European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 29, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday november 29, 1991 the stars and stripes flu epidemic taking heavy toll in schools at Lan i a up a a worsening influenza epidemic apparently is aiming its hardest punches at Public schools where some systems reported classroom absenteeism up to 40 percent Federal health officials said. The centers for disease control said wednesday widespread flu outbreaks were reported in Mississippi Alabama Florida Missouri Tennessee and Texas about 20 other states reported regional or sporadic flu activity. While some of the cd cd so Sentinel physicians reported a Normal 5 percent of their patient visits concerned flu or flu like infections other doctors said that up to 16 percent of their patients were suffering from upper respiratory tract infections including influenza. The influenza virus forced the closing of some school systems last week and continued to cause High absenteeism rates in elementary Middle and High schools the cd reported. It said 99 percent of the flu viruses that have been identified so far were Type a mostly a Beijing which historically has been associated with higher death rates. The Early and widespread Start of the flu season caught Federal and state influenza experts off guard. Outbreaks of flu were reported in some Stales in Early november. It takes two to three weeks Lor the flu vaccine to work. . Agrees to pay Iran $278 million for weapon the Hague Netherlands apr the United states has signed an agreement to pay Iran $278 million for weaponry impounded by Washington after the 1979 Tehran hostage crisis a tribunal official said thursday. The settlement represents a significant segment of Iran s claims against Washington stemming from the . Foreign military sales program. The program supplied the former iranian Leader Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi with the bulk of his weaponry before the 1979 revolution. The settlement at the Iran United states claims tribunal clears the Way for the two nations to Deal with a much larger fms claim for weaponry ordered in some cases paid for but never delivered because of a . Embargo against Iran. The tribunal official set that claim at.$l,4 billion. In the document signed tuesday Washington pledged to Transfer the $27s million to the iranian government after the agreement is officially filed with the tribunal on Friday. Of those funds $260 million will go directly to Tehran and the remaining $18 million will go into a fund used to pay off compensation claims against Iran arbitrated at the Hague tribunal. The impounded Materiel included tanks missiles and even a submarine shipped Back to the United states for repairs or calibrations. Much of it is now obsolete Pinal negotiations on the agreement coincided with last week s release of briton Terry Waite and american Thomas Sutherland who were held by iranian backed shiite muslims in Lebanon. But the official denied any connection. I he Iran-, claims tribunal was set up by the 1981 Algiers accords which brought Freedom to the 52 american hostages held by islamic militants at the . Embassy in Tehran for 444 Days. Iranian leaders have in the past cited release of iranian assets held by Washington As a precondition for interceding with the hostage holders in Lebanon. But the iranian and american sides at the tribunal said they have taken pains to keep political issues including the hostages out of the decade Long arbitration process. A negotiations at the tribunal have resulted in the payment of $2.2 billion in claims on both sides arising from the revolution consequent freezing of assets impoundments and expropriation of property. The actual compensation figure for this weeks settlement was agreed upon last Spring but details on the wording of the document delayed the signing according to officials. Quot Tehran has estimated the total value of the foreign military sales claims at $11 billion a figure the ils. Side says is exaggerated. The dispute also includes an iranian claim for unspecified damages resulting from the . Arms embargo imposed during the Tehran hostage crisis because of Lack of spare parts for its Many .-built aircraft the Iran a air Force was virtually grounded in he later stages of the Iran Iraq War in the 1980s. While both sides deny any connection with the hostages in Lebanon settlement of the ims claim As Well As the hostage crisis would remove major impediments to the resumption of Normal diplomatic relations Between Tehran and Washington fighting slows in Croatia after . Action Zagreb Yugoslavia a fighting ebbed in Croatia thursday a Day after the United nations paved the Way for the dispatch of peacekeepers. But both sides reported numerous deaths in earlier clashes. The bombardment of Osieck capital of the embattled Eastern Slavonia Region stopped by noon croatian defense officials said. A the City has been under almost constant attack for months. Following the fall of nearby Vukovan last week croats fear that serb dominated forces Are determined to take Osisek As Well before peacekeepers arrive. Serb irregulars and the serb dominated Federal army took Vukovan after a three month siege completing control Over the corridor of Slavonia along the Danube River. A takeover of Osisek would substantially increase their hold on Slavonia. Thousands of people have died in the civil War since Croatia declared Independence on june 25. The army and serb insurgents gained control of More than on third of Croatia. Serbia maintains that Croatia a 600,000 serbs would suffer persecution in an Independent Croatia. Croatia charges that Serbia is using the minority Issue As a pretext to grab territory by Force. The army claimed 30 croatian soldiers died in fighting wednesday and Early thursday near Lipik 60 Miles Southeast of Zagreb. There was no confirmation from the croatian Side of those deaths reported by Yugoslavia s Tan Jug news Agency. A in attacks on Osisek wednesday croatian radio reported that 16 people died. That report also was not independently confirmed. By thursday afternoon however a spokesman for Croatia a defense ministry said that the situation had quieted Quot unbelievably Quot except for sporadic shelling South of Darugar 60 Miles East of Zagreb and Karev vac 30 Miles Southwest of the croatian capital. The United nations has said it will not Send peacekeepers until a cease fire is firmly in place. In new York the . Security Council adopted a Resolution wednesday urging the warring parties to comply with the truce. It asked that special . Envoy Cyrus Vance recommend immediately that Secretary general Javier Perez do Cuellar order the deployment of peacekeepers. Perez de Cuellar said it could take a week to decide whether to Send troops. He said the Security Council would not approve unless the Ccase firc holds. Earlier thursday croatian defense officials reported exchanges of fire at Nova Gradiska and sporadic shelling of the town 80 Miles Southeast of Zagreb. In the croatian capital Deputy Premier Zdravko tonic told acting . Consul Kathlyn Stephens that More than 555,000 have fled their Homes in Croatia. The figure apparently includes croats and serbs. Croatian and army officials scheduled further talks in Zagreb on a general Exchange of prisoners and other Steps meant to reduce tensions. Gen. Aru Rija Raseta the army s chief negotiator said his Side had Millered to release about 1,000 people. Federal soldiers have evacuated several Barracks As part of the cease fire agreement under which croats agreed to lift blockades of Federal army bases. But Tan Jug cited croatian radio As saying the Federal army suspended its withdrawal from Zagreb Barracks after croatian troops stopped empty trucks in route to the croatian capital to transport army equipment from the Barracks. Or an elderly woman weeps on her Way to a bomb shelter in the Eastern croatian Village of Nard. Serb terrorists targeting Genscher official says Wiesbaden Germany up a a Federal criminal office spokeswoman said thursday it has received a report that a group of serbian terrorists arc planning to assassinate German foreign minister Hans Dietrich Genscher and a number of other european political leaders. She said the Federal criminal office the Gaiman equivalent of the american Fri has informed German police and Security authorities of the report. The spokeswoman made the statement in confirming a news Story on the terrorists printed thursday in the Berlin newspaper by. She said a number of names of european political leaders were on the terrorists a hit list a but she disclosed Only guns Cher a. I he by a tabloid owned by the Axel Springer publishing concern said others on the list included italian foreign minister Gianni do Mich Lis. French a Oriun Minmer Roland Dumas and Otto von a Habsburg a member of the european Community parliament and son of the Iasi crop err of the austrian hungarian Empire. The spokeswoman said the Federal Trimmal office had received a tip on the alleged terrorist plot several Days ago. Asked if she took it seriously she said a we take ail such reports  she declined in say where the report came from or who had made it. She said the location of the terrorists was not known but a a possibly they were in Germany. The by news Story said that a two serbian terrorists Are allegedly preparing the attack in Germany on Genscher. The newspaper said Genscher was number one on the dealt list because of his outspoken support for Tonia and Tor sanctions against Yugoslavia. It said one of the men w As an orthodox priest and both were members of the serbian underground army the Chiniks