European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 9, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes . Wednesday december 9, 1992 Walsh drops prosecution of Poindexter in scandal Washington up a Independent counsel Lawrence e. Walsh acting after the supreme court ruled that John Poindexter could remain free said he would dismiss All charges against the former National Security adviser in the Iran Contra scandal Walsh a action will end one of the final chapters in the 7-year-old investigation. The High court without comment monday let stand a Federal appeals court ruling that reversed Poindexter a conviction on five counts of obstructing and lying to Congress. Poindexter a conviction and six month prison sentence had been overturned on Appeal because the trial judge did not ensure that witnesses were a swayed by Poindexter a televised testimony to Congress. The scandal involved a lengthy Effort by members of president Reagan a administration to fund the nicaraguan Contra rebels after Congress banned such support. The Money came in part from the profits of secret arms sales to Iran which were an inducement to get Iran said in releasing americans held in Lebanon. Walsh who has spent seven years and millions of dollars investigating the Iran Contra affair has said the appeals court rationale makes it nearly impossible to m a m ,1 re or hanging on Kyle Cwm pc goes airborne in the third round of Saddle bronc Riding during the National finals Rodeo on sunday night at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las vegas. The Rodeo contest ends next sunday. Reach a conviction after immunized testimony was Given to Congress in High profile cases. Congress had granted Poindexter immunity from prosecution to compel him to testify during its fac finding probe and the appeals court said that immunity requires an exhaustive Effort to determine it does not taint a subsequent trial. The appeals court said virtually every statement of every witness must be examined a line by line to ensure that it was not influenced by the immunized testimony a requirement Walsh has called unrealistic. Although Walsh could try to prove that immunized testimony had not been used before the grand jury that indicted Poindexter he said shortly after the courts action monday that he was dismissing the Case. The appeals court in 1990 threw out the conviction of former White House aide Oliver North on the same grounds. The supreme court had already left that ruling intact. Walsh said recently that no new charges were expected in the Iran Contra probe although former defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger is scheduled to go to trial Jan. 5.. Consulate found bugged in slovak City Washington apr the state department expressed dismay monday Over the discovery that the . Consulate in Bratislava capital of the soon to be Independent Slovakia had been bugged. This kind of activity a cannot be helpful to the bilateral relationship a spokesman Richard Boucher said. Boucher said officials of the local and National governments had been asked to investigate and to provide assurances that . Offices will not be bugged in the future. Slovak prime minister Vladimir Mesiar said sunday that the United states gave him a note thursday to protest the bugging. The state department said Deputy assistant Secretary Ralph Johnson also lodged a protest with czech diplomats Friday in Washington. Czechoslovakia is scheduled to split up Jan. 1 into czech and slovak republics. Mesiar said the bugs apparently were installed five or six years ago when communist authorities were in charge in Prague. The communists were deposed in 1989. . Officials reopened the consulate in 1991 after a 41-year period in which it had not been occupied according to czechoslovak newspapers. Czechoslovakia a Interior ministry has asked the americans for permission to Check the location of the microphones in an Effort to find out who installed them and when published accounts said. Plans for Aero space plane Cut Back los Angeles apr the air Force said monday it is giving up its goal of reaching Earth orbit with the National Aero space plane and will trim the budget for the experimental hypersonic Craft by two thirds. The top Speed would be Cut from 25 times the Speed of sound or Mach 25, to Mach 12 or Mach 15. The goal of Takeoff from a runway also May be abandoned in favor of a launch from the Back of another air plane air Force maj. David Thurston said in a Telephone interview. A a the Bottom line is that its going to be a suborbital Craft a Thurston said. Plans for a plane that can take off and land As usual but reach orbit have been an Emblem of . Commitment to advanced technology. While european nations including Russia Are working on a similar plane Post cold War budget realities made the air Force reassess its vision for the Craft. The Arrow shaped plane had been in skirmishes for several years Over its budget and design a especially As its projected Cost soared from $5 billion to at least $10 billion. It now will be Cut to the politically More palatable $3 billion Range reflecting the More modest goals Thurston  Congress is making difficult choices in an Era of declining budgets a he said noting that fiscal 1993 funding for the plane was Cut from a requested $255 million to $150 million. The planets size also will be reduced to about one third. It had been designed As about 165 feet Long and 50 feet wide. Sam Iacobellis executive vice president of Rockwell International corp., which is developing the plane predicted the United states will eventually return to the goal of a runway to space  of 3 nuns arrive at of base in Delaware from wire reports Dover fab Del. A the remains of three american nuns slain oct. 23 in Liberia arrived monday night a spokesman said. The bodies were recovered nov. 30 from a Convent in a suburb of the liberian capital. The women were members of the adores of the blood of Christ order based in Illinois. The c-141 carried the bodies of nuns Shirley Kolmer Agnes Mueller and Kathleen Mcguire who were killed in a guerrilla siege of Monrovia. Family members representatives of the nuns religious order and state department officials were present for the arrival said capt. Christian Geisel base spokesman. Reporters were barred. A retired . Judge Dies Trenton . A Richard j. Hughes a former state supreme court chief Justice who wrote the landmark a right to die Case on Karen Ann Quinlan died tuesday in Florida. He was 83. Hughes who was also a two term governor died at his vacation Home in Boca Raton with a daughter and two of his sons at his Side. He suffered a stroke earlier this fall and died of congestive heart failure according to a statement by his son w. Michael Murphy prosecutor for Morris county . The 1976 decision helped spawn a National debate Over the treatment of terminally ill patients. The new Jersey court said Quinlan a parents Joseph and Julia had the right to remove their comatose daughter from a Respirator. The opinion was upheld when the . Supreme court refused to consider an  spill Case continues Anchorage Alaska a the state has been Given another Chance to seek punishment for Tanker Captain Joe Hazelwood in the Exxon Valdez Oil spill. The supreme court of Alaska said monday that it would hear the states arguments against the overturning of Hazelwoods Only spill related conviction a on a Misdemeanour charge of negligent discharge of Oil. The conviction was overturned in july. The Alaska court of appeals agreed with arguments that Hazelwood was immune from prosecution because he reported the spill which fouled Prince William sound with nearly 11 million Gallons of crude Oil sesame s treat removed fort Collins Colo. A a Colorado state University student has removed his painting from a display after the producer of sesame Street objected to his depiction of Bert and Ernie in a compromising position. Children a television workshop which produces the children a program protested artist Heath Johnson a painting titled sesame a treat which showed the muppet characters in an intimate position and big Bird watching through a window. The company threatened the University with Legal action for displaying the painting which it said infringed on its copyright. Johnson 22, said he voluntarily decided to remove the painting from the student Center. The painting which went on display last week made some spectators laugh. A Well what do you expect they be lived together for 30 years a student Brian Whitney said. Others were irate. It just made me so mad i wanted to spit nails a said Pam Hughes who was concerned about How her 4-year-old daughter would  Champ at 5 la Costa Calif. A he ranks As the toughest kindergarten chess player in the country yet Cory Evans is mindful of Nis limitations. I thought i would win a said the 5-year-old after taking the youngest division title at the . National Grade school chess championships in Gilbert ariz., last month. A it0r was diapers when he began playing chess. A Home video captured him at the Board at 18 Maianu so Cou play an entire game at age 2, and at 4 he won the California state title for his Ace group his family said. His father Larry is a former professional player Ana Nis Mother Sharon was once ranked among the nation s top 50 women players