European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 25, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 b the stars and stripes Ira declares cease fire for 72 hours in n. Ireland from wire reports Belfast Northern Ireland a the Irish Republican army on wednesday declared its traditional Christmas cease fire in Northern Ireland but gave no indication that it will halt a spate of bombings and bomb threats in England. Quot volunteers of the Ira across the six counties of Northern Ireland will temporarily suspend hostile military operations for a period of 72 hours starting at Midnight tonight a the outlawed organization said. The Ira has killed 26people this year in Northern Ireland and four in Britain. For the first year since 1975, protestant based a a loyalist guerrillas have killed More people in Northern Ireland a 32 As of wednesday. Libyan crash victims buried Cairo Egypt a victims of a libyan plane crash were buried wednesday after a mass funeral attended by leading members of Moa mar Qadhafi a a military Junta. Qadhafi himself did not attend. No reason was Given for his absence. The state run libyan news Agency Jana said the bodies of 157 people who died in the crash of a Domestic Airliner were buried at Tripoli a Sidi Al Sayer cemetery. The dead were mostly libyans. The Boeing 727, carrying 150 passengers and seven Crew members from the Mediterranean port of Benghazi went Down tuesday about 30 Miles from the capital of Tripoli near the town souk is set. Mohammed Sweidan an official of libyan Arab airlines operations office said wednesday that the cause of the crash was still unknown. 20 saved after boat sinks Suva Fiji a Twenty Christmas travellers were rescued by fishermen wednesday after their overloaded boat capsized in rough seas near the capital of Suva authorities said a 6-month-old boy was kept afloat on a piece of debris. The group a including six children under age 2 a was travelling from Suva to the Southern Island of Kadau for Christmas when their cargo boat started taking on water the australian associated press reported. One survivor said the group left Suva about 3 . Wednesday after being assured by the Captain of the Ella Ella that his vessel could safely carry them All. Authorities said the overloaded boat capsized about 20 Miles South of Suva in turbulent seas Aap reported gis arrested in shootings Berlin a two . Soldiers were arrested after they opened fire on a pedestrian and a police officer from their car in the West German City of Kaiserslautern police said thursday. The 23-Ycar-old pedestrian was hit in the legs and badly injured when the soldiers opened fire from their car in the Kaiserslautern City Center police said. The two soldiers later shot at a police officer who tried to arrest them the officer was not hit and shot one of the gis in the foot. Both . Soldiers were arrested. Police said they had not found any motive for the shootings. Yeltsin taps military chief Moscow a russian president Boris n. Yeltsin named Gen. Mikhail Kolesnikov the new armed forces chief of staff wednesday filling a Post vacant since Gen. Victor Dubynin died in november the inter fax news Agency reported. The appointment of Kolesnikov who had been do Hyning a first Deputy was announced by russian defense minister Pavel Grachev. Kolesnikov 53, will automatically become first Deputy defense minister. Spanish general elevated Madrid Spain a it. Gen. Jose Rodrigo Rodrigo has beens named military chief of staff wednesday replacing . Gonzalo Rodriguez Martin Granizo who died Dee. 16, the defense ministry said. The 63-year-old infantryman is the first chief of staff from the army Spanish state television the said. He served As assistant director of the defense ministry s International affairs Section in 1985, a Post that put him in Contact with . Peacekeeping and monitoring operations. World 1 Friday saturday december 25/26,1992 reactions to Aspin mixed among military members i Mcdonald by Marian Hamilton and Gary Miller Mediterranean Bureau Many service members in Europe asked thursday about president elect Clinton a naming of rep. Les Aspin As defense Secretary responded with cautious optimism. A the has enough experience to do the Job a said Petty officer 1st class Billy Mcdonald of Asa Naples in Italy. A whether hell be effective remains to be  a i think that Aspinw a appointment would be a positive thing because even though it would appear he is anti Mili Tail we need to expand our economic resources at Home a said staff sgt. Don Pittmon 31, with the 100th Mission support so at Raf Milden Hall England a hopefully with the cutback in the military they will funnel that Money into the Economy to create More  the president elects Choice has a Long history of Public service and Contact with the armed forces. In addition to More than 20 years in Congress he has served As chairman of the House armed services committee and head of its subcommittee on procurement and military nuclear systems. Historically he has been referred to As both a moderate on military affairs and As a cautious Hawk. Aspin supported the persian Gulf War against Iraq and supported deployment of the my missile. He initially backed the b-2 stealth bomber but later urged a halt in production after 15 had been built. He has sought cuts in the strategic defense initiative. His drive to Cut Back on such programs was the topic of conversation at the Naples family service Center on thursday morning said Copeland Mack a member of the centers spouse employment assistance program. A a lot of people Are not too Happy because they re afraid Aspin will push for More larger cuts in major programs Quot said Mack. A the was an advocate of defense cuts. Look at California. He put a lot of contractors out of  some acknowledged that they knew Little about the Democrat from Wisconsin. Quot i done to know anything about Aspin a said spec. Michael Yowk of co a 11th signal in in Darmstadt Germany. A i done to know Why Clinton did no to just stick Simoncelli Mack with Dick Cheney though. 1 thought Dick Cheney did a Good Job. He did a lot for the military especially with the reduction in forces. A this is the first i heard about it a said chief Petty officer David Libucha who is assigned to la Maddalena Sardinia of Aspinw a selection. A hopefully hell do a Little More about Quality of life issues a Libucha said adding a Christmas wish for larger pay raises for military people in years to come. A i done to know much about him really a said pvt. 2 Eric f. James of he Btry 41st Field arty brigade in Babenhausen Germany. A but id say that whoever Bill Clinton selected would be Good. We just have to give this Guy a Chance and see what he  a i know that he son the armed services committee and that he had a big hand in the draw Down a said air Force staff sgt. John Simon Celli of Rhein main a Germany. Said sgt. 1st class Greg Mason of the 32nd army air defense come Headquarters in Darmstadt a i done to think he has the same ideas As Cheney about the numbers of people that should remain in the armed forces to adequately defend the Heaters. He wants lower numbers and is More interested in integrating the National guard and Reserve forces into the  air Force capt Bob Tauchen a lawyer at Rhein main a is from Wisconsin Aspinw a Home state. The Curtiss wis native predicted that in the Long run Aspin probably will a protect Long term research and development projects but be More selective about such projects As a future weapons  chief warrant officer 4 Henry Moore from Hanau Germany said he did no to know a great Deal about Aspin a from what in be heard i think hell do a Good Job As Long As he a committed to soldiers a said Moore of Savannah a. A a that a what a  Petty officer 1st class Robert Adams stationed at Nas Simonella Sicily said he met both Aspin and Cheney at the War College in Newport . According to Adams a i have the utmost respect for Secretary Cheney. As for or. Aspin. No comment.1 Seaman Curtis Pierce is assigned to naval station Rota Spain. Pierce said a it can to get any worse having a new Secretary of defense than it was  he added a it never hurts to try something  staff writers Jami Jones and Crystal Laureano in Germany and Nancy l Torner in the United kingdom contributed to this report Tauchen Egypt Safe for tourists Mubarak says Luxor Egypt apr president Hosni Mubarak turned tourist and chatted with foreigners in an attempt to show the world that Southern Egypt is Safe despite Muslim extremist attacks. A if two or three incidents take place this does not mean it is not a Safe country a Mubarak said wednesday As he walked Between the towering columns of the 3,500-year-old Karnak Temple. One British tourist was killed and two britons and five germans were wounded in two attacks by Muslim extremists in Southern Egypt in october and november. They were the most serious of 11 recent attacks on tourists. Tourism minister Fuad Sultan who accompanied Mubarak said tourism has dropped 50 percent Overall because of the violence. Tourism is Egypt a main foreign currency earner. Sultan said that hotel occupancies in Luxor usually overbooked during the Holiday season ranged from 37 percent to 80 percent. Nile cruises have been the worst hit and dozens of giant cruisers stood Idle in Luxor. Tourists at the Karnak Temple and the nearby Luxor Temple about 450 Miles South of Cairo said wednesday that they had no Security concerns. It is much safer in Egypt than on the streets of Florida a said Marilyn Middendorf of Daytona Beach Fla. A we see Security around. It is not intensive but we feel Safe. We write to our american friends and say a come Egypt is  a Mubarak repeated accusations that the Western Media exaggerated the attacks and contributed to the drop in tourism. One tourist he talked to agreed. A the Western Media said there Are problems but it is nonsense it is Safe Here a said French visitor Serge Weibel. A i feel far safer than in the subway in new York or  tourists and egyptians alike cheered and applauded Mubarak. Mubarak repeated accusations that Iran and Sudan were behind the violence