European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 18, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday june 18, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 5 demolition began thursday at the Elbe River Bridge at the site where . And soviet troops linked up in 1945. At War site where ., soviet troops met Berlin apr demolition experts have started dynamite no an Elbe River Bridge at Tougau that activists wanted to turn into a Monument because of the historic linkup of soviet and american troops during world War ii at the location. Though the first Bridge had been destroyed before the . Army and the red army met near Tougau on april 25, 1945, Tougau has vigorously promoted the rebuilt postwar Bridge As a Symbol of International understanding. A reunion of . And russian veterans is held each year on the anniversary of the linkup along with a jazz festival and workshops on International relations in Post cold War Europe. The linkup of soviet and . Troops near Tougau 60 Miles South of Berlin was a Milestone in the defeat of nazi Germany. The War ended two weeks later when the red army took Berlin. The Bridge fell victim to age and was so rickety that a Speed limit of 12 Mph was imposed. A new Bridge just South of the old one was opened in 1993, and despite lingering protest the destruction of the old Bridge started thursday evening when one Span was dynamited. A this was a cultural shame a said Philipp Schreck a bavarian contractor who campaigns to keep old Bridges As monuments. He said he had applied for a court injunction against the destruction but Hadnot received an answer yet when the Tougau demolition started. The Bridge will be gone by the end of August said Klaus Grabein head of the Bridges Section in the local Highway office. Activists had devised a plan to turn the disused Bridge into an Arcade but that plan was rejected because the Bridges Central pillar was a Hazard to Barge traffic on the Elbe . Sets terms for new talks with n. Korea Washington a the Clinton administration said it would be willing to hold a new round of High level talks with North Korea if it confirms that the North is making concessions Over its nuclear program but it Isnit ready to suspend Pursuit of . Sanctions. A we need More information a vice president Al Gore said Friday of the latest North korean offer relayed to former president Carter who has been meeting with president Kim ii Sung in the North korean capital of Pyongyang. According to a Cable news network report from Pyongyang Carter told the North koreans on Friday that the Clinton administration was conditionally willing to hold off Pursuit of the . Sanctions and had provisionally agreed to hold a third round of High level talks. White House press Secretary dec Dee Myers said Friday that the report was premature. She said . Officials a will continue our discussions about sanctions in the . Security Council while we evaluate what North Korea said yesterday. We have not in any Way said we we re ready to suspend Pursuit of  the main . Objective is to get North Korea to accept full and regular inspections of its nuclear facilities by the International atomic Energy Agency to ensure that nude a material is not diverted to build weapons. North koreans stated goal is to engage Washington in talks leading to full . Diplomatic recognition and help in modernizing its nuclear plants for Power generation. Gore was asked on lbs if the administration would suspend its push for sanctions based on Carters report. In response he said a it depends totally on what the circumstances Are. We Are proceeding with the consultations concerning sanctions now but depending upon the clarification we receive on what the North koreans said then we will evaluate it at the  Gore spelled out what North koreans offer must include if it wants new talks with the United states. A if the North koreans Are saying  freeze everything in place. That  Stop reprocessing Stop refuelling keep All those . Inspectors there and allow them to function than that a something new. Quot that a a fundamentally new situation and under those circumstances then we would be willing to enter into a third round of negotiations and obviously that would Lead to a Stop in the Pursuit of sanctions. But we done to know that that a what they Are saying  Carter said thursday that during his private talks with Kim in Pyongyang the communist Leader gave assurances that he would not expel . Nuclear inspectors so Long As there were Quot Good Faith efforts to end the dispute. President Clinton and . Military officials said they needed to hear More details after Carters second Day of talks Friday before judging Kim a proposal. . In Over by Art Pine los Angeles times Washington a the Clinton administration is facing a controversial decision Over whether to discipline the pilots of the . F-15c Jet fighters that shot Down a pair of american Black Hawk helicopters Over Iraq two months ago sources familiar with the Case said thursday. A formal report on the tragedy on its Way to top Pentagon officials this week after a probe by a military investigating team is expected to confirm initial indications that the Lead fighter Pilot relying on visual observation mistook the helicopters for iraqi Hinds. Defense Secretary William j. Perry who most Likely will end up making the final decision on the Issue is coming under pressure a both from some . Military officers and from the turkish government a to court martial the Pilot on charges of negligence. The april 14 incident claimed the lives of All 26 Crew members and passengers on the two helicopters including 15 americans. The decision is expected to be a difficult one for an administration that already has had its problems with the uniformed services. Insiders say the military itself is split Over the Issue and the Pilot whose identity has not been made Public is a persian Gulf War Veteran. Those arguing for instituting court martial proceedings a said to include a growing number of senior air Force officers a contend that the pilots error was so grievous that it amounted to negligence. The . Helicopters were clearly marked and they were flying at slow speeds clearly no threat to the fighters. And the helicopters had filed flight plans with . Military authorities in the Region. But air Force chief of staff Gen. Merrill a. Mcpeak is said to be strongly opposed to any such action on grounds that the pilots mistake was understandable under the rules of War. It was Given a final review this week by Gen. George a. Joulwan head of the . European command. However sources familiar with the re port say it is expected to reaffirm that the shoot Down occurred because the Lead f-15c Pilot  the . Helicopters during his initial encounter with them and did not take extra precautions to confirm what nationality they were. Any punishment is expected to fall mainly on the Pilot of the Lead fighter. The Pilot of the second f-15c is expected to receive less of the blame since by practice he follows his Leader. The investigators report is also expected to reassert that the transponders carried by the two helicopters a known As a identification Friend or Foch a had been turned off during a previous Landing Stop and had not been reactivated before Takeoff As Standard procedures require. Europe s ariane rocket puts satellites into orbit Kourou French Guiana apr an ariane rocket put three satellites into orbit Friday the first launch for Europe a commercial space program since a crash in january. The launch of ariane rocket no. 64 initially was scheduled for june 4, but the Mission was postponed when the rocket failed to take off because a valve pumping liquid Hydrogen did no to open. Officials at the space Center in this French depart ment in Northeast South America said fridays launch went smoothly As did the release of the three satellites. These Are an american Intelsat-702 telecommunications satellite and two scientific satellites for the British defense ministry. It was the first ariane launch since rocket no. 63 crashed after Takeoff Jan. 24, ending a string of 26 successful launches. The crash blamed on an overheated component wrecked two multimillion Dollar Commer Cial satellites and Cost the ariane program $370 million. Despite the setbacks this year Arian space remains the Strong Leader in commercial rocket launching with 60 percent to 70 percent of planned launches this year. Its main competitors Are the . Atlas rocket and chinese Long March. Arian space is the commercial Arm of the european space Agency