European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 20, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday november 20, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 7 Aid for soviets to go directly to republics by the Washington Post Washington a the Bush administration has decided to give the soviet Union about $1.5 billion in additional food Aid and to Channel it directly to the 12 remaining republics rather than the Central government in Moscow . Officials said monday. The decision Marks a new stage in the evolution of .-soviet relations. Although president Bush has spoken of increasing ties with the soviet republics the food Aid package would represent the first formal economic agreement Between the . Government and the increasingly Independent republics. The decision underscores the administrations recognition of the disintegration of the soviet unions Central government. The Aid is significantly less than the soviets had requested disappointing farm state lawmakers on Capitol Hill who had hoped for a burgeoning new Market for their states products. The assistance a a combination of .-guaranteed Loans for the Purchase of american Grain direct shipments of food and technical assistance for food production and distribution a would go to the republics while the Kremlin would play a coordinating role officials said. Each of the republics will have to pledge to repay the Loans the officials said. An announcement of the program was not Likely to come before next week the officials said. The administration has sent medical supplies directly to republics but has never before entered into an economic agreement such As guaranteeing Loans officials said. As currently envisioned the bulk of the package would be $1.25 billion in .-backed Loans to allow the soviets to buy american Grain for people and livestock the officials said. The remainder would include the food shipments and technical help to create wholesale markets to establish Model farms and to improve food distribution. The Aid is separate from the $1 billion that the chairmen of the House and the Senate armed services committees a rep. Les Aspin d-wis., and sen. Sam Nunn a a. A unsuccessfully sought to shift from Pentagon funds to soviet assistance. Newport ind. A a tiny drop of deadly vex nerve agent leaked from a storage tank at the Newport army ammunition Plant but Public health was not endangered the army said monday. Experts say the nerve agent is so lethal that one drop on the skin could kill a person in three to 10 minutes. Workers at the facility about 70 Miles West of Indianapolis detected condensation thursday during one of two weekly inspections. One ton Carbon steel storage canisters have held the aging nerve agent since 1968. A there was never any Hazard to anyone or anything a said maj. James e. Ewing the Plant commander. Ewing said the leak was the first since the tanks were filled 23 years ago. About 4 million pounds of vex is stored at the facility which employs about 280 workers. The amount of agent that leaked from the valve was less than one fiftieth of a Standard drop or of no greater volume than the amount of Lead at the tip of a sharpened Pencil said army spokesman Bob whist inc. Ewing said the brass and steel valve which is about 1.5 inches in diameter apparently had deteriorated. He said one other valve had to be replaced about five years ago a but there was no agent leaking out of  vex was manufactured in the 1960s. The military has imposed a 1997 deadline to dispose of vex and other chemical weapons stored at Newport and seven other  among the ruins Oakland residents Don Bryant and Kim Barnes tie the knot sunday amid the ashes of their one time Home. The House they had lived in for nearly 12 years was destroyed in the raging wildfires that swept out of the Oakland and Berkeley Foothills last  pets to laboratories May get tougher Washington a the agriculture department wants to make it More difficult for stolen dogs and cats to be sold As Laboratory animals. Under proposed regulations announced monday pounds and shelters would be required to hold dogs and cats at least five Days before transferring them to dealers who Supply research laboratories. Joan m. Arnoldi of the agriculture department said the proposal is intended to keep stolen pets from being sold As research animals. According to an animal rights activist the animal welfare act first passed by Congress in 1966, has failed to keep pets from being stolen and sold to research labs. A the problem of pet theft is still pretty rampant. And a major portion of pet theft does involve trading animals through dealers into labs a said Lucy Kaplan Legal counsel to the research and investigation department at people for the ethical treatment of animals. About 200,000 dogs and cats Are used in experiments every year she said. Under the agriculture departments proposal pounds and animal shelters would be required to hold dogs and cats at least five Days plus an extra Day or two if needed to include one saturday before the animals Are sold or Given to dealers who Supply laboratories. Arnoldi Deputy administrator for regulatory enforcement and animal car at the agriculture departments animal and Plant health inspection service said she wanted the holding period to include one saturday to give pet owners who arc at work during the week a Chance to recover their dogs and cats. The proposal is required by amendments passed last year to the animal welfare act which mandated a five Day holding period. The amendments passed last year and the proposal also require documentation that the required holding period has been  on Bridge forces townsfolk to flee Shepherdsville by. A a Cox freight train broke through a Railroad Bridge near this North Central Kentucky Community tuesday plunging cars into the Salt River and prompting the evacuation of much of the town. Initial reports from the scene indicated some of the cars contained hazardous chemicals but a state disaster official said burning cars contained building materials and Corn syrup. �?owe4iave-no information right now that any hazardous chemicals Are on fire a said Mike Lynch a spokesman for the division of disaster and emergency services. There was no immediate report of injuries said Mark Richardson a bul Litt county emergency dispatcher. Shepherdsville mayor Larry Hatfield ordered an evacuation within three quarters of a mile of the derailment. Flames could be seen coming from the train and smoke was Drifting Over Shepherdsville which is about 20 Miles South of Louisville. Shepherdsville Middle school bullitt Central High school and the bullitt county jail were evacuated. Much of the town of 4,800 people was affected by the evacuation order. About two thirds of the Bridges superstructure had collapsed and cars were strewn below. Some tank cars Jackknife upon approach to the Bridge. Other tank cars fell below and apparently  agent leak posed no threat army say Noriega secured Safe passage of cocaine witness says Miami up a Manuel Noriega was paid $500,000 apiece to protect 19 flights carrying a combined 22 tons of cocaine from Panama to Miami in shipments of electric appliances a former airline owner testified in the deposed dictators drug racketeering trial. Ricardo Bilonick said monday that the flights occurred Between december 1982 and june 1984, and were flown by the panamanian cargo Carrier Nair which he owned. He said the payments to Noriega secured Landing rights at Remote airstrips for planes bringing the cocaine to Panama Safe passage of the cocaine through the streets of Panama unimpeded transit through Panama a International Airport and Overall silence. But under Cross examination by Noriega a attorney Bilonick admitted he had not personally seen anyone give Noriega any Money nor had he Ever discussed cocaine with Noriega. He said the payments were handled through a colombian representative of the Medellin Cartel. And he accepted the word of colombian drug lords Jorge Ochoa and Pablo Escobar that Noriega had agreed to protect the drug lights. Bilonick said the cocaine was repackaged either in the panamanian free Trade zone or in rented houses hidden inside Bulky crates of appliances and then loaded onto the Nair planes. The flights ended in 1984, when . Customs inspectors found 1,600 pounds of cocaine inside a Load of electric freezers at the Nair warehouse near Miami International Airport. Noriega is on trial on 10 counts of cocaine racketeering conspiracy and importing and distributing cocaine. Bilonick was charged with three counts in the same indictment and could Nave faced up to 60 years in prison if convicted. In Exchange for his testimony he was allowed to plead guilty to one count of cocaine racketeering