European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 c the stars and stripes wednesday october 9,1991 soviet says Date for Baltic pullout cannot be me going great guns Moscow apr a soviet military commander said tuesday he cannot withdraw troops from the capitals of the newly Independent Baltic states by a dec. 1 deadline because of his country a critical nationwide housing shortage. Lithuania Latvia and Estonia set the deadline monday saying the continued stationing of soviet soldiers in the cities of Vilnius Riga and Tallinn was a impossible and  it. Gen. Valery Mironov commander of the Baltic military District told Tass a i do not think this decision can be accomplished because there is no place to House the troops in the soviet Union. A it is possible to withdraw troops from the capitals and accommodate them in Barracks on three tier bunk Beds a Mironov told the soviet news Agency. A it is possible to set up a Field Camp but All this requires a lot of Money and  the Baltic states have demanded a rapid withdrawal of soviet troops from their territory since winning their Independence from the soviet Union after the August coup collapsed. Moscow has already removed nuclear weapons from the three countries and promised to gradually withdraw its troops by 1994. The exact number of soviet troops in the Baltic has always been a closely guarded military secret. Lithuania claims to have been a reluctant Host to More than 90,000. Latvia and Estonia have smaller numbers although the Navy has historically and strategically important bases in Estonia on the Gulf of Finland. Mironov told Tass that Baltic authorities were trying to halt military housing construction projects under Way causing tension Between local authorities and the military. In recent Days he said local governments started trying to evict soldiers and their families from civilian housing. A was the commander of armed forces in the District i cannot turn a Blind Eye to the attempts not to let us Complete construction of housing that is already Irader Way to the fact that almost 11,000 people have no apartments a he said. A there Are no grounds to believe that troops can be withdrawn overnight or within a week. People need somewhere to live a he told Tass. The housing shortage throughout the soviet Union is desperate for soldiers and civilians. Bikers armed with rifles show their pedal Power Over the weekend in Switzerland a traditional military Bicy Jerusalem apr More than 1,000 police patrolled the area tuesday As muslims at the a1 Asa mosque marked with prayers the anniversary of the killings of 17 palestinians by israeli police during riots at the Temple mount. N arabs from the occupied territories were banned from Jerusalem for a second Day in an attempt to deter violence and palestinians staged a general strike throughout the occupied West Bank and Gaza strip. Restrictions on palestinians entering Jerusalem began monday morning and were to last until this morning. Israel was anxious to avoid the Hail of International criticism that followed last years shootings. Two israeli probes of the Temple mount incident accused police of responding too harshly to Rock throwing rioters. Prime minister Yitzhak Shamire a government rejected . Attempts to investigate the clash the Cle race from St. Gallen to Zurich. Thousands of spectators viewed the 30th running of the annual race. Worst since Israel captured the West Bank Gaza and East Jerusalem in the 1967 six Day War. The riots occurred on a Day when Muslim prayers coincided with the jewish Holiday Succoth and thousands of jews were worshipping at the wailing Wall the last remnant of the ancient jewish Temple. About an hour before prayers began tuesday at a1 Asa islam a third holiest shrine Only about 100 worshippers had gathered. Muslim clergy blamed the Small turnout on the ban on palestinians entering the City. Sheik Mohammed Hussein Deputy director of a1 Asa mosque said he recalled last years events with mixed emotions. A i feel pain because the victims were killed unjustly but i also feel dignity because they were killed defending a1 Asa mosque a he  continue on foreigners across Germany Bonn Germany apr right Wing radicals have carried out More than 150 arson attacks against Asylum shelters since the beginning of the year a German official said tuesday. Bavarian Interior minister Edmund Stoiber said he had Learned from police that As of monday 158 arson attacks had been reported. Stoiber denounced the violence. A foreigners Are not free game. Everyone in Germany is entitled to Protection from violence a he said. More xenophobic acts were reported by police on tuesday. Assailants hurled firebombs at a refugees Hostel in Bie Bertal Felling Hausen near Frankfurt and two youths were  the Dortmund suburb of Schwertz a fire was set in a refugee shelters Garden but no damage was reported to the building itself. Late monday night police in the Saarland state town of Ottweiler broke up a meeting of about 60 extremists who were apparently plotting to attack a nearby Asylum Hostel. A handles and other potential clubs were confiscated. Officials in southwestern Germany on monday reported attacks against foreigners in at least six towns. In Central Hessen state police said a dark haired German Man walking along a Street last sunday was attacked and stabbed in the thigh by two unknown assailants who yelled a Asylum pig a apparently thinking he was a foreigner. Dietmar Schlee Interior minister for the state of Baden i Rittenberg described the situation As  he has ordered police to step up Security for Homes of foreigners in the state ministry spokesman Rainer Knubben said. Artist s  umbrella show put on hold a just too much rain by the los Angeles times los Angeles a the environmental artist Christo poised to unveil at Dawn tuesday his Gigantic work featuring 3,100 umbrellas at Sites in Japan and Southern California has postponed their opening indefinitely. The delay was caused by heavy Rains at the Japan site in the Ibaraki prefecture 75 Miles North of Tokyo. A i do not feel any pleasure in opening my umbrellas in the present miserable weather at the Ibaraki site a Christo said in a statement issued monday in Japan. Weather reports indicated that storms caused in part by an offshore typhoon would continue there intermittently until thursday night. But Christo needs Only a few hours break in the rain to open the Japan segment consisting of 1,340 Blue umbrellas according to Auric Huber general contractor of the project. A a i just talked to Christo and he said that at the moment it is overcast but not raining at the site a Huber said. The umbrellas each of which stands almost 20 feet tall and weighs 488 pounds can easily weather the storm. A prototype was tested under winds reaching 65 Mph. But Christo wants to open the umbrellas in the sunlight so that the Bright fabric he has chosen for the canopies will look Luminescent. Safety is also an Issue. A ninety of the umbrellas Are based right in the Sato River a club or said. A it is not Worth the risk of opening them if the River is too High. It might be too  whenever the Japan segment does open the 1,760 yellow umbrellas in the United states site which is in the Tejon pass about 60 Miles North of los Angeles will open about 16 hours later to allow Christo time to Fly to the United states. Towering Over the Flowers at Tejon pass calif., Christous umbrellas wait for their  tense As muslims mourn