European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 26, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday november 26,1991 the stars and stripes b Page 9new truce halts shelling in Croatia Zagreb Yugoslavia apr croatian officials said the army stopped shelling Osisek and european Community monitors reported general Calm elsewhere monday the first full Day of the yugoslav War s 14th cease fire. Refugees continued to flee Ostiek the regional capital of Croatia a ethnically mixed Eastern Slavonia Region. Croatian official said army cannons pounded the City Early monday but shelling stopped before noon. A defense official in Osisek said seven had died and 34 were wounded by the shelling in the last 24 hours. The woman who would not give her name on the Telephone estimated that Only 50,000 of the towns original 140,000 residents remained in Osisek. In Croatia a capital of Zagreb meanwhile the army prepared to vacate More Barracks after croatian troops lifted their blockade of the facilities. Also in Zagreb a reliable source reported six dead in three separate gunfights Between police and other uniformed men. There was no official confirmation. But police were presumably Hunting members of the paramilitary Wing of the extreme nationalist party of rights whose Leader Dobroslav Paraga was arrested saturday on allegations of planning a coup. Thirteen previous truce agreements mediated by the european Community All failed to halt the fighting in the 5-month-old civil War. Despite the endorsement of peacekeepers by the warring sides the United nations which mediated this truce said it will not Send them unless a cease fire holds. Attacks on Osisek 140 Miles East of Zagreb intensified last week after nearby Vukovan fell to the serbian dominated Federal army. The loss of Vukovan was a deep blow to Croatia. It represented an important Battlefield Success for the army after months of frustration with the spirited defense of the town by a smaller More lightly armed enemy. With the capture of Vukovan Federal troops and serbian militants gained control Over a slice of Eastern Croatia. The capture of Osisek would ensure two serbian soldiers Cycle past a smashed yugoslav army tank in Vukovan Croatia which recently fell to Federal troops. Domination of a much broader Swath. Croatia declared Independence june 25 along with Slovenia. After several Days of fierce fighting in Slovenia the serbian dominated Federal government dropped its opposition to Independence for the ethnically homogeneous Republic. But Serbia opposes Independence for Croatia claiming its 600,000 serbs would suffer persecution As a minority. Croats claim Serbia is using the Issue As a pre text to Annex parts of Croatia croatian president Franjo Tadjman accused the army of trying to take As much territory As possible before any arrival of , peacekeepers. But despite major Battlefield losses he told croatians in a televised address sunday that they were not losing the War. A the aggressor has not achieved his goals a he said. There were no reports of major fighting in Croatia by monday afternoon. Dec spokesman de Koestal said the newest cease fire appeared to be generally respected although rival forces were a still testing it in some  Belgrade television reported Early monday that a croatian mortar attack on Nova Gradiska 80 Miles Southeast of Zagreb killed one serbian insurgent and wounded five others. But it also said that the cease fire was generally  Sheds Light on Columbus looks Art historian says Rome apr after hundreds of years of debate the recent rediscovery of a 15th-Century portrait of Christopher Columbus finally May Settle the question of what he looked like an Art historian says. A a it a a very important discovery a Maurizio Marini explained referring to a 17 by 23-Inch Oil painting of Columbus that he attributed to spaniard Pedro Ber Ruguette who lived from 1450 to 1504. The painting shows Columbus to be less portly than often portrayed with deep set Green eyes red hair pronounced Cheek Bones and a Long aquiline nose. His trademark Page boy haircut survives the finding but without the flowing curls sometimes depicted. Until now a portrait in the civic museum of Como Italy was considered the most accurate likeness since it was painted from a description Given by columbus1 son Marini said. But because Ber Ruguette was the official portrait Painter at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain it is presumed that he would have met and immortalized his patrons famous envoy. There is no proof Columbus sat for the portrait but Berru Gueter a is the Only existing portrait of the explorer done while he was alive. Documentation of the works discovery and authentication is to be published in the december Issue of Columbus �?T92, the official Magazine for the genoese celebrations of the 500th anniversary of Columbus discovery of the americas. Israel agrees to talks in . If Mideast is next minister says Jerusalem apr Israel has offered to meet in Washington with its Arab foes for one or two negotiating sessions provided the peace talks then move to the Middle East a Cabinet minister said monday. The comment indicated that despite israeli anger at the Way the Bush administration announced Washington As the location for the next round of peace talks Jerusalem will accept the . Invitation. There have been misgivings on both sides but none of the parties appeared prepared to reject the . Proposal and derail the most promising Effort to end the Arab israeli dispute since it erupted in 1948, when Israel was founded. Lebanon on monday accepted the . Invitation to attend the . 4 talks in Washington and sources said the palestinians would do so later in the Day. Hours after Lebanon accepted three of its soldiers were killed and two wounded by a rocket fired from israelis self designated Security zone in Southern Lebanon Security sources said. The sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was not known if the rocket was fired by israeli troops or its Allied militia in the Region. It also was not known if the act would affect Lebanon a attitude toward the talks. The other potential participants Are Jordan which accepted hours after Washington extended the invitations on Friday and Syria. Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak flew to the syrian capital monday in an apparent bid to encourage israelis most implacable foe to attend. Lebanon and Syria coordinate closely on All of their moves and Lebanon a acceptance could indicate that Syria ultimately will follow suit. Ehud Gol a spokesman for israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir said the israeli government was discussing its moves and that he would not comment before decisions were made. But Industry minister Moshe Nissim said Shamir in Washington last week agreed to an initial ail. Stry his talks in Wai round of talks in the american capital a the . Must. Respond to what the prime minister proposed in his meetings in Washington the possibility that there will be one or two meetings in Washington under the Assumption or predetermination that the other talks will be in the Region and near it a Nissim said on Israel radio. On sunday some Cabinet ministers were outraged at the . Approach and one accused the United states of issuing an insolent  the israelis believe the Bush administration roughly overrode their wishes in flatly announcing a Date and place for the resumption of the talks that began oct. 30 in Madrid Spain. In this second round Israel would meet with the Arab delegations for bargaining Over palestinian self Rule and other issues including Syria s demands for the return of territory seized during the 1967 six Day War. Israel says it will not Trade land for peace. Shamir wants the talks to rotate Between Israel and Arab capitals As a signal of Arab readiness to accept the jewish states existence. The arabs want to meet on Neutral ground. If Shamir does not get the talks moved to the Middle East area he May Call Early elections a a move that would effectively freeze peace moves for several months said the Independent dailies Maaris and be doth Ahro Noth