European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 3, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Vol. 51, no. 290 35c wednesday february 3,1993 d 8693 Abig Navy cuts possible report says 125,000 140 to go san Diego a Navy planners have proposed cutting 125,000 personnel from Thea service and eliminating 140 warships and scores of older aircraft by 1999, a newspaper has reported. The cuts would leave the Navy with about 375,000 uniformed personnel and about 320 warships including 12 aircraft carriers the san Diego Union Tribune reported monday. The newspaper did not identify its sources for the report on the six year budget plan called Quot re capitalizing the  a the Navy refused to comment. Such cuts in manpower and equipment would take the Navy Down to pre cold War Levels and save billions of dollars said Lawrence Korb an assistant Secre Tail of defense for manpower in the Reagan administration. Quot manpower is your biggest part of the budget Quot said Korb a former aviator who now works for the Brookings institution a Washington based research Center. Quot you re talking big Bucks $5 billion a year every year Quot just from the personnel cuts. The Union Tribune said the personnel cuts would be in addition to those in a plan adopted under the Bush administration. Under that plan the Navy will go from about 585,000 service members last year to 500,000 by 1997. Israeli Compromise offer turned Down Jerusalem apr palestinians expelled to a lebanese no Many a land by Israel voted tuesday to reject a Compromise offer by prime minister Yitzhak Rabin to allow the return of 100 of the deportees. The rejection Dampens prospects for a . Diplomatic initiative to restart the Middle East peace talks. Israeli officials claim the 413 palestinians activists of the Hamas fundamentalist movement deliberately sought to prolong the standoff for propaganda purposes. Officials from the Palestine liberation organization said they would press for . Sanctions against Israel and continue to Boycott the peace talks until All the deported palestinians arc repatriated. Secretary of state Warren m. Christopher hoped to avoid a divisive debate in the . Security Council by pressuring Rabin to soften his stance on the deportees. Rabin a government is trying to delay further International censure for flouting a . Resolution that demanded it take Back All the deportees. The palestinians were expelled dec. 17 for allegedly being ringleaders in Radical Muslim groups blamed for attacks on israeli soldiers. Israel said it was willing to return 100 deportees within a few Days and bring Back the remaining men Over the rest of the year cutting Short their two year expulsions. The deportees spokesman or. Abdul Aziz Rantisi responded at their windblown tent Camp by announcing the men had voted to reject the israeli Compromise. Quot its either a wholesale return. Or we shall stay on Here. There will be no solution As Long As a single tent remains Quot he told reporters. But he said the group was willing to let ailing deportees be taken by the red Cross. The red Cross says at least 15 deportees Are sick and need hospitalization. Rabin said he had secured a Promise from the Clinton administration to shield Israel from sanctions or further condemnation in the Security Council a regardless of whether the deportees accepted the offer. Christopher declined to say whether he promised to use the . Veto to Block sanctions. But he told reporters in new York Quot we believe further action by the Security Council is  the plots observer at the United nations Nasser see related Story on Page 2 Al Kiowa said arabs would press their demand for . Sanctions to punish Israel for violating International Law barring the expulsion of residents of occupied lands. Quot these Guys were deported from their own country Quot Al Kiowa said. Mahmoud Abbas a member of the Plo s executive committee was quoted by the tunisian newspaper Al Saba on tuesday As saying palestinians would not return to peace talks until the deportees return. Hanan Ashrafi spokeswoman for the palestinian negotiating team at the peace talks said israelis offer Quot does not address the whole Issue of. The illegality of  Phil s report 6 More weeks of Winter from wire reports Punxsutawney a. Punxsutawney Phil dragged from his Burrow into subzero temperatures reportedly saw his Shadow tuesday morning which according to legend Means six More weeks of Winter. Actually Phil did no to Likely see his Shadow. The event is a publicity stunt in which members of the towns inner Circle club deliver a philos Quot message to the news Media. But the cloudless sky just after Dawn tuesday would have guaranteed a Shadow if the Sun had been High enough. Folklore says a groundhog seeing its Shadow Means six More weeks of Winter. No Shadow Means an Early Spring. Some 4,000 people showed up at gobblers Knob outside Punxsutawney to take part in the affair despite the temperature of 6 below Zero. Phil had to be dragged from his year round Burrow an indoor Glass enclosure at the local Library he shares with groundhogs Phi Lomena and Barney and was taken to nearby gobblers Knob Over the years Phil and his predecessors have predicted six More weeks of Winter 97 times in the 107-year tradition of this Small Central Pennsylvania town. The current Phil made his prognostication in a nose to nose Chat with inner Circle president Jim Means it was read to the see report on Page 2 crae Pridgen leaves the orc is of . Gov. Jim Hunt s representatives in Raleigh on monday. Beaten Gay Man wants to meet with president Wilmington . A a Gay Man who said three marines beat him because of president Clinton a push to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military is seeking a meeting with the president. Quot he says he is willing to listen to american people Quot crae Pridgen said on the today show tuesday morning. Quot and in Man american person who has something to say. And i m a victim who does t want to go  Pridgen 28, said that he wants to Tell the president about attacks on homosexuals and that he Hopes Clinton will establish a task Force on Gay bashing. Clinton has begun Steps to end the military a nearly 50-year ban on homosexuals. Pridgen said the marines shouted Quot Clinton a going to pay a during the fight saturday outside a Gay bar. Pridgen lost a tooth and suffered a Black Eye a swollen lip and a Cut ear. Quot i was brutally beaten because i was Gay Quot he said. Quot i Felt like my civil rights had been  three Camp Lejeune Lance corporals a Colin see Man on Page 2