European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 25, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday february 25, 1992 the stars and stripes Navy rapidly removing nuclear arms All but a handful of ships now cleared by Susanne \1. Schafer a military writer Washington a the Navy has removed Short Range nuclear weapons from All but a a handful of ships in line with president Bush a sweeping arms control initiative last fall. The Navy a chief of naval operations adm. Frank b. Kelso ii confirmed that the service has moved More quickly than first thought and pulled the tactical nuclear weapons from its vessels ahead of schedule. A a we re moving right along a Kelso said. A a we re getting pretty close to having most of them off loaded now. A i done to think every one of them is gone yet but i think we Are Down to a handful of ships that still have the weapons said the four Star Admiral. In september Bush announced a package of sweeping arms control Steps that included the elimination of All ground launched Short Range nuclear weapons from posts around the world amounting to about 2,100 warheads. The easing of tension Between the United states and the former soviet Union had removed the reasons to hold onto the Short Range weapons which were first developed in the 1950s to offset a possible invasion by the overwhelming number of Warsaw pact troops against the West. The president also offered to remove nuclear cruise missiles and bombs from the Navy a submarines battleships cruisers aircraft carriers and land based aircraft. The Navy a Short Range nuclear Arsenal was composed of about 500 nuclear bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles As Well As some 900 nuclear depth bombs that could be delivered by aircraft. The service maintains a massive nuclear punch with the intercontinental Ballis tic missiles carried by its submarines but the removal of the Short Range weapons amounts to a revolutionary step for the service affecting its War fighting doctrine As Well As its operations at sea. The change also will allow the Navy to drop the time consuming and expensive preparations needed to train its personnel to handle nuclear weapons at sea and focus More on the High tech conventional weaponry officials have said. The Strong performance of conventional arms such As the Tomahawk cruise missiles and laser guided munitions in the War against Iraq bolstered the arguments for removing the Short Range nuclear weapons from Navy ships. The change also alleviates what has become a delicate diplomatic Issue for the Navy in Many countries around the world that have been loathe to Welcome nuclear armed . Ships for routine port Calls. New zealand banned visits by . Ships that were believed to be carrying nuclear weapons. The split forced new zealand a withdrawal from anus the .-backed military Alliance in the Region. The Navy a Long standing policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons aboard individual vessels prevented Kelso from identifying the exact number of nuclear armed ships remaining. The Admiral said however that ships did not have to be recalled to handle the weapons removal and that it was accomplished during their routine returns to their Home ports. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney said at the time of the presidents announcement that about 50 percent of the naval nuclear weapons would be destroyed and half put in storage. The nations Only facility that can dismantle or destroy nuclear warheads is the panted Plant outside Amarillo Texas. Gorbachev Reagan visit expected in May los Angeles apr Mikhail s. Gorbachev is expected to visit former president Reagan in Early May during the former soviet leaders first trip to the United states since leaving office. Gorbachev will visit several major cities and his first Stop will be California to meet with Reagan a source familiar with the trip said saturday. A trip to the Ronald Reagan presidential Library in Simi Valley was expected and a Stop at Reagan a Santa Barbara ranch was a possibility the source said saturday speaking on condition of anonymity. Reagan a spokeswoman could not be reached for comment As his offices were closed for the weekend. Reagan invited Gorbachev to the United states in a letter made Public in january the month after Gorbachev resigned As soviet president. In his invitation Reagan praised Gorbachev As a courageous Leader who a will live forever in Gorbachev has kept a Low profile since his resignation. On monday however he appeared in the United states in print a As a columnist in the new York times. The column first appeared in the italian newspaper la Stampa of Turin. A recently president Bush has again said that the United states won the cold War a Gorbachev wrote. A my reply to this would be that the Long years we spent plunged in the cold War made losers of us he said that while stalinism is dead a and i would add thank god. The idea of socialism lives on and it is m y feeling that the quest a the desire to Experiment and to find a new form for putting the socialist idea into practice a is Gorbachev became general Secretary of the soviet communist party in 1985, in the first months of Reagan a second term. Their discussions on nuclear arms reduction and other issues Are credited with setting the stage for the end of the cold he stepped Down from Power in late december last year Gorbachev said he believed that when he Speaks out in the future he should have the a moral authority of the Man who launched perestroika but whose interest now was solely the Good of the nation. Some aids said they foresaw Gorbachev in time becoming chairman of a new political party and even running for office. One of the most popular features at the Reagan Library is a 3-ton chunk of the Berlin Wall which became known As a Symbol of the cold War. The Library located 50 Miles Northwest of los Angeles was opened last nov. 4 with a dedication gala attended by Bush and former presidents Nixon Ford and Carter along with Reagan. In the stars and stripes 10years ago feb. 25,1982 a president Reagan announced an Quot unprecedented economic Aid plan for the poor countries of the Caribbean Basin and sternly warned Havana and Moscow to refrain from igniting Bushfire wars in the Region.20 years ago feb. 25,1972 a an informed american source said president Nixon and Henry a. Kissinger the presidents National Security adviser were talking with China s Premier Chou in Lai about issues involved in establishing what the Premier termed Quot Normal state 30years ago feb. 25,1962 some 20,000 Armor backed French troops moved into Algiers after a terrorist Bloodbath that left a score of muslims dead in the populous european Quarter of Babel sued. Authorities said that by Sundown 11 europeans also had been killed in the city.40 year Sago feb. 25,1952 a the North Atlantic treaty organization Council announced that the United states would provide two thirds of the Money and most of the arms for nato s More than 40 divisions and 4,000 warplanes proposed for 1952.doctor facing prison gets benefits for stress los Angeles apr a physician facing prison for cheating insurance companies of millions of dollars is receiving $266 a month in state disability benefits because he is stressed out. The los Angeles District attorney wants the payments to or. Gershon Hepner stopped. State officials say the Law ties their hands. And a lawyer for Hepner a los Angeles internist Calls the move an elec Tion year stunt. A the gets arrested and he a going to go to prison. So he says he a stressed out. I should Hope so. Isnit that the idea a the prosecutor Ira Reiner said in a letter sent last week to Thomas Nagle director of the state employment development department. World War ii Hepner pleaded guilty last fall to fraud theft and tax evasion and could face 12 years in prison. A mental competency hearing preliminary to sentencing was set for March 12. The state Agency began paying Hepner disability benefits last april six months after a grand jury indicted him and six months before he pleaded guilty to the charges. The state provides disability benefits to people who prove they cannot work because of illness or injury unrelated to employment. All Hepner needed was a physician certifying he suffers from stress. A the Law does no to give us the authority to arbitrarily make judgments in specific cases a said Anita Mackenzie a state employment Agency spokeswoman. A but we arc looking at changing the Harland Braun Hepner a lawyer called reinerus action a pc Lection year Reiner runs for re election in june. A every doctor who has examined or. Hepner has found him medically disabled a Braun said. A the is mentally two psychiatrists one of them Hcan Eros therapist told a judge the doctor has a hypomania a a mental disorder that makes him compulsive. They say it is to blame for the fraud he committed. Hepner Slegal troubles also left him depressed with suicidal tendencies the psychiatrists said. They recommended he quit treating patients and he closed his medical practice in november 1990, soon after the indictment. Hepner still holds a medical license.50 years ago today feb. 251.9-42 japanese troops in Burma slip through a Gap in British defences Between Yaun Globin and pegu threatening the Rangoon Mandalay rail line. The joint Abda come which unified control of american British dutch and australian military forces in Southeast Asia is dissolved. All non dutch Allied troops have left Java leaving the dutch to defend the Island on their own. Source 2194 Days of War w. H Smith a publishers inc. World almanac Book of world year ago Day 40 feb. 25 Baghdad radio says Saddam Hussein ordered his forces to withdraw from Kuwait in accordance with the soviet peace proposal. The iraqis score a direct scud hit on a . Barracks in Dhahran saudi Arabia killing 28 . Military personnel. In the ground offensive a first two Days 18,000 iraqi troops Are taken prisoner. Reported . Losses in the ground offensive Are extremely Light thus far a four killed and 21 wounded. Four aircraft Are lost three of whose pilots Are rescued. War ii Bison books corp .1981 a
