European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 a the stars and stripes saturday april 18,1992yeltsin reaffirms 1972 germ warfare ban Moscow apr russian president Boris n. Yeltsin has signed a decree saying his country will adhere to a 1972 International treaty Banning germ warfare his press Secretary said thursday. But Yeltsin did not say publicly whether the former soviet Republic has any biological weapons or whether it will destroy any. Meanwhile Yeltsin and ukrainian president Leonid Kravchuk signed an agreement on the Transfer of tactical nuclear weapons to Russia for destruction the itar Tass news Agency said. Earlier this week Ukraine said it would soon resume transferring the arms after getting assurances it could Monitor their destruction itself. The United states had Long claimed the soviet Union maintained a secret program for the production of offensive germ weapons and was pressing Russia to meet an april 15 deadline to fully reveal its scope and history. The soviets had insisted they were Only developing vaccines against biological weapons and conducting other research under a defensive program which is allowed under the Accord. Before the signing Yeltsin repeatedly had promised publicly and privately that he would adhere to the International treaty. The decree states that Russia As successor to the soviet Union will abide by the Accord Banning the production and deployment of biological weapons As Well As their detonation press Secretary Alexei Novikov told the associated press. The United states destroyed All its germ warfare stocks two decades ago. . Intelligence officials say they have discovered More than 20 germ warfare research manufacturing and storage Sites on the territory of the former soviet Union. Titled Quot on ensuring the fulfilment of International commitments in the sphere of biological weapons a the decree was signed april 11 but made Public Only this week Novikov said. The agreement on the Transfer of nuclear weapons removed another sore Point for the time being in russian ukrainian relations Over military issues. Kravchuk abruptly halted the Transfer in february demanding better verification of their destruction. Several Western countries including the United states expressed alarm at the step and pressed the states to resolve their differences. The agreement Calls for All the Battlefield Range weapons to be transferred by july 1 and includes a protocol regulating their  freezes Relief flights to Volcano area by Jim Derheim staff writer mount Etna Sicily a a curtain of swirling Snow came with the Sunrise Friday Over this erupting Volcano forcing the postponement of Relief flights to the threatened town of Zafferano Etna for the second time in As Many Days. A break in the weather Isnit Likely soon because a Low pressure system has brought unsettled weather to the entire Island of Sicily according to the naval oceanography come det Nas Simonella. By 7 ., heavy Snow showers were falling at Rifugio Sapienza a ski resort High on the Southern face of the Mountain that has served As a base of operations since april 11.the unpredictable weather atop mount Etna has included sunny windless mornings and Low Clouds with wind gusts at noon. On thursday the weather Cut Short flights by two ch-53e super stallions after two round trips to the area above Zafferano Etna where engineers Are trying to divert the lava flow by stuffing a Small vent with Concrete blocks. Two 15,000-Pound slabs were dropped into the Rushing flow before the danger of wind sneer caused the big Birds to Back off for the Day. Quot at the time of our planning with the italian engineers earlier in the week weather was not an Issue a said it. Robert curia officer in charge of the operation at the ski resort who waited with other Seabee inside a warm Coffee bar while Winter raged outside. Quot we had limited hours to carry out the plan in the beginning. Since then the weather a gotten much  another Factor causing headaches is the constantly shifting shape of the Mouth of a Tunnel that is funnel ing the swiftly moving lava toward the town below. Officials Hope to plug that vent with a sled Laden with Concrete blocks. The newly modified sled built by curiae a men now . Sailors assemble a steel platform to hold huge Concrete blocks that officials Hope will divert the lava flow. Measures nearly 9 feet wide by 29 feet Long. A launch platform that is slightly larger than the sled has been heavily greased to facilitate the propulsion of the pay Load consisting of 11 a Beirut busters weighing 8,000 to 10,000 pounds apiece. The blocks one of which had a Chi mom a sprayed across its flank will be linked together by a Inch steel Cable wrapped in Asbestos to give them some Protection against the lavas intense heat. Quot the cables wont last Long even with the wrapping a said Petty officer 1st class Sergio Smith one of the More than 25 men under curiae a command. The 1,922-Degrce surface temperature of the magma is thought to be considerably less than the still unmeasured Center of the flowing River of red that the engineers Are trying to divert. The Speed of the flow a about 9 feet to 15 feet per second at the vent a and the density of the lava a judged to be 1,000 pounds per cubic foot a have those involved in the project keeping their fingers crossed that their Concrete Laden sled which will weigh More than 100,000 pounds will not just skitter Over the hard surface of the flow. Previous attempts to Stop the flow have included . Helicopters dropping single Concrete blocks into the path of the lava which had Little effect. 3,000 Church officials linked to Stasi Hamburg Germany apr thousands of lutheran Church officials including Bishops worked with the former East German secret police a newsmagazine said thursday. Der Spiegel Magazine did not say whether the Church officials knew that they were listed As agents by the secret police also called the Stasi. Der Spiegel said that the lutheran Church in former East Germany employed up to 50,000 people and that More than 3,000 of them were listed in Stasi records As Quot unofficial  the report in the Hamburg based Magazine said the stasis influence reached the churches highest Levels Quot including Bishops and members of the churches leadership  Spiegel said a special Synod held in october 1974 was organized by the Stasi to induce the Church to pledge loyalty to communist East Germany. Excerpts from Der Spiegell a report were provided to other news Media. Mexico recovers 350 toxic filled containers Mexico City up1 a mexican authorities have recovered More than 350 containers filled with toxic waste at a Clandestine dump in Northern Mexico near the Border with Elpaso Texas the government news Agency said thursday. The containers May have come from foreign owned in Bond plants operating along the .-Mexicu Border according to Oscar Monsivais chief inspector in the Region for the Urban development and ecology ministry. The containers bore labels identifying them in English As toxic and urging that the . Environmental tote Tion Agency be called in Case of emergency. The dump was located just off the pan american Highway outside of Ciudad Juarez across the Rio Grande from Elpaso the no Timex news Agency reported. Hector Villa spokesman for the Texas water department told no Timex that a team of experts had been called in from Dallas to identify the substance. Mexican officials did not say what they will do with the waste. The dump was guarded by a watchman when officials arrived to close it Down and a rated clandestinely since 1984, Monsivais said. Appeared to have been op-4, Monsiv a second fire Breaks out As expo nears opening Seville Spain apr fire broke out at the South Pacific islands Pavilion in the expo �?T92 Complex Friday a fire department spokesman said. The Mammoth fair opens in three Days. The spokesman customarily not identified said the fire broke out in the Wood and grass Pavilion at 10 30  He said the Blaze was under control an hour and a half later and no injuries were reported. There was no immediate word on the extent of damage at the Pavilion which had been completed just last week by a group of fijian artisans. It was the second major Blaze at the 531-acre site on la cart Uja Island in the Guadalquivir River. A feb. 18 fire destroyed the Interior of the discovery Pavilion one of five major displays. King Juan Carlos is scheduled to preside Over a ceremony monday opening expo which runs through oct. 12, the 500th anniversary of Columbus landfall in the new world. The fair celebrates Columbus voyage