European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 05, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 b the stars and stripes tuesday november 5,1991 at a glance laser surgery to Correct nearsightedness is being tested and results so far have been called encouraging. See Story on pages 14 and 15.diplomats snub fines diplomats for some of the worlds wealthiest countries routinely Roll up Mammoth parking fines in Washington then thumb their noses at the City when it tries to collect. A Page 4�?~scarlett�?T coming to to Scarlett the Best Selling sequel to gone with the wind will appear As a television miniseries in 1993. A Page 5smoke hampers firefighters officials said blinding smoke Frost and a Lack of rain Are thwarting their efforts to fight blazes that have ravaged More than 200,000 acres in Eastern sections of the United  Page 6 More questions on Halcyon an ailing woman who killed herself with or. Jack Kevorkian s controversial suicide machine was reportedly taking the sleeping Pill Halcyon now under International scrutiny for alleged detrimental Side effects. A Page 7silent revolution Day soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev has All but cancelled thursdays official revolution Day Holiday. A Page 8weapons found in mail seven explosive devices and 124 weapons have been detected at the Frankfurt air mail terminal in the past six months alarming postal officials who fear a serious  Page 9 Index Abby Ann Landers. 20 comics. 18-20 commentary. 13 faces Quot a places. 10 letters. 12 Money matters. 17 sports. 21-28 to listings. 27 weather. 11 former afghan King stabbed in exile Rome apr a Man pretending to be a journalist stabbed the exiled former King of Afghanistan at his Home in Rome on monday crying a i must kill you a officials said. Mohammed Zaher Shah 77, who has been considered a possible transitional Leader for his War torn country was in stable condition and out of danger said or. Ercole Brunetti of the first Aid unit at the Villa san Pietro Hospital. The Man suddenly attacked the King with an engraved Gold knife after interviewing him at his Villa on the Northern Edge of Rome police said. The reclusive sex Monarch had agreed to the interview some time ago said Interior minister Vincenzo Scotti who recounted the would be assassins words. The motive for the assault was unknown. The former King has been living in exile in Rome since he was overthrown in 1973 during an italian visit to treat rheumatism at the Baths in ischia off the Naples coast. Zaher Shah was stabbed three times Brunetti said. He suffered a fractured joint in his left thumb and wounds to his face and Throat. The assailant identified As 26-year-old Paulo Jose Santos do a Media an angolan born portuguese citizen was arrested at the former monarchs Villa a police spokesman  from Page 1 air components aboard Navy combat ships. The Bill also contains a provision to set up a commission to assess sweeping issues regarding women in combat jobs including a study of How opening ground combat positions might affect military effectiveness. As written the measure does not apply to army women in combat roles. Army pilots who Fly attack helicopters in support of ground combat troops Are All men. The commission will study the Issue of women in combat roles including army attack aircraft. The commission to be appointed by president Bush would have 15 members and would Forward recommendations to the White House late next year. The legislative language of that initiative proposed by the Senate armed services committee was considerably toned Down in its a anti women prejudice in the final version of the Bill said a House armed services committee staffer. A there Are a lot of Subtle changes that make it much More balanced in terms of recognizing the value of women to the military services a the staffer said. Rep. Beverly b. Byron d-md., head of the House armed services military personnel subcommittee also won changes that address the concerns of a coalition of women a groups worried about the makeup of the commission As proposed by the Senate committee. The coalition claimed the original language would have resulted in a commission consisting primarily of a older men with no real interest in expanding opportunities for women in the military. An emphasis on people with a distinguished combat experience would limit the participation of women on the com Mission and result in most members being older men who have never served with women Shirley Sagawa senior counsel at the National women a Law Center wrote in an oct. 7 letter to lawmakers. A the Bill now says the commission will include people who have current experience working with women in the military not just Overall combat experience Quot said the House armed services committee staffer. A a we re Happy with that change Quot Sagawa said. A we think its a necessary step to take in order to make the commission fair and unbiased. Mrs. Byrons staff was very supportive in that  the congressional stalemate Over the abortion provision came about because the House voted to repeal the Pentagon ban while the Senate did not. The Issue has come up in Congress each year since the Pentagon reversed its policy of allowing abortions in overseas military medical facilities if patients paid for  from Page 1 when the voluntary separation pay plans were approved. Lawmakers decided to give the Pentagon the authority to Force out mid career personnel but Are clearly hoping that enough service members take advantage of the two new separation plans so that Large numbers of Force outs will not be needed he said. If the Bill is approved by the full House and Senate and signed into Taw it would bring the number of separation payment plans on the books to three. The Pentagon already is authorized to Issue Lump sum payments to personnel who Are forced out. A service member in Grade e-7 with 14 years of service a with annual Basic adjusted for the 4.2 percent pay raise that a will take effective Jan. 1 a would receive the following amounts under the three plans a under the Pentagon s voluntary separation incentive Vii the service member would receive about $7,650 per year for 28 years for a total of $214,200. A under the congressional plan the  would receive a Lump sum of about $45,900 plus other separation benefits. A under the involuntary separation plan the service member would receive about $30,600 plus other separation benefits. How the Pentagon will use the two new plans is unclear the Pentagon official said. A a we re just not sure yet if we 11 offer a Choice of either plan to everybody or use them As specialized tools to target specific segments of the military population a he said. The formula for the congressional Lump sum initiative is final annual Basic pay times 15 percent times years of service. That is the same Basic formula used in the involuntary separation payment plan although that one uses a multiplier of 10 percent. Vii the Pentagon plan is billed by military officials As a a reverse re enlistment  it is a yearly payment equal to final annual Basic pay times 2.5 percent times years of service payable for twice the number of years a member served. There Are advantages and disadvantages to both plans said Erik Johnson a spokesman for the military coalition a group of 26 military and veterans organizations that has been advising Congress on military personnel issues. Although the total amount of Money a member receives would be much higher under Vii its value May be eroded by inflation Over the years that it is parcelled out Johnson said. The congressional Lump sum plan which the military coalition actively endorsed offers less Money but dispenses it All at once and also carries the same comprehensive package of benefits already offered under the involuntary separation pay plan Johnson said. Those benefits include extended military medical care for 120 Days after separation extended commissary and Exchange benefits for two years after separation pre separation counselling and relocation Ana employment assistance. Past military analyses have shown that younger service members generally favor Lump sums to use for buying a car or As Down payments on a Home while spread out payments Are usually More attractive to older service members because they allow for a lower tax bite the Pentagon official said. The two voluntary plans Are expected to be used by All the services in cutting personnel Levels but they will probably be of most Benefit to the army which must trim the most personnel of any service by far he said. Lawmakers had been leaning toward approving the congressional Lump sum payment plan Over the Vii is til late last week the House armed services committee staffer said. Both plans made it into the Bill after defense Secretary Dick Cheney went to Capitol Hill to urge sen. Sam Nunn d-ga., and rep. Les Aspin d-wis., chairmen of the Senate and House armed services committees to also include the Vii plan the staffer  from Page 1 to citation by Israel expressed satisfaction with the outcome. A a in a very Happy to see the conference produce results for the palestinian people and the cause of peace a said Nabil Shaath an adviser to Plo chairman Yasser Arafat. Quot the palestinians expressed clearly to the world their desire to make peace with  the delegation composed of Plo supporters was a a legitimate delegation Sil Ting at the table to conclude peace with the israeli occupiers a Shaath said monday. He predicted that the next round of bilateral talks with Israel would be Between nov. 17 and nov. 24, a somewhere in North  Shaath also praised . Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii for his a deft ability Quot at bringing All the parties together and keeping the talks on track. A it was a very constructive role a Shaath said. A the israelis also met sunday with the lebanese and jordanians. The israelis agreed to hold further direct talks wit four Arab parties by the question of where and when was to unresolved. Israeli officials said the let anese even indicated the talks might no resume for a few months. According to the israelis Syria insist contacts Over the Short term be mad through . Intermediaries. By contras Jordan and the palestinians agreed to d rect contacts with Israel in negotiation further talks. A Leader of Jordan s delegation which attended the talks As a joint team wit the palestinians said he expected the United states and soviet Union to Inte acne if the talks reach an impasse