European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 7, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday november 7, 1991 the stars and stripes a pages bitter Battle ends Senate confirms Gates As Cia chief from wire reports Washington the Senate confirmed Robert m. Gates As director of Central intelligence tuesday by a vote of 64 to 31, ending nearly six months of controversy Over his Candor with Congress and his conduct As a High ranking Cia official in the 1980s. Now Deputy National Security adviser at the White House Gates was named by president Bush last May As the Best Choice to give the government a the kind of intelligence America needs to maintain its role As Leader of the free  echoing that theme at his confirmation hearings Gates has emphasized the painful changes needed in the . Intelligence Community with the end of the cold War and increasing budgetary constraints. But the often bitter Battle Over  appointment focused on earlier testimony about his role in the Iran Contra scandal and allegations that he slanted Cia intelligence reports to suit the Reagan administrations hard line views of the soviet Union. Many of the charges came from current or former Cia employees. Many of the 22 Senate democrats who voted for Gates said they were supporting him because of his Long experience in intelligence and his dedication to the congressional oversight process a theme that was also stressed during the confirmation process. All 42 Republican senators who were present tuesday voted for confirmation. All 31 a no Quot Voles were East by democrats. It was the stiffest opposition to the nomination of a Cia director Ever recorded. Most nominations to the Post have been approved unanimously. Gates had been nominated to head the Cia four years ago by president Reagan but withdrew after a series of unsatisfactory answers about the Iran Contra scandal stirred bipartisan opposition on the intelligence committee. Gates 48, is the 15th director the Cia has had since it was founded in 1947, the director Heads not Only the Agency with its spying and analysis missions but also oversees other agencies that Deal with military intelligence satellite slumping and International eavesdropping. Robert m. Tale Admiral fired for ignoring sex complaint by the Washington Post Washington a an Admiral has been fired from one of the most prestigious jobs in naval aviation after he failed to act on a complaint by a woman aide that she was sexually harassed during a convention of naval aviators officials said. Rear adm. John w. Snyder or. Was relieved As commander of the a Tuxen River naval air test Center in St. Marys county md., for a this apparent failure to take timely and appropriate action when the aide complained that she had been abused by male aviators at the annual Tail Hook convention according to a Brief statement from the Navy Public affairs office. The woman a lieutenant and helicopter Pilot who has since been transferred to a new Job at the Pentagon was one of at least five women who complained of sexual verbal and physical abuse by Drunken Junior aviators attending september s gathering of Carrier based pilots and senior Navy leadership. The allegations coupled with a $23,000 damage Bill from the Las vegas Hilton Are the subject of continuing Navy investigations. It prompted a decision by Navy Secretary h. Lawrence Garrett Iii last week to sever the Navy a Long standing support for the convention and the Tail Hook association the private organization of Navy aviators that sponsored it. Snyder an f-14 Pilot and at 47 a rising Star in the Navy was transferred by adm. Frank a Kelso chief of naval operations to a lesser unspecified Job at the naval air systems come. The Navy said Snyder so Lack of timely action to investigate an important aspect of this Case caused Kelso to question his judgment in  the Tail Hook episode could hardly have come at a worse time for the Navy which is trying to burnish its image among women billowing several highly publicized sexual harassment cases. In a 1989 incident a woman midshipman was chained to a urinal and photographed by male midshipmen at the . Naval Academy in Annapolis my. A Navy source said that after Snyder s aide complained to him that she had been molested at the convention a my understanding is that the Admiral had basically said a boys will be boys a and she would t accept  the aide subsequently look her complaint to Navy officials in Washington sources said. The Tail Hook convention though nominally Independent of the Navy has Long enjoyed the service s full support. The service considered it a Quot professional development Quot seminar and provided free transportation to the convention on Navy aircraft. In the stars and stripes10 years ago nov. 7,1981 a the nations jobless rate soared to 8 percent last month the highest rate in nearly six years. Economists predicted that a persistent slump in Many . Industries could Send unemployment even higher by the years end.20 years ago nov. 7,1971 a the British journal nature said methane Gas introduced by expanding human activity and the flatulence of domesticated cattle might be depleting the Ozone layer.30 years ago nov. 7,1961 a a daring West Berliner drove his car through a Hail of bullets at the Border to Rescue his East German Girlfriend. Neither the Driver nor his passenger was Hurt. Earlier shooting occurred when about 20 East germans tried to make a mass break through the Berlin Border s barbed wire. Only nine made it into West berlin.40 years ago nov. 7,1951 a British prime minister Winston Churchill declared that the greatest Hope for ending the cold War rests in another big four conference. Meanwhile French president Vincent Auriol called for a meeting Between president Truman Churchill and soviet Premier Josef Stalin in  proposal would freeze foreign Aid Washington a Senate democrats Are moving toward a consensus to push legislation expanding unemployment benefits and paying for them by freezing foreign Aid spending sources said. Such a Bill would Force president Bush into the politically embarrassing position of having to choose Between maintaining current foreign Aid or helping unemployed americans. Democrats have used Bush a opposition to their plans to extend the benefits As a forum for attacking him As a president who is More concerned about foreign problems than Domestic suffering. Until now the two sides had seemed headed toward a Compromise on the three month Long fight to be paid for by speeding tax collections on some people with rapidly rising incomes. Bush has killed two versions of the Bill since the summer but he has expressed a desire to work out a Deal on the Issue. Democrats want to provide up to 20 extra weeks of benefits for people who have used up the Standard 26 weeks of jobless coverage. Recently 300,000 people have exhausted the Standard benefits every month without finding new jobs. The White House and republicans have sought to make the benefits less generous. But White House budget chief Richard Darman said the Bush administration would oppose reducing foreign Aid to pay for extra benefits. A if that is still alive that just slows the whole thing Down Quot Darman said when asked about the foreign Aid plan. Democrats said there was room in the $15 billion foreign Aid budget for cuts. A there is much reorganizing to do in our foreign Aid accounts to meet the new world order Quot said one Democrat who spoke on condition of anonymity. The plan to finance the benefits by holding the foreign Aid budget at this year s level for the next five years was first advanced by Senate majority Leader George j. Mitchell a Maine. Such a freeze could save $5.9 billion Over the next live years. One official said Israel and Egypt the two biggest foreign Aid recipients would be exempted because of the sensitivity of peace talks in the Middle East. Lawmakers had been considering paying for the benefits with a plan by Senate finance committee chairman Lloyd Belsen a Texas to Speed tax collections on people who earn More than $50, xxx and have rapidly rising incomes. People who pay estimated taxes on a quarterly basis would have been affected. But one official said that at a Mccuing of democrats on the tax writing committee All but two or three lawmakers preferred the foreign Aid reduction plan. At that Point bunt san decided to bring the measure to the floor the official said. Justices Rule state officials liable for rights abuse Washington a state officials who violate someone s rights while performing governmental duties May he sued and forced to pay monetary damages the supreme court has ruled. Tuesdays 8-0 decision in a Pennsylvania Case could expose officials to costly lawsuits when they Are accused of violating a civil War Era Federal Law aimed at preventing abuses of Power. Quot imposing personal liability on state officers May hamper their performance of Public duties Quot Justice Sandra Day of Connor wrote for the court. But she said the Law is Clear stale officials arc not immune from being sued a solely by virtue of the official nature of their  the court s decision in the Pennsylvania Case cleared the Way for the trial of a suit against Barbara Haler the state s auditor general. Hafer a Republican was accused of firing 18 democratic employees for political reasons the workers sued alleging they were fired based on unsubstantiated charges that they had a bought jobs Quot in the auditor general a office. Hafer was elected to her Post in 1988 after a Campaign in which she made the Joh buying allegations. T he employees said they were dismissed alter she took office without any further investigation of whether they had paid to he hired or promoted. They also said James West acting . Attorney in Pennsylvania at the time and a Republican appointee conspired with Hafer against them. / the High court rejected Leaf cry a argument that she is immune from such a lawsuit because she acted in her official capacity