European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 9, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Quot agg c m the stars and stripes j you null _ . Troops now minority among forces in Somalia Mogadishu Somalia of a . Troop pres used lawlessness in Somalia forced officials to push b world tuesday starch 9.1993i Mogadishu Somalia Cap . Troop pres ence in Somalia clipped sunday to less than half of All International troops in Somalia for the first time since the humanitarian operation began three months ago. The United states is moving gradually toward handing Over its leadership of the Mission to the United nations. . Secretary general Boutros Boutros Ghali has proposed May i for the handover. The . Contingent in Somalia is now 13,985 soldiers compared with a total of 14,017 troops from 22 other countries. American troop strength reached a Peak of 24,883 on Jan. 26. Marine col. Fred Peck the . Military spokesman said about 500 More american soldiers were expected to leave Over the next two Days. The United states also turned Over operational control of the Beli Doyle District to forces from Morocco on sunday. Only three of Somalia a nine districts a Mogadishu Barbera and Marks a remain under . Control. In Washington Deputy National Security adviser Sandy Berger said the United states Hopes to put a Resolution before the . Security Council next week to Transfer the operation to . Peacekeepers. A it will enable us to continue to withdraw american soldiers and eventually turn this Over to basically a . Operation a Berger said in an interview on can s news maker sunday. When former president Bush sent american soldiers to Somalia in december to guard Relief shipments to starving somalis he said he hoped most would be out by president Clinton s Jan. 20 inauguration. But continued lawlessness in Somalia forced officials to push Back the departure Date. Boutros Ghali told Abc s 77i/s week with David Brinkley that he hoped the removal of the .-led coalition troops will be done gradually and that some american soldiers would remain As part of the . Peacekeeping operation. Defense Secretary Les Aspin also interviewed on the program said inc United states would keep from 3,000 to 5,000 troops in Somalia to provide logistical support for the . Force. Meanwhile . Marines on sunday mourned one of their comrades an apparent suicide. Officials said they would not release the marines name until his relatives were notified. He apparently shot himself to death saturday night. Quot it makes the loss for some people a Little harder to accept Quot said 1st it. Steven Kaegebein who had commanded the Soldier. Six other americans have been killed in the somalian Aid operation. In the Southern port City of Kismay where belgian forces assumed control Friday clashes continued sunday Between supporters of two rival warlords col. Omar Jess and Mohamed said Hirsi also known As Gen. Morgan. Peck said sporadic gunfire and possible grenade blasts were heard at a demonstration in Kismay involving 100 to 200 people who had assembled barricades of burning tires it was not known if there were casualties. Winning note John Lewson Leader of australians opposition Liberal radio station. He leads slightly in polls and Hopes to party St Nims a guitar monday As he visits a Sydney become prime minister in saturdays general election. A. 1bishops of Check Virgin Mary sightings on sunday the Catholic Bishops conference of the Philippines said a committee headed by Cavite Bishop Manuel Sobrevinas would investigate claims by the boy Judie Nieva. Another investigation has been commissioned by the Bishop of la uni6n, the Rev. Salvador Lazo whose diocese includes Agoo. During the gathering saturday Judie appeared before the crowd claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary and said she asked catholics to Pray for the children of Somalia. Manila Philippines apr filipino Bishops will investigate claims that the Virgin Mary appeared to some of the hundreds of thousands who gathered Over the weekend at a town in the Northern Philip i people 120 Miles North of Manila after a 12-year-old Mystic i Pines. More than 300,000 people massed saturday in Agoo claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary on the first saturday of every month since 19s9. Most of the crowd reported seeing nothing but a few said they saw the apparition or other miraculous events such As the Sun changing color and dancing in the sky. Israelis arrest . Man suspected of aiding Hamas from wire reports Jerusalem a israeli authorities have arrested another . Citizen suspected of helping to finance Hamas the Radical Muslim organization officials said sunday. The Man was arrested last week but his name was not revealed. Foreign ministry sources confirmed the arrest but the army would say nothing about it. Officials said he was trying to funnel Money to Hamas operatives in the occupied West Bank. Israel deported hundreds of accused Hamas members in december in retaliation for the killing of several soldiers. The fundamentalist Muslim group has called for the overthrow of Israel and its replacement by an islamic state. Israel arrested three other . Citizens in january accused of trying to support Hamas. Two of them Mohammed Salah 39, and Mohammed Jarad 36, both of Chicago Are still in custody. A third Man Mohammed Haja 34, was freed last month. Limo firm going private Moscow a the company that makes the huge Black limousines that chauffeured several generations of communist bigwigs is going private this month the business weekly Vek reported monday. It said a million shares in the like aches Auto works known by its russian acronym z1l, will be offered for Sale Between March 15 and april 20 in Moscow and 10 other major russian cities. Vek said the shares represent the 35 percent of Zil that is being sold to the general Public in Exchange for privatization vouchers. 12 killed in dash to River new Delhi India a twelve people were crushed to death and 35 were injured in a Stampede of thousands of pilgrims Early monday who were trying to reach a holy Stream to Wash away their sins. Police said crowd control barricades gave Way under the press of people during a local festival that Drew 150,000 pilgrims to the Village of Mari in the Northern state of him Achal Pravesh. A we had made elaborate arrangements but we  Cope with the Rush in the Early hours of the morning a said state police chief . Verma reached by Telephone at the state capital Simla. Seven women and five men were killed. According to local hindu custom a holy dip in the narrow Stream passing through the Mountain Village during the two Day festival can cleanse sins and cure mental illness. Infant drowns in thames London a a baby Carriage with an 11-month-old girl strapped in it fell into the River thames Only Yards from her Home sunday and she died later in a Hospital. Emily Knapper Bartlett was being pushed along the River Bank in Staines Surrey by a 48-year-old woman Friend of the family when the Accident happened a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said. A member of the Public alerted police around 12 15 . And local divers were sent in to pull Emily out. She was rushed to St. Peters Hospital in Chertsey where she died four hours later. The woman who was pushing the Little girl along the River May have tripped or fainted Ana let go of the Carriage which then rolled into the River the spokeswoman said. Airliner delayed by threat Tel Aviv Israel a a Sabena Jet with 147 people aboard made an unscheduled Landing sunday in Yugoslavia after the belgian airline received a warning that four terrorists would Hijack the plane. A j the Airbus 310 continued to Tel Aviv late Sunda after a search by police found no evidence of terrorists. Airline officials said the plane sat in Belgrade fori seven hours because authorities at the yugoslav i Airport demanded $3,000 in hard Cash which the flight Captain did not have. A they done to take anything but Cash in Belgrade now said Guy Van Den Vos the Sabena manage in Israel. He said the belgian embassy provided Money. V