European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 17, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 b the stars and stripes tuesday March 17,1992taste for foreign foods criticized probe cites us a for ignoring . Farmers Washington a the agriculture department does a poor Job of ensuring that the billions of dollars it spends on food for anti hut Ger programs goes to american Farmers and food processors a not their foreign competitors a say the departments investigators. As a result imported foods have been used to fulfil Usdan a contracts according to an audit by the departments office of inspector general. According to Congress and the departments regulations the us a is to buy american foods and farm products to support anti hunger programs at Home and abroad including school lunches and soup kitchens. The regulations also Call for the Agency to ensure that subsidized foreign customers Are buying american goods. Instead us a has been a winking at the Law a said sen. Kent Conrad . A for All we know we re using american taxpayer dollars to Purchase brazilian oranges Argentine beef Canadian wheat and goodness knows what else a Conrad said. A it makes no sense to use our taxpayer dollars to subsidize foreign  the audit found that lax enforcement and certification procedures have allowed foreign foods including Canadian meat to get into the pipeline. However the agriculture department has few Means to assess the problems scope because of the shortcomings in its enforcement and regulations of contractors and their suppliers according to the audit. Sen. Tom Daschle d-s.d., said he would Call a hearing of his Senate agriculture subcommittee on research and general legislation to demand that us a develop consistent procedures to ensure contractor compliance with the a buy american requirements. A us a has a duty to american Farmers and ranchers to make sure government programs buy Only american agricultural products a Daschle said Quot us a should be held accountable for its  the August 1991 audit found the total value of agricultural commodities purchased or guaranteed for use in Domestic and Export programs was $6.9 billion in fiscal 1989. The audit did not say How much foreign food May have replaced . Farm products in Usdan a contracts. But investigators found violations of the Domestic Ori Gin requirements by contractors for three us a agencies that buy food or guarantee exports. A review of one of the agencies the agricultural marketing service found that a Large supplier included imported beef in shipments to five ams contractors. In turn the contractors May have sold the us a As much As 1 million pounds of Canadian beef. The agricultural marketing service purchases processed commodities for Domestic use such As for the National school lunch program child nutrition programs and soup kitchens. The agricultural stabilization and conservation service buys farm commodities for Sale to other government agencies foreign governments and Domestic foreign or International Relief efforts. The foreign agricultural service manages Export programs such As the Export credit guarantee programs under which Loans to foreign countries Are guaranteed by us a for purchases of . Food and farm  recovering Economy maybe in Des Moines by Melanie Chase the associated press Des Moines Iowa a if shoppers in one american City arc any indication Consumers Are beginning to listen to economists who say the economic recovery is on firm footing. But they Are not about to go on a buying frenzy. And they Are digging out Cash instead of credit cards to pay for their purchases. A i think the Economy in general is looking a lot brighter than it was a said Linda Owen of Ottumwa shopping Friday at a venture discount store in South Des Moines. A a in a spending More Money now tha in the recent past because i Wasny to spending any Money at All but in a still  retail sales nationally were up 1.3 percent in february following a 2.1 percent increase in january. It was the first time since 1985 that sales have risen More than 1 percent in consecutive months. A1 Kling the venture stores manager said he thinks customers Are feeling More upbeat. A the average Sale has gone up considerably from january to february and it increased every week As february went on Quot he say  said. A so i think they Are buying Kling said people Are starting to buy More expensive items. Electronics and televisions have been his bestselling items and furniture is a Selling like  other Strong areas Are clothing Home furnishings and housewares. Rich Potts manager of the Best buy discount electronics store in South Des Moines said computers Are the stores top growth category. A people have been coming in buying whole computer systems a he said. A a it a like the restraints have been taken off and people have gone on a buying frenzy a but shoppers done to seem willing to incur debt to buy them. Quot we re not seeing a lot of charge cards. Its Cash a said Tomi Briseno manager of a casual Corner a women a clothing store at a Des Moines shopping Center. Dennis and Judy Reising of Polk City Iowa compare prices at a discount store in Des Moines while shopping with their daughters Lindsay and Cassie on  denies Israel target of smear Campaign Washington a president Bush s spokesman monday denied that the United states is trying to harm israelis image through leaks that allege improper israeli sales of advanced . Weapon technology. A no that a not True we want Good relations with Israel a said Marlin Fitzwater when asked if . Officials Are trying to Poison the atmosphere. A a we be worked Long and hard for Good relations. We be got a difficult situation now with respect to the loan guarantees but our overriding interest is the peace process a Fitzwater said As the president left for a Days campaigning in the Midwest. Israeli defense minister Moshe Arens met defense Secretary Dick Cheney at the Pentagon on monday for talks Likely to include the dispute Over israeli weapons transfers. Officials said Only that the visit had been scheduled for about a week and would touch on a bilateral  Arens and other israeli leaders have pictured their country As the victim of a smear Campaign in Washington to damage israelis image and harm its relations with the United states. In Jerusalem foreign minister David Levy on sunday sought to soothe tensions with israelis most important ally. But other officials warned of a profound change developing in americans attitude toward Israel. Israel radio said the jewish state would look elsewhere for weapons components primarily France. Most israeli officials strenuously denied their country sold key weapons technology to China and other countries. And most carefully avoided placing blame for the leaks behind last weeks news stories. But health minister Ehud Olmert a close ally of prime minister Yitzhak Shamir said he was sure a such things were not raised without the will of a senior figure in the Bush  asked if he suspected the americans were trying to influence israelis june 23 parliamentary elections Olmert said he did not know but added that might be a fair conclusion. Israelis see the disclosures As another shot in the rising tensions Over the . Demand that Shamire a government Stop building jewish settlements in the occupied territories Israel has refused to halt settlements As a condition for getting $10 billion in american loan guarantees to help Settle russian immigrants. The Washington Post said some officials and Independent experts in Jerusalem privately concede Israel May in the past have sold weapons such As Cluster bombs to countries such As Chile or Ethiopia. But they said that was years ago and had been previously reported. Israeli leaders have dented that their country supplied Patriot air defense missile technology to China or shared information on the .-sponsored Arrow missile with South Africa