European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 13, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The  vol. 50, no 244 Friday december 13,1991 authorized unofficial publication for the . Armed forces 35e d 8693 Asmith acquitted of rape jury praised by judge after Quick verdict West Palm Beach Fla. A William Kennedy Smith was acquitted wednesday of rape in a Case that put americans most famous family under a spotlight of scandal and scrutiny. The july took Little More than an hour to reject the Alle nations of a 30-year-old woman who said Smith chased or toppled her on the Lawn of the Kennedy a oceanfront estate in West Palm Beach and raped her under a full Moon. Smith wished a mercy Christmas to cheering supporters outside the courthouse. A i want to thank the jurors a he said. A my life was in their hands and in a so  he also thanked the judge and said a i have an see related stories on Page 9 enormous debt to the system and to  Only one member of the four woman two Man jury who would discuss any details of the Case publicly wednesday night. Lea Haller 37, noted that the dress the woman wore the night of the incident Wasny to torn or stained. Smiths lawyers had argued that that showed Smiths accuser Wasny to raped a the dress was an Issue for me no evidence on the see Smith on Page 2 Commonwealth coasts to russian approval Moscow apr amid grave uncertainty Over the future shape of the soviet Union the russian legislature thursday overwhelmingly approved Boris n. Yeltsin a plan for a Commonwealth of Independent states. But soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev warned that the Commonwealth would Lead to chaos and said he might resign Yeltsin a who called the plan the last Chance to Stop the nations a uncontrolled see related stories on pages 2 and 8 anarchic disintegration a said support by non slavic republics for the Commonwealth was growing. The Commonwealth pact won final approval on a vote of 188-6, with seven abstentions. Under it each member can be an Independent state sharing common defense structures but eliminating nearly a other aspects of Central control. Thunderous applause followed the vote. Yeltsin the russian federation president strode to the lectern and said i congratulate you on this historic decision and thank you a the vote Means the Legislatures of All supporters clap and cheer As William Kennedy Smith leaves the Palm Beach county courtroom on wednesday. Three slavic Orussia and the ants a Kraine Russia Bye have approved the agreement. The pact was forged sunday by Yeltsin and the other republics leaders. Formation of the Commonwealth effectively kills Gorbachev a proposed new Union treaty which would have preserved the Central government As the principal state body. At the same time russian legislators also renounced the 1922 Union treaty that formed the soviet Union. Gorbachev the soviet president indicated to local journalists in the Kremlin that he would resign if the Commonwealth is formed. A i can see no place for me in it a the journalists quoted him As saying. But the Independent inter fax news Agency also quoted him As saying a there is Only one situation in which ill go if the Union state is Given up for  Gorbachev said in an interview published thursday that he was not seeking a role in the Commonwealth and has not been offered its presidency. A maybe time has come to say that personally i am not going to aspire to a role in the new structures he told the news see approval on Page 2 army taking new Steps to avoid Friendly fire by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington the army is changing training tactics and investing in new identification technology to try to avoid repeats of the costly Friendly fire incidents that plagued . Ground forces in the War with Iraq officials said thursday. At a Pentagon news briefing maj. Gen. Wesley Clark of the army training and doctrine come said some new initiatives have already been adopted while others Are being studied. A the guiding principle behind our efforts is that the army cannot accept casualties that can be prevented by our own actions to improve identification in combat a said Clark who is heading the army a combat identification task Force that was formed to assess the Issue after the persian Gulf War. But he added completely eliminating fratricide is probably an unrealistic goal. A War is not a Zero defect operation a he said. A we can minimize fratricide but we have to recognize that we will never be Able to prevent  a Pentagon review of coi Bat losses after the War found that 27 of the 35 my tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles destroyed or damaged in the War a 77 percent a were hit by other . Tanks ah-64 Apache helicopters and a-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft. Thirty five of the 148 . Combat deaths a total of 24 percent were also caused by Friendly fire the study found. On the training Side the army is focusing on improving a situational awareness a or making sure units Are familiar with the locations of other Friendly forces Clark said. For example a at the National training Center at fort Irwin calif., for example Friendly targets appear once or twice in front of units making their training runs. A a a lost Friendly vehicles also Are being inserted into Battlefield simulations and intermingled with enemy forces. A participants in fratricide training see fire on Page 2 North South Korea sign historic pact see Page 3