European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Vol. 50, no. 179 wednesday october 9,1991 authorized unofficial publication for the . Armed forces c 35c d 8693 Thomas asks for vote delay nominee says he needs time to Clear name Clarence Thomas Washington a supreme court nominee Clarence Thomas asked for a delay in the Senate confirmation vote tuesday As his democratic support eroded. Earlier Thomas a totally and unequivocally denied that he sexually harassed a former aide. But i have to Clear my name. I have to restore what they have taken from me. I have to appear before the appropriate forum and Clear my name a Thomas told his chief Backer sen. John Danforth r-mo., in seeking a postponement. Danforth proposed moving the vote to 6 . Thursday. While democratic leaders discussed whether to proceed Senate Republican Leader Bob Dole said his count looked like this 41 senators for the nomination 41 against and is undecided. That is a dramatic reversal of head counts taken As recently As last Friday when Thomas appeared headed for confirmation. A we ought to have the vote at six of clock but i can count a Dole said before heading into a meeting with Senate majority Leader George Mitchell to discuss How to proceed. Mitchell had huddled with democratic colleagues earlier in the Day in an attempt to work out the political and parliamentary snarl presented by a previous scheduling agreement that requires All 100 senators to consent to any change. Dole said the nominee was willing to come to the Capitol to meet with any senator who had questions about his sworn statement or the allegations lev eled by Anita Hill who worked with Thomas at the education department and then at the equal employment Opportunity commission. A the can be Here in 10 minutes a Dole said. In a sworn statement released earlier tuesday Thomas said a i am terribly saddened and deeply offended by these allegations of sexual harassment. Hill surrounded by three bodyguards As she arrived at the University of Oklahoma Law school to teach a class refused to answer questions about Thomas affidavit. Thomas statement was released by Danforth who told reporters that the nominees denial should put to rest any talk of postponing the vote. But it did no to. And hours later see Thomas on Page 2dod draft report denies Gays greater risk by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a a Gay congressman released an internal defense department draft report tuesday that concludes homosexuals Are no More a Security risk than heterosexuals. Rep. Gerry e. Studds d-mass., one of two acknowledged Gay members of Congress lauded the main finding of the 39-Page report that a sexual orientation is unrelated to moral  Studds said the draft report has been in the making since 1988. It has been revised More than once he said because Pentagon officials Felt its original focus was a misdirected Quot in that it went beyond the Issue of Gays As Security risks and into the broader question of whether Gays Are fundamentally suitable for military service. The report titled a homosexuality and personnel Security a is being prepared by the defense personnel Security and education Center in Monterey Calif. An aide to Studds would not say How the congressman obtained a copy of the draft report. Air Force it. Col. Doug Hart a Pentagon spokesman declined to comment on the report because it has still not been officially released. He could not say when it would be released. Studds praised the reports conclusion that it is not valid to place All homosexuals in a morally suspect class. A i strongly endorse the requirement that every applicant for a Security clearance be evaluated on a Case by Case basis without regard to that person s sexual orientation a he said. A i am also realistic enough to recognize that an official policy change alone will not be sufficient he said. A Given years of societal prejudice training instruction and consistent monitoring of Security clearance investigators will be required to ensure that the Case by Case approach is truly  since the military has traditionally held that Gays Are particularly vulnerable to blackmail the draft report is based in part on Pentagon Case histories of 117 americans involved in espionage since 1945. But the report found that cases of espionage almost always revolve around Money or resentment not sexual orientation. A certainly in civilian contexts there is no basis for holding the belief that homosexuals As a group arc less trustworthy or less patriotic than heterosexuals Quot Studds said. The release of the draft report follows recent comments by defense Secretary Dick Cheney who in testimony before see Dod on Page 2you be got until Early december to save on Yule mail for states 11 is sir. By the stars and stripes now is the time for military postal patrons overseas and their family and friends stateside to get ready to beat the mail Rush and save Money on Holiday packages. By mailing Early gift givers can take advantage of less expensive mailing options such As space available mail Sam and parcel Airlift pal. The . Postal service annually issues recommended mailing deadlines for Holiday cards letters and packages. A sender who meets the deadlines can be reasonably sure that the package or card will arrive before Christmas. Space available mail from Europe to the United states should be mailed by dec. 2. Parcel Airlift and priority mail have the same deadline this year a dec. 4. Letters and cards should be mailed by dec. 9. The deadlines for .-bound Holiday mail vary considerably from last year when the space available deadline was nov. 13 and the parcel Airlift deadline was a week earlier than that for priority mail parcels. The postal service adjusted the dates this year based on surveys indicating that Holiday mail did no to need that much time to arrive m the states. Space available mail from the states to Europe should be mailed by nov. 11 and parcel Airlift by nov. 22. Priority mail parcels cards and letters should be mailed by dec. 2. Space available mail from the states and the Middle East should be mailed by nov. 4, parcel Airlift by nov. 11 and priority parcels by nov. 15. Cards and letters should be mailed by nov. 25. Priority mail is the most expensive method of mailing packages other than express mail which guarantees two or three Day delivery depending on the destination zip code. The express mail deadline is dec. 21, an army postal spokeswoman said. Other suggested Holiday mailing deadlines for mail leaving the United states Are a Africa space available oct. 25 parcel . 8 priority . 18 cards and letters dec. 2. A Alaska space available nov. 22 parcel Airlift dec. 2 priority parcels dec. 6 cards and letters dec. 9. A Canada space available and parcel Airlift dec. 2 priority parcels cards and letters dec 9. A Caribbean space available nov. 18 parcel . 22 priority parcels cards and letters dec. 6. A far East space available nov. 11 parcel . 15 priority parcels cards and letters dec. 2. A Greenland space available nov. 11 parcel . 22 priority parcels cards and letters dec. 2. A Hawaii priority parcels dec. 9 cards and letters dec. 16. A Mexico air parcels cards and letters dec. 9. A Southeast Asia space available nov. 1 parcel . 8 priority parcels cards and letters dec. 2. A South and Central America space available nov. 8 parcel . 22 priority parcels dec. 2 air cards and letters dec. 6. These Are the deadlines set by the . Postal  to . Space available dec. 2 parcel Airlift amp priority parcels dec. 4 cards amp letters dec. 9 to Europe . 11 parcel . 22 priority parcels cards amp letters dec. 2 to the Middle East space available nov. 4 parcel . 11 priority . 15 cards amp . 25 source u. S postal services amps Susan mams