European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 15, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a the stars and stripes sunday november 15,19s at a glance 2� Malcolm x looks on As world heavyweight boxing Champion Cassius Clay signs autographs outside a new York movie theater in 1964. Spike Lee s movie Malcolm x debuts at stateside Heaters wednesday. See stories and photos in sunday  Mia remains lost the army Laboratory that identifies people killed or lost during the Vietnam War has lost some remains but has modernized its methods of identification a congressional study said. A Page 4aide�?Ts phone tapped phone Calls of an official involved in the controversy Over Bill Clinton s passport files were monitored without authorization last month. A Page 5probe of Hurricane Aid . Officials Are investigating a counselling group that reportedly spent Hurricane Hugo Relief Money on weekend getaways personal Bills and books about sex. A Page 7effort to ease tension mayor David n. Dinkins warned new yorkers not to allow the acquittal of a Black youth in the slaying of a jewish scholar to Divide the City. A Page 8foreign agent the top National Security adviser for the Clinton transition team is a registered foreign agent whose firm has represented Japan and other overseas interests documents show. A Page 9 Economy gets boost retailers sales Rose 0.9 percent in october and some economists called the gain the Best sign yet that the beleaguered . Economy might finally be coming to life. A Page 17 Index Abby Ann Landers 16 classifieds.20-24 commentary.15 faces no places 16 letters 14 Money matters.17 mutuals.1719 sports.2532 weather .13u.s. Allies might face pressure to repeal limitations on Gays London a most . Allies allow homosexuals to serve in the armed forces. But Britain and Italy arc liable to expel Gays discovered in the ranks while Turkey May Send them to jail. Some of the restrictions however could come under pressure for Reform if president elect Clinton goes through with his Promise to end the nearly 50-year-old ban on homosexuals in the . Military. A a change in policy by a major nato ally such As the United states is bound to increase the pressure on Britain to scrap its anti Gay military regulations Quot Peter Tatchell spokesman for the British Gay rights group outrage said Friday. The United states Turkey and Britain Are the Only members of the 16-nation North Atlantic treaty organization that ban homosexuals outright in the military. Israel drafts men and women regardless of sexual preference. Japanese authorities say the Issue has never come up. But in Russia where homosexuality is illegal Gays Are officially unwelcome in the armed forces. In june Britain dropped criminal penalties for homosexuality in the military hut Gays Are still discharged if found out. During debate on the legislation Liberal Democrat Paddy Ashdown pressed a More Liberal policy. A some of our finest generals have been homosexuals a Ashdown declared though he did no to identify any. In nato member Turkey officers and conscripts found to be homosexual arc discharged after serving prison terms of Between three and six months. Conscripts arc then kept a a under observations in the army until they finish the 18-month compulsory military service. In Turkey Gays Are harassed in civilian life. Homosexual relations arc illegal and police regularly round up transvestites. In Israel where men serve three years and women two years of mandatory Active duty in the military homosexuals Are drafted a like any other israeli citizen a said a spokesman for the israeli defense forces. In Japan there Are no specific regulations and the Issue has never come up since the self defense forces were established in 1952, said a defense Agency official. In Italy homosexuals Are allowed to join the armed forces but overt homosexual behaviour is grounds for expulsion said a defense ministry spokesman. The Spanish military has no policy excluding homosexuals. A defense ministry spokeswoman said soldiers Are not asked about their sexual preference and the Issue is not controversial. A German defense ministry spokesman said homosexuals and heterosexuals arc Given equal rights in the military. There Are no restrictions on Gays serving in the French military although they May be excluded from service if they can make a Case for their being adversely psychologically affected. Sweden Norway and Denmark have no restrictions. In the Netherlands there is no legislation barring homosexuals from serving in the armed forces. But Alex Sheerazi spokesman for the dutch conscripts Union said a it can be difficult for Gays in some situations to present themselves As  from Page 1 to believe strongly that the presence of homosexuals within the armed forces would be prejudicial to Good order and discipline. And we continue to hold that  the military has dismissed More than 15,000 homosexuals in the last decade to enforce the ban. Senior military commanders acknowledge that tens of thousands of homosexuals already serve in the 1.8 million member armed forces but keep their sexual orientation secret. The officers say the problem is not that homosexuals Are there but that in the absence of the ban they would openly display their homosexuality possibly undermining morale and discipline. The Issue of allowing homosexuals in the military came up last week when a Federal District judge in California issued a temporary ruling to reinstate Keith Meinhold a 30-year-old Petty officer first class who was discharged by the Navy in August after he declared his homosexuality on National television. With the Well known views of the military commanders in mind retired adm. William j. Crowe jr., who is Powell a predecessor As chairman of the joint chiefs and is now advising Clinton on military issues has made it Clear to the president elect that any change in the policy on homosexuals must be done very carefully. That message was reflected in a statement thursday by Clinton during a news conference that although he would not change his Basic position he would act a in a Way that is most appropriate for the management of the whole National Security and military interests of the  Quot i want to consult with a lot of people about what our options Are including people who May disagree with me about the ultimate merits a he said. The advice Clinton is getting calling for careful consultations is based on the Assumption that he will not reverse course no matter what top officers say. There Are two reasons first his Campaign promises on the Issue were categorical and second the courts Are moving to ban discrimination against homosexuals in the military. What Crowe and others with close ties to the military have told Clinton according to people who Are watching the developments is that he faces entrenched resistance among the uppermost ranks and that it would be senseless to offend them by Rushing through a policy that some will never embrace. The position of the generals and admirals was carefully conveyed by Powell whose words reflected due deference to Linton s ultimate authority but were a Clear commitment to maintaining traditional military mores. Regardless of the debate Over the relevance of homosexuality to military performance Many generals and admirals refer to the need to maintain a Good order and discipline in discussing their fears of a change in policy toward homosexuals. A Marine corps general who declined to be named said changing the policy a could upset the Good order and discipline of the unit a and he illustrated his anxiety by describing the scene in a Shower after a Field exercise. A we were standing in this Shower tent naked waiting in line for 35 minutes fora five minute Shower a he said. A would 1 be comfortable knowing Gays were there standing in line with us no. It just introduces a tension you done to  such fears could be old chestnuts As defense Secretary Dick Cheney has called them having Little to do with military missions but they Are the kind of concerns heard again and again among senior military people. A we support Powell 100 percent a said a Navy Admiral. A my Bosses support Powell. They feel it would be disruptive to Good order and discipline a management Nightmare. It is for the privacy of All not just the homosexuals but the heterosexuals males and  from Page 1 then in the coming months the panel will examine and interpret the information gathered and Issue a report on its findings with recommendations. The report is slated to come out in the Spring. A this enormous commitment of time Money and human resources was not made on a whim Quot Hayes said a but was in response to communications to us by the european conference of a act branches that it had chartered a substantial increase in the number of allegations of racial discrimination directed to its  in addition he said the organizations National Headquarters in Baltimore also had noted a Rise in the number of complaints coming from the military and civilians in Germany. At the last of the groups five Public in of vat More re Han. 200 people showed up i riday in Frankfurt and the panel Horki re than 50 complaints from re i Lipai los and Whites concerning racial discrimination in the military in us p areas school system and at a the . Embassy in Bonn. A number of complainants broke Down Field services and branches. A it shows we have a lot to  s 1ws we i a it a is of that the a act Juhe a Quot feds attn Quot ill he Riluar Ilse organization led the fight army officers3 Dumig wort Dvis government to train Black As pm lots during world War ii which led to the formation of the Tuskegee airmen. The organization was instrumental in persuading president Truro an to Issue an executive order ending segregation and discrimination in the military Hayes said. A almost 50 years later we find it somewhat disconcerting that we have to revisit old battlefields again to Deal with an Issue that should have been settled years ago a he said. However he also praised the military for its cooperation during the panels visit. A we Are under no illusion that without the cooperation this visit could not have been As productive As it has a Hayes said a and we express our thanks to those of ii cers and enlisted personnel As Well As civilian employees who provided us with information and extended so Many