European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 28, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday july 28, 1993 . The stars and stripes vast Dod compute waste reported Washington a hundreds of computers disappeared from warehouses. Others were bought though they weren t needed or even requested. And $250,000 May have been paid for computer repairs that were never performed. The problems were described monday by general accounting office auditors who said As much As $16 million was squandered Over 2v years in wasteful Pur chases of computer equipment for use at the top eche Lons of the defense department. Once again millions of tax dollars were wasted said rep. John Conyers d-mich., chairman of the House government operations committee who asked for the Gao investigation. The investigation focused on the procurement and contracting activities of the office of Secretary of de sense which includes most of the civilian leadership of the defense department. It s shocking to find that abuses like these were occurring at the highest Levels of the Pentagon Conyers said. Defense officials could not be reached late Mon Day to comment. The review covered Ivi years from mid-1988 through 1990. Conyers said that since then the Pentagon has moved to rein in the office responsible for the prob lems but that this is Little Consolation to the taxpayers who will be footing this Bill for a Long time to  the Gao auditors found that Over the 2v-year period the office of the Secretary of defense systems and services directorate lost More than $750,000 Worth of computer equipment paid unnecessary warehouse costs paid for computers that never worked and for re pairs that were never done and maintained computer training facilities that rarely were used. Among the incidents cited by the Gao auditors were. -. The loss of millions of dollars Worth of computer equipment that was left with civilian contractors for safekeeping. About $750,000 Worth of computers stored for safekeeping in a contractors warehouse could not be found. Another time a contractor was Given $2.3 million to store and redistribute excess computers but half of the 800 items could not be located. More than $8 million was spent on 300 computer work stations and upgrade kits that several defense department offices acknowledged that they did not need or request. A contractor was paid $2 million to design  Puter system but it had so Many flaws it never worked As intended. Finally a government worker in two weeks put together a less Complex system that did the Job. Three computer training facilities were kept open though auditors found no one using one of them and Only one person using another. A contractor earned $250,000 to produce a monthly electronic newsletter that catalogued computer soft Ware for the office of the Secretary of defense. Among the entries were video games such As space fighter Pac Man Blackjack and chinese chess the Gao Audi tors reported. Conyers said Pentagon officials Are investigating whether there were any criminal violations connected with the abuses. In the stars and stripes 10 years ago july 28.1983 the Senate voted 58-41 to deploy the first 27 my missiles in Wyoming and Nebraska a step president Reagan deemed essential for bargaining with the soviets on strategic arms. 20 years ago july 28,1973 the Senate armed services committee voted 11 -0 to trim . Troop strength at Home and abroad by 7 percent by june 30,1974. 30 years ago july 28,1963 president Kennedy told americans that the nuclear test ban Accord initiated in Moscow is a Victory for Mankind and a step away from a War that could wipe out 300 million lives. 40 years ago july 28,1953 the quiet Cre ated by a negotiated truce settled Over korean Battle lines after Armi Stice documents were signed by . And North korean negotiators. 50 years ago july 28,1943 prime minister Winston Churchill voicing . As Well As British policy warned the italian people that they must renounce Germany now or find their nation seared scared and Black ened by Allied armies. World War ii 50 years ago today july 28 american soldiers Inch Forward in a grim Battle with the japanese in the Jungles of new Georgia in the Solomons. To the West . Warplanes sink two japanese destroyers near Japan s important base at Rabaul new Britain. On Sicily american forces capture Nicosia and Canadian troops take agora after several Days of intense fighting. Source 2194 Days of War. W. H. Smith publishers inc. World almanac Book of world War  Book corp. 1981 a leak from tank car sickens 1,700 Richmond Calif. A a rail Way tank car valve failed monday releasing a toxic Cloud of sul uric acid that left More than 1,700 people ill officials said. The leak was capped about four hours after the safety valve broke at general chemical corp., Plant manager Robert Jewet said. Speaking for general chemical we Are extremely embarrassed by this Inci Dent. Let me assure everyone that this is an isolated incident Jowett said. Kaiser Hospital reported that it had treated 1,200 people while Brookside Hospital said it had treated 500 or More. Contra Costa county health director Wendell Brunner said most suffered from breathing problems nausea and skin irritations and would recover within a Short time. But Brunner said a Small number of people could suffer from bouts of asthma lasting weeks or months. Residents of Richmond Rollingwood san Pablo and Al Sobrane were told to close doors and windows turn off air conditioners and stay indoors while work ers stopped the leak. Richmond is a suburb with some heavy Industrial areas 15 Miles Northeast of san Francisco. Part of interstate 80 through the area was closed to eastbound traffic for about an hour. Bus subway and train traffic also was affected. Authorities decided not to evacuate. Tracy Silya a spokeswoman for the county emergency services said an evacuation could have placed people in the Cloud s path. James Fajardo a battalion chief with the Richmond fire department said an a Cloud of toxic sul uric acid Billows up from tank car leak in Richmond Calif. Automated emergency warning system called residents to Alert them to the Dan Ger. But Julia May of citizens for a better environment a watchdog group said the system is antiquated and nobody received any Calls. The tank contained 12,000 Gallons of oleum a highly concentrated form of sul uric acid manufactured by general chemical. It is used in a variety of Chemi Cal mixtures including toilet bowl clean ers and fertilizers. The amount of oleum released had not been determined company spokesman Carter Dreves said. Foster papers reveal no violation Washington a. A preliminary Justice department review has found no evidence of any violation of Law in last week s death an apparent Sui cide of White House Deputy counsel Vincent w. Foster jr., a spokesman says. But the department s attorneys did t see All of Foster s papers he said. When Federal Law enforcement officials checked Foster s office thursday they watched White House counsel Ber Nard Nussbaum pore Over the documents separating those guarded by at Torney client and executive privilege rules department spokesman Carl Stern said monday. The Justice department did not see the executive privilege stuff nor did the Fri or the Park police he said. Bernie Nussbaum who As his employer and Clos est working colleague went through the personal written materials and computer materials.". Yet they have concluded from what they saw that there is not a scintilla of evidence of any violation of Law Stern said. One time watergate prosecutor Rich Ard Benveniste said he did not fault Nussbaum for keeping Many of Foster s papers secret saying the attorney client privilege Between Foster and president Clinton As Well As executive privilege should be protected. Novelists aside and sceptical washing ton journalists aside i Don t hear anything involved in this tragedy that leads me to suspect either Bernie Nussbaum who him self has an impeccable reputation or any body else associated with the White House has done anything that is not on the up and up Benveniste said. Meanwhile Stern scaled Back expectations raised last week when another department spokesman said that if experts concluded Foster committed suicide the department wanted to find out Why. This is not an investigation in the sense that one conducts a criminal investigation Stern said. There Are no legions of Fri agents checking police  instead he emphasized that the Park police is the Lead Agency handling the probe since Foster was found dead in a secluded Federal Park along the Potomac River. The 48-year-old father of three had been shot once in the head with an an Tique revolver that was found in his hand and the Park police said an autopsy was conducive to a self inflicted