenkins also became involved with claimants Gail Jenkins and Arlene Jenkins although their marriages have not been confirmed. A claim also was filed by Petrona Fontanosa Jenkins but no details were available on her relationship with Jenkins. Last year Jenkins was married to Laura a by the same minister who wed Jenkins to Paulina 11 years earlier. Jenkins evidently spent much of the last year of his life alternating Between Laura and  links Noriega to drug Money deals Miami apr the Medellin cocaine Cartel poured almost $2 billion into Panama in the Early 1980s, some of it on Manuel Antonio Noriega a plane a confessed Money launderer testified at the deposed panamanian leaders trial wednesday. Among the charges Noriega faces is that of accepting bribes to let the Cartel launder its drug profits in panamanian Banks. Late in the Day the governments Star witness panamanian Pilot Floyd Carlton also took the stand but had Only begun tracing his relationship with Noriega when court adjourned. Carlton said he built up a charter business in the Early 1980s at a Panama City Airport with Noriega a Protection. A nobody messed with us nobody inspected our planes nobody did anything to us a Carlton said. Most of wednesdays prosecution testimony was from Eric Guerra a panamanian businessman who said the drug Cash was flown into the Panama City Airport aboard commercial and private flights All under the watchful Eye of Noriega a intelligence Branch. A it came in suitcases it came tied up in bundles by denomination and with rubber bands around it a Guerra testified. He said that from 1980 until he left the Money laundering operation in july 1984, passengers aboard daily flights from Miami carried in $500,000 to $800,000 each. Sometimes two couriers were on the same flight he said. In 1982, private jets began weekly flights from fort Lauderdale to Panama City each carrying $10 million to $15 million he said. A Jet the government says was Noriega a personal plane made several of the flights said Guerra identifying it from photos. Flights from fort Lauderdale began in 1982 and lasted about 18 months until the Cash smugglers were caught in Florida he said