European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 29, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday february 29, 1992 jobs hang on f-15 Deal Mcdonnell Douglas warns by Robert Burns the associated press Washington a Mcdonnell Douglas corp. Is telling Congress and the Bush administration that it will begin laying off thousands of workers this summer unless it gets the go ahead on a proposed $5 billion Sale of f-15 fighters to saudi Arabia. Mcdonnell Douglas executives said thursday that 3,000 workers at f-15 plants in St. Louis and Tulsa okla., would be Laid off this year and an additional 4,000 by 1994 unless the saudi request for 72 of the planes gets a Green Light this Spring. The administration has not yet told Congress whether it intends to Back the saudi request. Congressional sources said wednesday the Deal was included on the administrations new list of potential weapons sales to allies but several sources said it appeared Likely the Deal would be put off until 1993. The proposed Sale is a political hot potato because of the offensive capabilities of the f-15, concern about upsetting the fragile Mideast peace talks and Early signals from Congress that Many would vigorously oppose the Deal. The saudis already have 84 f-15s. The Only other countries with f-15s Are Israel and Japan. Last november when the saudi Deal briefly surfaced Sens. Howard Metzenbaum a Ohio and Bob Packwood r-ore., were preparing to Send to president Bush a letter signed by 67 senators objecting to the Sale. Metzenbaum said at the time that the letter was not sent because the saudi ambassador to Washington Prince Bandar bin sul Tan assured him he would drop the request. The saudis revived the request in recent Days and Mcdonnell Douglas began making its Case to the state department the Pentagon the White House and individual members of Congress. Diplomatic sources said the saudis also have approached the National governors association the conference of mayors and the american Israel Public affairs committee the powerful pro Israel lobby group. The Deal is especially important to Mcdonnell Douglas the nations largest arms supplier because shrinking . Defense budgets Are crimping its other defense businesses which include attack helicopters cargo planes and missiles. The production line for the f-15, the most advanced Gro fld attack fighter in the world is scheduled to close in july 1994 because the . Air Force has ended its orders. The saudi Deal would keep the line open three More years. James p. Caldwell director of new business development at Mcdonnell Douglas made Clear in an interview that the company figures its Best Chance of overcoming political opposition to the Sale in an election year is to stress jobs. A a it a either jobs for us or for Europe a Caldwell said asserting that if the saudis Are prevented from buying f-15s they will turn to Europe or the former soviet Union. A Mcdonnell Douglas videotape that Caldwell said was prepared for the company a workers claimed that the f-15 Deal with saudi Arabia was vital to . National Security. A your military aerospace Industry has made history. Will it be Here to shape the future a the tape said. It also stated that because of Federal budget cuts . Defences were a in greater peril than at any time in the last several  Mcdonnell Douglas pitch for the saudi Sale touches All the hot buttons on the political instrument panel save Domestic jobs preserve the . Defense Industrial base avoid giving european competitors another Edge help deter iraqi or iranian aggression and preserve american influence m the Middle East. Nor should anyone worry about f-15s one Day being used against . Forces the company says. A we would have a great Deal of control almost total control Over the use of the planes in saudi Arabia Caldwell said because Mcdonnell Douglas employees would be there to keep them running and the . Government would control the flow of spare parts. Cd Longbow to be scrapped for less wasteful packaging new York apr the recording Industry has promised to replace the a Long boxy compact disc package Over the next year with a less wasteful Container about half the size. The new Container would be roughly the size of the hard plastic a jewel boxy that now holds most cd. A the recording Industry has taken a bold step toward ensuring a cleaner healthier planet a said Jason Berman president of the recording Industry association of America. The package will be 5 by 5vi inches just big enough to contain a cd. Retailers say the Longbow is easier to display and More difficult to shoplift but it is condemned by environmentalists for its volume of disposable cardboard and plastic wrap. Critics have included artists such As u2, sting Don Henley and Bonnie Raitt. A coalition called ban the Box says discarded Longbow wrapping accounted for 23 million pounds of garbage in the Industry announced its intention to drop the Longbow last March but had been unable to agree on a replacement. Thursdays announcement did not specify what the typical jewel Box sized package will be made of but the decision apparently rules out two rival candidates the eco Pak and Digi Trak both made of 5-by-l 1-Inch cardboard that collapses when unwrapped to 5-by-5vi size. Poly ram the leading proponent of the jewel Box makes the Container out of hard plastic and shrink wraps it in cellophane. The jewel Box size is a voluntary Standard but one that has been endorsed by the six companies responsible for 95 percent of sound recordings in the United states. Other manufacturers and distributors Are expected to follow their Lead and record stores will have to revise their cd Racks. Merchants have favored Lon boxes because they fit onto shelves built to hold the fast fading up record. Retailers estimate that new Racks and Security systems would Cost $100 million and have asked the recording Industry to share the Cost. Berman said recording companies would a work with retailers to explore ways to offset refi Turing  by april 1993, All cd issued by the big six recording the Long compact disc Box background will be replaced by a smaller jewel Box front. Companies will feature the new package he said. More than 250 million cd Are sold each year and the format accounts for almost 40 percent of recorded music sales. The Industry a leading members Are Bertelsmann Emi Mca poly ram Sony and Warner. A to get a Complete ban of the Box is a tremendous Victory for the environment and a demonstration of the growing clout of Green consumerism a said Mark Murray of californians against waste. The stars and stripes b Page 7 us experts doubt temblor foreshadow eruption from wire reports los Angeles a More than 10,000 tiny temblor have jostled an Eastern California volcanic area since an earthquake swarm started almost two weeks ago a scientist said thursday. But the activity has gradually declined since feb. 21, and there is no reason to believe the quakes signal a volcanic eruption said Jim Mori a seismologist with the . Geological Survey in Pasadena. The quake swarm started feb. 15 in the Coso Range volcanic and geothermal area. The quakes were entered cast of the Sierra Nevada about 135 Miles North of los Angeles. Activity peaked feb. 19-21, when one to two tiny quakes of less than 1.0 on the Richter scale occur cd every minute Mori said. The biggest quake measured 4.0 on feb. 19 and was Felt by residents at the China Lake naval weapons Center and in  rules urged Washington a three health organizations said thursday that they want tobacco to be considered an addictive drug and regulated by the food and drug administration. A the health of the american people can no longer be sacrificed for the profits of the tobacco Industry a the presidents of the american heart association the american lung association and the american cancer society said in a letter to president Bush. A if tobacco is to remain on the Market it should be treated for what it is an addictive  the letter also said cigarette smoking is responsible for More than 400,000 deaths annually in the United  shoots Bishop new York a a Bishop of the greek orthodox Church was in serious condition thursday after being shot during a robbery attempt while wearing his traditional cassock police said. Bishop Alexios pan Giotopoulos 48, was shot during a confrontation with three youths late wednesday near his Brooklyn Home. The prelate known As Bishop Alexios was in serious but stable condition at Kings county Hospital said police sgt. De Burns. The Bishop who directs the hellenic cultural Center and oversees 25 parishes in the metropolitan area had just parked his car and was walking Home when he was attacked. He was approached by three teen agers who demanded his Money. When the Clergyman told them he carried no Money one youth pulled out a gun and shot him said Bishop Isaiah a spokesman for the greek orthodox archdiocese of North and South America. The youths fled without taking anything police said. No arrests had been  grinder kills Man Pico Rivera Calif. A a worker was killed thursday after he slipped from a catwalk and fell headfirst into the moving Blades of a meat grinder. The Man a 26-year-old Maywood resident whose name was not released was working at Orange coast meat products when the Accident occurred about 2 10 p.m., sheriffs it. Dennis Beene said. Members of six fire companies and an Urban search and Rescue team worked to dismantle the machine to remove the victims remains Beene said. At least 10 firefighters and several sheriffs deputies were being counselled by a stress debriefing team because of the nature of the  buyback ended Minneapolis a Hennepin county ended its Cash for guns program thursday a Day after it resumed. The program was started feb. 1 but was suspended six Days later after netting nearly 5,000 guns and depleting its $250,000 budget. It resumed wednesday with an additional $50,000 from private donations and drug forfeitures. The Money ran out thursday after 1,000 weapons were turned in county officials said. Under the program people were offered $50 for every gun they turned Over to authorities a no questions asked. The guns Are to be melted