European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 23, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes wednesday october 23,1991 Belfast taxi ripped by bomb soldiers Check the scene of a bombing that Tore this taxi apart and injured the Driver and a passenger monday in downtown Belfast Northern Ireland. The bomb went off under the cab As it was being driven around a Corner. The protestant Driver who was not identified had his leg blown off. A woman passenger was Hurt less seriously. Police blamed the bombing on terrorists in the Irish Republican army. French health officials charged in scandal Over tainted blood Paris apr criminal charges were filed monday against three former High ranking health officials in a scandal involving the widespread use of blood supplies that authorities knew were contaminated by the aids virus. One of the three professor Jacques Roux called the charges a a smoke screen designed to protect Cabinet members of the mid-1980s, whom he blamed for failing to treat the problem urgently. The health scandal perhaps the worst in French history has become Public in piecemeal fashion Over a period of years As hundreds of Haemophiliacs and other patients became infected with the aids virus following transfusions. Without casting individual blame an official report last month said authorities deliberately delayed taking action to protect blood recipients. On monday judge Sabine Foulon charged the former director of the National blood transfusion Center or. Michel Garretta with failing to warn Consumers about blood products he knew were contaminated in 1984 and. 1985. The charge carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison and a 500,000 franc about $86,000 Fine. Roux former director general of the health ministry and or. Robert Netter former director of the National health Laboratory were charged with criminal negligence and accused of failing to act swiftly when they Learned about the contamination. Each could face up to five years in prison and fines of 20,000 francs $3,450. No trial Date was announced. About 1,200 French Haemophiliacs nearly half the total tested positive for the aids virus and More than 200 9,1 drome according to the French National association of b to have already died of acquired immune deficiency syn Haemophiliacs. The newspaper be Monde said monday that a memo recently made Public showed that 400,000 people in France were exposed to contaminated blood. The memo dated aug. 11,1989, had been signed by Garretta. The memo said that the vast majority were infected with hepatitis not the aids virus but it indicated the problem of contaminated blood was far More widespread than previously thought. The Garretta memo and the charges filed against him were not connected. Be Monde said the revelations in the memo originally Given to the government in 1989, will serve As basis for an overhaul of Frances blood transfusion system. The criminal charges Stem from a government report released in september recounting How Haemophiliacs were sometimes knowingly Given blood tainted with the human immunodeficiency virus which causes aids. Garretta was chief of the transfusion Center at the time that an internal note advised that distributing non heated blood products would remain the a Normal procedures As Long As the Stock existed the government report said. Heating blood products a a deactivates the aids virus. The process was used in the United states and Germany by 1983, but was used Only on a limited basis in France. The report also recounted How authorities in 1985 disregarded near certain knowledge that blood was a major Carrier of the aids virus. Heated products became obligatory on oct. 1, 1985. Systematic testing of blood donors for the his virus went into effect aug. 1,1985. The time Between reaching the decisions and putting measures into effect meant Haemophiliacs and others needing transfusions Likely received contaminated blood for months. World Indian Rescue teams Rush to quake ravaged area from wire reports new Delhi India a military helicopters flew Rescue teams and Relief supplies to earthquake devastated areas of Northwest India on tuesday amid reports that the death toll from the temblor had risen to 785. A government damage assessment team reporting to prime minister . Narasimha Rao said officials found at least 785 people killed by the quake and another 1,846 injured. The earthquake struck at 2 53 . And measured 6.1 on the Richter scale. The epicentre of the quake was located in the mountains near the Indian Border with Tibet and nepal.4 prisoners escape Celle Germany a four inmates holding guards As hostages escaped from a prison in Northern Germany after police gave in to their demand for a car and about $1.2 million. While negotiating their demands from inside the prison the inmates freed one guard who suffered from heart problems. The escapees later released a second guard about eight hours after they drove away from the Celle prison under police escort about Midnight monday. They were still holding one hostage tuesday morning. Police described the four As a extremely dangerous a but declined to give further information about them or the  to be returned Berlin a the russian republics president Boris n. Yeltsin plans to give Back to Germany 363 valuable drawings and paintings that were hauled off to the soviet Union after world War ii a news Agency reported monday. For months Germany has been seeking the return of thousands of artworks in the soviet Union. Among them Are 363 drawings and paintings by Rubens Rembrandt and other masters that were taken from Bremen a Kun Thalle  soldiers baby Dies after breathing stops Mannheim Germany a the 10-month-old daughter of two soldiers assigned to the 28th trans in in Mannheim died monday soon after her baby Sitter discovered that she had stopped breathing. A police report said that Stephanie Watts was taking a Nap in a crib when the baby Sitter checked on her around 4 . When the baby Sitter saw Stephanie was turning Blue and not breathing she administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation and called an ambulance the report said. The baby was taken to the 546th general dispensary where she died at 4 50 . Her parents spec. Michael Dan Watts and spec. Tammy s. Watts have agreed to an autopsy according to a statement from the Mannheim military Community. Mannheim a Branch of the criminal investigation come is looking into the death but medical officials said that All indications so far Point to sudden infant death syndrome As the cause. The funeral is scheduled for oct. 30 in the fathers Home state of  voids decree on searching businesses Moscow apr soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev on monday nullified the decree he issued earlier this year that granted sweeping search and seizure Powers to the Kab and Interior ministry to combat economic crime. The terse statement carried on the Tass news Agency gave no reason for reversal of the decree. But it was a Clear signal by Gorbachev to Western investors that their businesses in the country would not be harassed by soviet Security agencies. Gorbachev issued the decree Jan. 26 a a time when he was aligning himself with communist party hard liners who had demanded he take a firmer hand in restoring Law and order in the nation. The hard liners had condemned the tens of thousands of flourishing cooperative businesses saying they were run by organized crime. Western business leaders had criticized the decree As draconian claiming it would have a chilling effect on foreign investment in the soviet Union. In the decree Gorbachev had said he was taking the measures a to combat economic sabotage and other crimes in the economic sphere and to preserve order in providing the population with food and other  it granted the two Law enforcement bodies acting in accordance with the so Viet criminal code virtually unrestricted Access to documents Bank accounts and offices of those businesses they want to investigate for alleged economic crimes. The decree empowered the Kab and Interior ministry to enter and search the premises of different businesses and enterprises a whether joint ventures with foreign companies or state owned. Also permitted were searches of stores executive offices and employees areas Trade Halls and Means of transport. Excluded were foreign diplomatic missions. If employees refused to participate the searches could have been carried out in their absence provided a representative of Public organizations or local City councils was present. Under the decree the Kab and Interior ministry also had the right to take samples of raw materials inspect Bank accounts and financial records Seal Cash desks and other places were Money valuables and documents might be stored and demand the surrender of All documents or other information deemed relevant to an investigation. Since the failed coup in August Gorbachev has appointed reformers to head the once feared Security agencies. He is also moving to break up he Powers of the Kab