European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 6, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday november 6,1991 the stars and stripes b Page 9contributions May top Gulf War Cost Washington a if the allies make All the contributions they have promised the United states will take in almost $800 million More than it will pay for the persian Gulf War Congress investigative Agency says. In a recent report to rep. Les Aspin d-wis., chairman of the House armed services committee the general accounting office said a foreign commitments for Cash contributions to help the . Costs for the operation total $48.3 billion or almost $800 million More than the office of management and budget s funding requirement estimate assuming that each nation fulfils its  the Pentagon calculated oct. 31 that saudi Arabia still owed $2.4 billion of the $16.8 billion promised. It reported that discussions of the total were continuing. Kuwait owed More than $2 billion of its pledged $16 billion and was expected to Complete payments by the end of the year. Japan Germany South Korea and others reportedly owed smaller amounts. A Pentagon spokesman Jaid then that the total incremental costs a the expense to the United states in addition to costs if there had been no War a would be $60 billion or More. The Gao report disputed that figure saying it included $14 billion in costs that were a either. Previously funded will never require funding or will not require funding in the next few  it said that among the $14 billion was $5.8 billion Worth of fuel and other goods provided by the allies that will not result in spending by the United states and $3.9 billion in Long term benefits to military personnel that will not be paid for a Long time. Some costs such As the forgiveness of $7 billion in military. Debts owed by Egypt will not require outlays by the . Government. Weapons destroyed in the fighting May be considered a Cost but will not require any outlay if they Are not replaced the report added. It also argued that the Pentagon May have overestimated its spending in four ways a the military Airlift come May collect More than its actual costs and fuel costs May be overstated since Oil prices have dropped from the highs they reached in october 1990. A maintenance costs May have been overestimated. A a request from the administration for an additional $482 million for munitions May not be needed. Congress should not provide that Money until the need for it is dear the report said. A supplies were ordered for a 90-Day War. Since it did not last that Long the services arc cancelling some  to streamline corps of engineers scuttled Washington apr congressional negotiators turned Down a last minute plea irom the commission on military base closings and scuttled the Pentagon a plans to streamline the army corps of engineers. The defense department estimated it could save $112 million a year by cutting 2,600 jobs and eliminating 17 divisional or District offices. The base closure commission endorsed the plan last summer and gave Congress until july 1, 1992, to come up with an alternative reorganization scheme. However a House Senate conference committee agreed late last week to bar the commission retroactively from closing any facilities responsible for civil works. A the base closing commission stuck its nose in where most of us done to think it belongs a rep. Bruce Vento d-minn., said monday. Thirty one House members signed a letter Vento sent to the House negotiators urging them to approve a Senate amendment blocking the consolidation plan. The base closing commission met last week and appealed to the conference committee to turn Down the amendment. A we believe the need for and savings from a consolidation of the corps of engineers is evident the commissions chairman rep. Jim Courter r-n.j., said in a statement issued by his office monday. A we disagree with the Congress. And Hope that the action of the commission regarding the corps is  Scott Saunders a spokesman for the corps said he was unaware of the committees decision and could not comment on it. Vento and other lawmakers whose districts stand to lose corps jobs claimed that the Bush administration was trying to use the reorganization to reduce the Federal governments role in civil works projects. The consolidation plan would close three division Headquarters and 14 District offices. The corps is responsible for military construction projects and management of wetlands and navigable  to let spy planes Verity arms accords Moscow apr the soviet Union signalling a major departure from decades of tight secrecy has decided that spy planes can Fly Over its entire territory to verify arms control agreements the news Agency Tass reported tuesday. The move clears a major obstacle to an International a open skies treaty the news Agency said. A soviet delegation made the statement in Vienna Austria where representatives from 22 nato and former Warsaw pact countries resumed talks tuesday on the 2-year-old a open skies a proposal Tass said. Soviet military officials had refused to allow flights Over their military bases and certain other areas considered sensitive despite arms control agreements signed by soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev. For decades the soviets had walked at such inspection flights. The failure of the August coup removed Many hard line soviet military officials including defense minister Dmitri Yazoo and chief of staff Mikhail Moiseyev. That apparently cleared the Way for Progress in the Vienna talks. The reversal followed Gorbachev a announcement last month of unilateral cuts in Short Range nuclear weapons. The reported agreement while in the works for years is a significant step in the Kremlin a Effort to Reform its military and Cool the costly arms race with the West. The a open skies proposal encompasses All countries in the former cold War alliances and would let them Fly unarmed surveillance aircraft unhindered Over each others Terri top to Check com k Fiance with arms treaties. That Means High Altitude . Spy planes apparently could Fly Over Sites As innocuous As the Kremlin or As threatening As the far East naval base at Sakhalin. A face from russians past this photograph of russian revolution Leader Vladimir 1. Lenin taken after his death in 1924, was aired monday in Paris by a French television network As part of a documentary shot inside Moscow a Lenin mausoleum. This was the first time authorities had allowed photographic coverage of the famous  approves measure creating National guard Kiev .s.r. A the Ukraine created its first formal armed forces monday when lawmakers gave final approval to legislation that set up its own National Guara and Border troops. The National guard initially will consist of 33,000 members most of whom were soviet Interior ministry troops. The guards role will be More than a police Force but not quite an army. The Laws final version empowered the troops to protect the Ukraine a sovereignty and territorial integrity As Well As a the life and personal dignity of its  it also is to help in disasters assist Border troops protect the president and guard government buildings and embassies in the second most populous soviet Republic. The guard will not carry out police functions since the bulk of the soviet Interior ministry troops Wilt continue that duty. The Ukraine has gone further than any of the other republics in backing up its Independence with measures. It nominally took control of All armed forces on its territory when it issued its act of Independence aug. 24, following the failed coup against soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev by communist party hard liners. Last month ukrainian lawmakers gave tentative approval to legislation authorizing the creation of an army Navy and air Force of More than 400,000 members a separate from the National guard. That legislation is still awaiting final passage