European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 2, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday. November 2. 1991 a a the stars and stripes a Page 5dod funds tapped for soviet Aid i billion plan would include food Medicine by Eric Schmitt the new York times Washington a in a novel Effort to accommodate a changing world the Pentagon is nearing agreement with Congress to Transfer up to $1 billion from its budget to give the soviet Union food and medical Aid and help convert soviet military industries into civilian projects officials say. A the plan which has the support of the White House and congressional leaders would be incorporated in the $291 billion 1992 Pentagon budget nearing final approval in Congress. Seeking to justify the use of tax Money that might otherwise be diverted to . Domestic needs the plans architects contend that the investment would increase . Security by helping prevent further instability in the soviet Union. A a we re talking about the potential for chaos in a country with 30,000 nuclear weapons a said  Aspin of Wisconsin the democratic chairman of the House armed services committee. A a it a clearly in our interest not to allow food and Medicine shortages to trigger some kind of  Deputy defense Secretary Donald j. Atwood and a delegation of . Business leaders Are in the soviet Union examining the prospects for converting soviet military industries to the manufacture of badly needed consumer goods. It is unclear How the gesture of tapping the Pentagon budget for soviet Aid May influence the debate Over whether to make deep cuts in . Military spending because of communism a collapse and the diminished soviet military threat. It could Cut both ways giving impetus to those who advocate further reductions while at the same time venting some of the pressure to use Pentagon spending for other purposes. The Pentagon Aid package would be separate from other Public and private . Assistance under consideration including increased agricultural loan guarantees and direct food Aid this Winter. When the idea was suggested by Aspin in August after the failed hard line coup in Moscow defense Secretary Dick Cheney dismissed it As a a foolish and a a serious mistake that could damage . Security. Under gentle prodding from the White House though Cheney is now ready to relent on the condition that the Pentagon has authority to make the necessary budget cuts and to decide How the Money will be spent on the soviets administration officials said. A we think this is a doable a a said a defense department official who is familiar with the plan. The soviet Aid package is the brainchild of the two influential leaders of the House and Senate armed services committees Aspin and sen. Sam Nunn a a. For several weeks the two men have worked with their staffs and key administration officials to draft a proposal acceptable to Congress and the Pentagon. The lawmakers Are putting the finishing touches on the plan which is included in the military budget Bill that House and Senate negotiators Are expected to Complete this week. The House and Senate Are expected to approve the Compromise Bill which will then go to president Bush. Administration officials said the plan would not violate last years budget agreement because the soviet Aid would come out of the Pentagon a  Crippen to take Over space Center from wire reports Washington a signalling a change of emphasis for manned space flight Nasa administrator Richard h. Truly on thursday named fellow former astronaut Robert l. Crippen As the next director of the Kennedy space Center effective Jan. 1. Crippen replaces Forrest s. Mccart Crippen a Ney 60, a retired in the stars and stripes air Force lieutenant general called in by truly to run the Florida launch Complex after the 1986 challenger disaster. Mccartney reportedly has clashed with top shuttle managers including Crippen Over policy decisions. Under Mccartney the space Center has conducted 18 shuttle missions in the three years since flights resumed following an investigation into the challenger explosion. In announcing the move truly said a with three years of Safe shuttle flights behind us the Kennedy space Center and the shuttle program Are moving into an Era of new challenges which will involve not Only our continued commit ment to safety but also significant efforts to increase efficiencies and reduce operating  truly said Crippens personal experience on four shuttle flights and a this proven record of leadership in critical management assignments a including his current Job As shuttle program director a make him uniquely qualified at this critical  truly noted that the Job will Range from supervising of shuttle launch operations to overseeing the planned construction of the space station Freedom in the mid-1990s. Truly also praised Mccartney saying the shuttle programs recent performance a is a remarkable record achieved during the most challenging time in nasal a history and the strength of Forrest a leadership in preparing the launch teams for the shuttle s return to flight paved the  Crippen 54, is the first astronaut to make four shuttle flights. A retired Navy Captain he joined Nasa in 1969, was a standby astronaut during the skylab and Apollo soyuz programs and shared the cockpit with John Young on the inaugural Mission of an untried shuttle in april 1981. Nasa did not say who will succeed Crippen in his current Job.10 years ago nov. 2,1981 a local Solidarity Union leaders in Poland vowed to continue Wildcat protests idling about 250,000 workers despite a Call by the polish parliament for an immediate halt to strikes. 20years ago nov. 2,1971 a israeli prime minister Golda Meir and foreign minister Abba Eban met . Ambassador h. Walworth Barbour in Jerusalem while Israel s ambassador to Washington conferred with . Officials there to begin sorting out differences on Washington a approach to bringing about a partial Middle East peace agreement.30 years ago nov. 2,1961 a the body of Josef Stalin ruler of the soviet Union for a Quarter of a Century was removed from a Granite Tomb in red Square and reburied inside the Kremlin wall.40 years ago nov. 2,1951 an air dropped atomic bomb shattered windows in Las vegas 65 Miles away during history s first atomic War games using foot soldiers. About 2,000 . Soldiers were entrenched seven Miles from the actual blast site at Yucca Flat . Woman changes testimony links youth to subway murder robbery by new Day new York a at first the sister in Law of slain Utah tourist Brian Watkins testified thursday that she did not recognize any of the four youths As members of the gang that attacked her family in a Manhattan subway. Then Michelle Watkins 24, pointed to the defense table and asked a can i have the first one stand up a state supreme court Justice Edwin Torres instructed defendant Ricardo Nova to stand. A now he looks familiar a she said. A yes he was the one standing behind the pillar. Yes now i am quite  Watkins identification of a defendant was the first by any witness since testimony began monday. In emotional testimony earlier this week the victims parents Sherwin and Karen Watkins said they could not identify any of the defendants. Also on thursday the written and videotaped statements of defendant Pascal Carpenter 19, were played to the jury. In those statements Carpenter said he was instructed by other youths to be the Lookout for the robbery. Carpenter Nova and two others a Johnny Hincapie and Emiliano Fernandez a face murder and robbery charges in connection with Watkins death and the robbery of $203 from Watkins father. Michelle Watkins and her husband Todd both took the stand thursday and Laid out the harrowing events that led to Brian Watkins death on sept. 2, 1990, As the family waited for a train to Greenwich Village after attending the . Open Tennis tournament. She was drawn to Nova that night she said because he kept popping out from behind a pillar roughly 50 feet from where the family was standing. Moments after she noticed Nova she said she heard Yelling and screaming and saw a group of youths running toward her and her family. She said she started screaming and covered her head and did not Lake note of the robbery for several minutes until she noticed her father in Law was a on the ground and that his pants had been slashed. Brian Watkins stabbed in the heart had begun dashing up the stairs to Chase his attackers. She said she did not know then that he was fatally injured. As she met her husband at the top of the stairs she took Brian s head in her arms she said while her husband applied pressure to the wound. Girl says she saw six kick Soldier to death Colorado Springs Colo. Up a a 17-year-old girl testified that she and dozens of other teen agers stood by and watched As a Soldier was kicked to death on a downtown Street Corner. The witness a Lindefield High school student testified wednesday in a preliminary hearing of six suspects charged with murder in the sept. 21 death of spec. Layne Schmidtke who was stationed at fort Carson. The student testified that she was 10 feet from Schmidtke 24, a native of Faribault minn., when the six Young people kicked him Between 20 and 30 times in the face and body. She said the attack continued Quot until blood came from his nose and  Schmidtke died about a half hour after the attack at a Colorado Springs Hospital. Charged in the slaying Are Shawn Stan cil 16 Kevin Moore 1h Robert Dean 14 Daniel Davis 20 Anthony Phenix in and Anthony Perea 17. The defendants Are charged with first and second degree murder. They Are being held without bail in the county jail. The teen Ager and two other girls testified they were among 25 to 30 youths gathered near the Corner of Nevada and pikes Peak avenues on sept. 21. The attack occurred following an Exchange of words Between the teens a my Schmidtke