European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 18, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday june 18, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 3saddam gains strength report says by Elaine Sciolino the new York times Washington a despite stringent economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation iraqi president Saddam Hussein is stronger now than he was a year ago according to a classified intelligence report. The inter Agency report concludes that Saddam has begun to rebuild his country a infrastructure by importing goods from Jordan in violation of the  sanctions and by tapping hidden iraqi reserves said administration officials familiar with the report. It also states that he is trying to reconstitute his military and is strengthening his political base by imposing More repressive measures on his population. On the other hand the report says that As Long As the sanctions Are in place living conditions for most people in Iraq will continue to Worsen and pressures on Saddam will increase. A this is not a flip Flop in our thinking but More a question of degree a an administration official said in describing the report. A the main Point is that Saddam is still there and we expect him to stay. It used to be that people were saying that the sanctions were making him weaker. They re not saying that anymore. He is clearly stronger than he was a year  soon after the iraqi Leader suppressed rebellions by kurd in the North and shiite muslims in the South the Central intelligence Agency concluded that sad he added a from what l a seen in Centle. It does t look like he a going to fall anytime  the report which reflects the thinking of the Cia and the other intelligence agencies is scheduled to be distributed to from what in be seen recently it does t look like he s going to fall anytime ibo a James r. Lilley dam could remain in Power for years. At the time some senior officials in the White House Pentagon and state department were portraying Saddam As getting weaker by the Day. James r. Lilley assistant Secretary of defense for International Security affairs said last week of Saddam a ability to survive a was Long As he Sable to get his hands on enough stuff to buy off his cronies the Republican guard his chances of staying in Power Are pretty  Bush and senior officials this week. Its timing is particularly embarrassing for Bush who has had to defend his administrations conciliatory policies toward Iraq before its August 1990 invasion of Kuwait against both democratic critics in Congress and Ross Perot who is laying the groundwork for an Independent presidential Campaign. These critics have accused Bush of appeasing Saddam and leading the United states into a War that might have been avoided. One Factor that has enhanced Saddam s position is the widespread smuggling to Iraq from Jordan in violation of economic sanctions imposed soon after the August 1900 invasion of Kuwait. The smuggling involves construction materials Industrial electrical and communications equipment spare parts and luxury goods intelligence officials also suspect illegal shipments of military related equipment arc being made. Under rules set up by the . Security Council. Jordan sends Large amounts of food and Medicine to Iraq through its port at Aqaba and Overland across its 100-mile Border with Iraq. Bush is said to be particularly distressed at the scale of the smuggling particularly because he received a pledge from Jordan a King Hussein to abide by the International sanctions. The Cia is seeking an additional $40 million in fiscal 1993 for its Covert program to overthrow Saddam but there is serious disagreement among intelligence officials Over the Wisdom of a program that May have Little Chance of Success. Much of the Money is used to finance iraqi groups in exile Clandestine radio stations and other propaganda activities. Freed Aid workers Back in Germany a former hostages Heinrich Striebig left and Thomas Kemptner appear fit in Beirut after being released by their captors on wednesday. Bonn Germany up a German hostages Thomas Kemptner and Heinrich Striebig arrived in Germany on wednesday looking exhausted but exhilarated at regaining their Freedom after three years of Captivity in Lebanon most of it in chains. The two men who had flown from Beirut via the Mediterranean Island of Crete stepped hesitantly out of a German air Force aircraft that flew into Bonn Cologne Airport. Blinking in the Bright sunlight they waved at a Small group of friends and re porters before climbing into a German helicopter to be flown to a Koblenz military Hospital where they were to undergo debriefing and medical and psychological tests. A German air Force spokesman at the Airport said preliminary tests carried out at a nato Case in Crete had shown the men to be in Good condition. German state minister Bernd Schmid Bauer who had travelled with the two men from Beirut along with . Hostage negotiator Gian Dominco Picco said they had spent 99 percent of their time in chains. A at times they were chained by their feet at times by their hands and at times both a Schmidbauer said. He said they were held together most of the time but would not give More details about them. He said they did not want to talk about their Captivity. The two men were the last Western hostages held in Lebanon. Their release wednesday followed those of briton John Mccarthy and american Jerry Anderson. Both captives who had been handed Over at 9 48 . Local time to Schmidbauer and German ambassador Pieter Kic Wett at the governmental Palace in Beirut paid a Short visit to lebanese president Lilias Herawi to thank him for lebanese government efforts to set them free. Kemptner 31, and Striebig 51, Relief workers for the German Relief organization Asme hum Anitas were kidnapped May 12, 1989, in Southern Lebanon. The kidnappers asked German authorities to give written guarantees that Brothers Abbas and Mohammed Ali Hangadi jailed in Germany on terrorism charges would be released within one to two months the sources said. A the germans said they needed some time to find a Legal outlet to this Issue a the sources said. The Muslim sources said the germans Only Legal Avenue was to Grant the Hama i Brothers a Pardon Quot As France did with Anis Naccache three years  Naccache a pro iranian lebanese activist imprisoned in France for bombings in Paris in 1986, was set free and deported to Iran As part of a Deal that led to the release of a number of French hostages held in  votes today on maastricht referendum Dublin Ireland up a Irish voters who cast ballots today in a referendum on a key treaty on european Unity appeared to support the moves toward a centralized european Community government because of the economic benefits it would bring a poll showed. The Survey for the newspaper Irish times said wednesday that 49 percent of voters in the poll support ratification of the maastricht treaty while 28 percent my a que Quot voters were still undecided according to the poll. Said they would vote against. Nearly a Quarter of the senior Irish politicians including prime minister Albert Reynolds said they were confident of approval and tried to allay fears of diminished National sovereignty under the treaty. In Denmark on june 2, 50.7 percent of voters cast their ballots against the treaty while 49.3 voted against it. The danish vote sparked a surge of anti federalist debate in other dec member countries. Observers said a no vote in Ireland leaving two of the 12 dec states against ratification of the treaty would seriously Jean Ordie its future. The treaty must be approved by All 12 member countries. The maastricht treaty signed in december in the Netherlands town of the same name was designed to establish throughout the dec a single currency Tho european currency unit and unify Many aspects of member states foreign policy Security environmental and immigration arrangements. Since Denmark a rejection of maastricht dec leaders have been exploring ways to Salvage the pact perhaps by reducing Denmark a role in the Community or possibly expelling it altogether. As preparations continued for today a ballot Irish foreign minister David Andrews said Ireland which is dependant on dec funds stood to gain from the new dec budget which he said would help close the Gap Between Ireland one of the poorest members of the Community and its wealthier neighbors. For the first time since Ireland joined the dec Andrews said a it seems possible for us to make serious inroads into closing the Gap Between ourselves and our More prosperous partners. One of the key issues in the debate was abortion. Some believe approval of the treaty would Lead to legalized abortions in the strictly roman Catholic antiabortion country. But the Irish government has said the maastricht treaty will not affect the country a strict abortion Laws. Reynolds addressing the abortion Issue in a nationally televised speech tuesday night said a the solution is our own business not