European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 15, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday january 15, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 7atomic War was near in 62, expert says Washington apr during the 1962 cuban missile crisis the soviet Union secretly sent Short Range nuclear weapons to Cuba and authorized their use against any american invading Force a top officer in the former soviet Union says. Gen. . Grinkov who was in Cuba at the time of the crisis disclosed in a conference in Havana last week that the soviets had Given authority to the local commander in Cuba to fire these missiles in the event president Kennedy ordered an invasion. Robert s. Mcnamara the . Defense Secretary at the time said monday it was �?o99 percent that Kennedy would have ordered nuclear retaliation on Cuba a and perhaps the soviets As Well a if . Forces had been attacked by the Short Range missiles. A we came closer to nuclear War than anyone had Ever imagined a said Philip Brenner a professor at american University and one of several american scholars who took part in the closed door conference of soviet american and cuban actions during that momentous period. A there is absolutely no question that we were right at the Brink a Brenner told the associated press. Mcnamara a participant at the meeting was quoted in tuesday s editions of the Washington Post As saying he did t know about the presence of the nuclear warheads in Cuba until the soviet general a disclosure. He said the revelation changed his assessment about How close the missile crisis came to nuclear conflict the newspaper said. Former Cia Deputy director Ray Cline who also attended the conference had Felt the danger of nuclear War was overstated but revised his View after hearing Grinkov Brenner said speaking from Miami. A the soviets revealed for the first time that they had brought to Cuba nuclear tipped tactical missiles that carried warheads of Between six and 12 Kilotons of int a he said. The crisis was touched off by the soviet installation of nuclear missiles with a Range of 800 to 1.000 Miles. Brenner said the missiles described by Grinkov had a Range of about 40 Miles. The Havana conference ended sunday. Mcnamara and other participants were in route Home monday and were unavailable for comment. It was the latest in a series of retrospective looks at the crisis by those involved. One purpose is to deter mine whether Steps can be taken to head off future threats of nuclear War. Brenner said president Fidel Castro participated at the Havana meeting. L he crisis was defused on oct. 28 when soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the intermediate Range missiles in Exchange for a pledge by Kennedy not to invade the Island. Documents released by the state department last week indicated that Kennedy s pledge was not unconditional. Brenner said Kennedy was under heavy pressure from the joint chiefs of staff to invade the Island on oct. 29. Mcnamara used the word a a disaster to describe what would have happened to the invading forces if they Hail been attacked by the Short Range weapons. Mcnamara indicated to the conference that he opposed an invasion of the Island and believed he could have persuaded Kennedy not to order one Brenner said. Brenner said the existence of the tactical missiles had been widely known by . Experts but added that none believed that the soviets would Arm them with nuclear weapons. All Felt the soviets would use conventional weapons he  being picked in prostitute s murder trial Deland Fla. Apr jury selection for a prostitute charged with killing five men proceeded monday despite defense claims that the confessed killers trial for one of the slayings would be prejudiced by pretrial publicity. Aileen Wuornos .15, has confessed to killing and robbing seven male motorists along Florida highways Over a 13-month period Between 1989 and 1990. She has been charged with five counts of first degree murder. Wuornos is on trial in this Central Florida town on charges of killing Richard Mallory 51, an electronics repair shop owner from Clearwater. His Bullet riddled body was found near Ormond Beach in december 1989. Wuornos admitted to seven slayings in a videotaped confession released last month that will be introduced As evidence. She told investigators she killed them in self defense because they had become violent and abusive. A 125-member jury Pool was called monday. Ten of the first 44 potential jurors questioned were tentatively accepted before the judge recessed jury selection for the evening. Any of them can be dismissed after further questioning. Potential jurors were asked questions ranging from whether they had made up their minds in this Case to their attitudes about prostitution or imposing the death penalty against women. Prosecutors said they la seek the death penalty. Several people were excused outright for saying they opposed the death penalty Wuornos attorneys said pretrial publicity would make it impossible to seat a jury in Deland. State attorney John Tanner questioned prospective jurors on whether they could Render a fair verdict despite what they May have Learned through Media reports. Defense attorneys also asked the prospective jurors whether they were prejudiced against prostitutes. A some of my Best friends Are prostitutes Quot one Man replied. Wuornos said she was picked up by the men and had sex with them before shooting and robbing them. A second charge in each Case is felony robbery with the use of a weapon which also carries a possible death penalty if a death results. Trials for the four other slayings will be scheduled later. Authorities Are still investigating the two others she has confessed to. The other victims in the cases in which she is charged Are Dick Humphreys 56, a state child abuse investigator from Crystal River David Spears 43, a construction worker from Winter Garden Charles Carskaddon. 40, a part time Rodeo worker from Prairie House to. And Troy Burress 50, a sausage truck Driver from Ocala. The others whom Wuornos said she shot Are Walter Antonio 60, a Brevard county Reserve Deputy and Peter Siems 65, a part time missionary from Jupiter Fla. Ail can Wuornos ruling opens door to quacks critics fear St. Petersburg Fla. A an influx of quacks could follow a court decision overturning a Law that banned unlicensed people from calling themselves psychologists and marriage Counselor officials said. Mental health workers said the ruling Means anyone in Florida can claim to be a mental health Counselor a no qualifications required. A that is absolutely scary a said Myrtis Capps executive director of the Florida mental health association. A a it a going to open up the door to every charlatan in the world to come to  the uth . Circuit court of appeals ruled 2-1 this month that the Law was flawed because it did no to bar unlicensed people from practising psychology Only from advertising themselves As psychologists. A unlicensed persons evidently can practice psychology in Florida As Long As they do not say that they Are doing so a judge Albert j. Engel wrote for the majority. Robert a. Hall executive director of the Florida psychological association said sunday the group would ask state officials to Appeal. It also will ask the legislature which was to Convene tuesday to fix the problem immediately. The Florida psychological practitioners association a group of Counselor who wanted to be licensed psychologists but  meet the states requirements challenged the Law in court 11 years ago. Bush says Kennedy s version of school Bill Falls far Short Washington a president Bush on tuesday denounced a Senate version of his school Reform Bill saying it would leave . Schools As a museums to the failed experiments of the  Bush urged business leaders educators and others attending a . Chamber of Commerce conference on school reforms to rally behind his proposal which includes $1 million in seed Money to create an experimental school in each congressional District. Bush also wants to streamline Federal regulations support parental Choice of both Public and private schools and create a voluntary system of National examinations. A not everyone a ready for the future a Bush said. A the Senate regrettably remains riveted on the past a the president added. A we need schools for the 21st Century not museums to the failed experiments of the  Fie said the Bill sponsored by sen. Edward Kennedy d-mass., a Falls far Short tragically Short of any of our goals. The american people want transformation and we Are being offered business As usual up  Kennedy said in a statement a a we be tried to work closely with the White House and education Secretary Lamar Alexander to achieve the nations education goals. Unfortunately its the administrations train that son the wrong track. A president Bush wants to use tax dollars to support private schools and our democratic Bill categorically rejects that fundamentally flawed  the Kennedy Bill is the Senate a first item of Busi Ness when it returns next tuesday. The Bill adopted by the Senate labor and Fluman resources committee of which Kennedy is chairman would scrap Bush a idea of funding one experimental school per District. Instead Kennedy a Bill would authorize $850 million a year in Grants to states for school improvements. Kennedy a Bill would bar spending any of the Money on programs that help parents Send their children to private schools. But it would allow spending on Public school Choice programs. It also would balk at giving Alexander expanded Powers to Cut through Federal regulations. Bush said the House had taken a some important Steps toward creating the new system of achievement tests. Bush spoke before 300 people at an America 2000 leadership conference for businesses and communities that have embraced the school goals for the year 2000 set by Bush and the nations governors. They include making american youth the worlds Best in math and science reducing the dropout rate to less than 10 percent and Universal adult literacy. Alexander said More than 1,000 communities have embraced the goals since grand Junction colo., declared itself the first America 2000 Community last year. Thirty one states also have launched their own efforts with Georgia the latest. More than 600 local Chambers of Commerce have also thrown their supports behind the Effort