European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 27, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14 b the stars and stripes Friday december 27, 1991 end of an Era leaders Hail Gorbachev As Liberator London apr Western leaders arc lauding Mikhail s. Gorbachev As a Man who unshackled millions from communist oppression but hard line China is blaming his reforms for the chaos in the former soviet lands. After Gorbachev resigned As soviet president wednesday countries moved swiftly to extend recognition to the former soviet republics. Washington recognized All 12 and said it will establish immediate diplomatic relations with half of them including Russia. The european Community earlier recognized Russia and accelerated the establishment of diplomatic ties with the other republics. China indicated it will follow suit and on wednesday sent an envoy to several republics. China was generally muted in its commentary but the state run Xinhua news Agency betrayed government sentiments in one sentence of a dispatch wednesday. It said Gorbachev so a a new thinking a a glasnost a and a political pluralism have brought political chaos ethnic strife and economic crisis Xinhua linked disintegration of the soviet Union directly to the soviet communist party a 1990 decision to drop the party a constitutional guarantee of Power. Cuba said it hoped to continue to develop a the Bonds of Friendship and collaboration created Over the last three decades a according to a foreign ministry statement carried by the government news Agency Prensa Latina late wednesday. Other world leaders have Long applauded the collapse of communism. A it is Given to very few people to change the course of history. But that is what Gorbachev has done. His place in history is secure a prime minister John major said wednesday. Major said the former soviet Union is a Welt on the Way to democracy. That is the greatest legacy he will leave a former prime minister Margaret Thatcher called Gorbachev a a very great Man. He restored Liberty to All the East european countries. He brought it for the first time to the Peoples of the soviet Union a real personal and political Libe  Chancellor Helmut Kohl of West Germany expressed his countrymen a gratitude for Gorbachev a role in helping hasten the unification of their Long divided country. A without Mikhail Gorbachev the overcoming of the East West conflict and the unprecedented Success in the last years of disarmament and arms control would not have been possible a he said. President Francois Mitterrand of France saluted Gorbachev As a one of the most remarkable men in the history of this Century in organizing the emergence of Freedom in his country the end of the cold War and  italian foreign minister Gianni de Michelis said Gorbachev was responsible for a the profound transformations on the european continent and a the Start of a process of democratization at Home. Israel also paid tribute. Foreign minister David Levy said a Israel remembers and appreciates the historic part Gorbachev played in permitting free jewish emigration and restoring diplomatic ties with the jewish state. Changing time for russians a russian Flag flutters in the wind Over the Kremlin in Moscow. The new Banner took the place of the soviet Flag which was lowered immediately after the resignation of soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev wednesday. In the background watching Over the transformation in Russia is the Spassky clock Tower. Fall of soviet Union throws Host of treaties into International limbo Washington a the demise of the soviet Union leaves in doubt commitments to scores of treaties with the United states ranging from nuclear arms reduction to International accords on pollution and Polar bears. Some such As a convention on the rules of warfare Date Back to the czarist Era 19th Century. Others like a  treaty on fishing rights in the Bering sea Are Only months old. So far it appears the new republics eager for Quick recognition by the West and Entrance into the United nations Are ready to accede to All major bilateral and International accords. A in terms of treaty Law the old soviet republics appear to be buying into the Baker Check list a said David j. Scheffer an International Law expert with the Carnegie endowment for International peace. A a it a in their self interest to do  Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii on his recent five Day swing through five former soviet republics made it Clear that adherence to conventions on arms control and human rights must precede admission to the International Community. He came away with assurances from the republics that they will strictly abide by such accords As the International non proliferation treaty and the strategic arms reduction treaty signed by president Bush and then soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev last july. Still there Are dozens of protocols Sofhie outdated some irrelevant that will need to be examined As the new governments evolve. To name just a few the former soviet Union and the United states have accords in such areas As atomic Energy education environment fisheries Grain health housing narcotics nuclear tests pollution mail space taxes telecommunications Trade transportation and visas. The soviet Union also belonged to multilateral and International agreements on the Rescue of astronauts hijacking and terrorism customs intellectual property maritime pollution satellite communications the political rights of women patents tourism wheat whaling and Polar Bear Protection. Lithuanian ambassador Stasys Lozoraitis whose Baltic state was recognized by Washington in september said american and lithuanian officials Are going through old  agreements a paragraph by paragraph Quot while breaking ground on new treaties covering intellectual properties and patents. A it wont happen in one or two Days. Maybe one or two years a he said. Lozoraitis said one example of the thorny problems arising out of the dissolution of the soviet Union is revising a multilateral agreement that assigns fishing catch quotas in the North Atlantic. Lithuania is seeking one fifteenth of the soviet total. Afghans claim much credit for collapse of soviet Union Islamabad Pakistan apr a Leader of the afghan rebels who battled red army troops for nine years on wednesday claimed a share of the credit for the collapse of the soviet Union. Burhanuddin Rabbani one of seven main afghan guerrilla leaders and chief of the fundamentalist Jamiat islami party called the soviet demise divine retribution for Moscow a 1979 intervention in his Homeland. A i believe in the verse of the Koran moslem holy Book. That you will see the destruction of dictatorships who have oppressed people. The soviet Union and communism Are being buried in front of our eyes a he told reporters.  afghan rebels say the soviet troops forced departure from their Homeland in 1989 was the beginning of the end of the Warsaw pact and the soviet Union. The Berlin Wall and soviet satellite regimes in Eastern Europe fell later that year. The rebels claim the Battlefield stalemate in Afghanistan was the first sign of weakness in the soviet Armor