The Morning News from Wilmington, Delaware • Page 6

A6 The News Journal, Wilmington, Saturday, Aug. 22, 1987 Saudis may offer support for U.S. jets have made the eulf states increas Court ruling closes Tina Coverdale case 2Vi years after death The sources said that, after the report, the Saudis sought to pull out of the agreement and were coaxed back only after lengthy talks. But, the sources said, during the last few weeks, Saudi Arabia and the other gulf states have been showing less wariness about military cooperation. One senior U.S.

official described the trend as "more of a gradually rising slope rather than a sudden jump." Others added that, while the gulf states insist on secrecy, the administration has been so encouraged by their growing cooperation that it has started thinking in terms of what one called "the possibility of establishing an onshore logistical chain" to back up U.S. air and naval forces in the gulf. The sources said the change in attitude appears to have been prompted in large part by such recent incidents as rioting by Iranian pilgrims at Mecca inside Saudi Arabia and the increased number of mines, apparently laid by Iran, being found in gulf waters. The sources said these incidents Continued from Al gets too explicit about these arrangements, they are likely to disappear." That was a reference to domestic and foreign concerns that for years caused the six Arab kingdoms and sheikdoms of the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council to spurn U.S. offers of closer military ties.

Motivating these nations were fears of provoking retaliation from Iran and a desire not to stir up internal nationalist and Moslem fundamentalist forces opposed to overt Western influences. "For that reason, whatever cooperation that has taken place has been conditioned on secrecy," a senior U.S. military official said. "On at least one occasion, an offer of assistance has been withdrawn after it was reported publicly." Other sources said the reference apparently was to a Washington Post report in June that Saudi Arabia had agreed to use its Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) radar planes to watch -protected tankers in the gulf. ingly aware that their efforts to mollify Iran through appeasement and keeping the United States at arms length are not succeeding.

In addition, some U.S. officials said, when gulf tension began increasing earlier this year because of the Iran-Iraq war, many gulf states expressed doubt that the United States would be willing to commit sizable forces to protect shipping in the region. However, these officials said, the way in which the United States has carried out its commitment to protect convoys of "reflagged" tankers has persuaded gulf leaders that Washington is determined not to be intimidated by what one official called "Iran's war of nerves." Some sources, while acknowledging that cooperation from Saudi Arabia and other gulf states has increased, questioned whether the administration might be exaggerating its importance to win backing for administration plans revealed this week to sell $1 billion worth of arms to the Saudis. Continued from Al papers shortly after Tina Cover-dale's car was found, John W. Coverdale said he thought the remains were his daughter's.

But making a positive identification would be no swift or easy task. According to Delaware State Medical Examiner Ali Z. Hameli, police found three bones in Cover-dale's car: two long leg bones and a segment of a thigh bone. "That was it," he said. "From the pieces of the bone, we could determine the sex, age, race and the height," he said, and the findings were consistent with Coverdale's description.

"Scientifically, we don't have evidence that proves this is the body," said Hameli, an expert in identifying severely deteriorated remains. But the information from the remains, the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, and the finding of the vehicle in the water, all fit to make the identification. "I presume, then, that these bones belonged to Tina." The medical examiner's office could not conclude the investigation without a legal opinion, Hameli said, and he advised the family to seek a court order. According to Richard Kiger, master in Chancery, the parents retained a lawyer, who went to Chancery Court on their behalf to have their daughter declared presumptively dead, which is allowable under Delaware law in certain cirumstances. "If they've been missing for fewer than seven years and you can provide evidence that they were 'exposed to specific peril or Kiger said, this may be enough for the court to rule that the person is presumed dead.

Kiger reviewed evidence presented at a public hearing on May 21, including testimony from Coverdale's boyfriend, a police officer and the medical examiner. On Aug. 3, Kiger submitted a recommendation to Chancellor William T. Allen, which stated that Kiger found no evidence of Tina's continued life and the circumstantial evidence strongly suggested she had Tina M. Coverdale died in 1985.

The chancellor signed and approved the order on Aug. 10, allowing a death certificate to be issued for Coverdale and her remains to be released to a funeral, director. For the Coverdale family, the feelings that accompany the end of their long wait are hard to describe. "I don't even know how to put it in words," her mother, Jo Anne Cover-dale, said. "It's the feeling that you just want to put it to rest." Tankers reach port, give experts the slip has used deception to keep its convoy movements secret since it began the escort operation.

It was not clear whether the convoy moved without using the helicopters. Also Friday: The director of Iran's war information headquarters, Kamal Kharazzi, acknowledged that Iran sowed mines in the gulf "to defend our coastlines." Pentagon officials said the amphibious landing ship USS Raleigh cleared the Suez Canal and would arrive in the gulf next week bearing a cargo of four small mine-sweeping boats. The Pentagon announced it was combining all U.S. military units operating in and around the gulf under a new Joint Task Force Middle East and installing Rear Adm. Dennis M.

Brooks as commander. Iraq said its fighter-bombers destroyed three Ira1 nian factories in raids, resuming an air offensive against Iran's economy after a one-day lull. Associated Press MANAMA, Bahrain Three reflagged Kuwaiti tankers escorted by U.S. warships reached their home waters safely Friday, surprising shipping experts who thought high winds had stalled the convoy in the Persian Gulf. "They pulled the wool over everyone's eyes again," said one shipping source.

"They used the bad weather and thick dust storms to slip away unnoticed." The supertanker Townsend and the twin liquefied gas carriers Gas Queen and Gas Princess entered Kuwaiti waters at 5:30 p.m. local time, the Pentagon said. It said the destroyer USS Kidd and the frigates Hawes and Klakring escorted the tankers home. The arrival was confirmed by the Kuwait Oil Tanker Co. and came as shipping sources were saying heavy winds and high waves had kept mine-hunting helicopters deckbound and forced the convoy to remain anchored 200 miles away from Kuwait.

The U.S. Navy Contra leaders formally back peace plan longer would need to operate from the territory of Nicaragua's neighbors, Honduras and Costa Rica, which is prohibited under the peace plan. The move by the Contras further isolates the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, an alliance of five Marxist-led Salva-doran rebel armies. The FMLN is now the only group in the region that has not accepted the plan. "We are fully convinced that without the political and military actions of the Nicaraguan Resistance it will be difficult to achieve the successful culmination of the presidential peace agreement and the possibility of peace and recon-cilliation that appeared to be open-ing for the future of Central America," the rebel statement said.

Continued from Al The Guatemala accord calls for an end to outside aid for rebel groups in the region, lull return to democracy in each country, internal political dialogues between governments and their unarmed opposition, and a regionwide ceasefire to go into effect Nov. 7. Under the accord, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is not obliged to talk with the Contras unless they accept an amnesty and return to civilian life. Duarte declined to comment directly on whether the United States should approve more aid for the Contras, but he stressed that he supports the terms of the pact calling for an end to such aid. Douglas Farah of United Press International reported the following: The rebels also said they no The meeting with Duarte was the first official meeting between the president, one of the staunchest U.S.

allies in the area, and the con tra leaders. The Nicaraguan rebel leaders are to meet with President Reagan in California next week. Before closing the door for his meeting with the Contra leaders', Duarte lectured them in the presence of reporters on his view of the regional peace plan, saying it was "based on good faith, believing that Daniel Ortega means what he says and that I mean what I say." Contra leaders present were the six members of the high command: Adolfo Calero, Pedro Joaquin Cha-morro, Alfredo Cesar, Maria Azu-cena Ferrey, Alfonso Robelo and Aristides Sanchez, along with military leader Enrique Bermudez and others. Stall photo by Fred Comegys Patrolman Thomas Harris sits near the site where Arthur Miles had just fled in truck. Owner sees truck stolen in front of police 0 0 WE PUT THE gears, and then he tried backing up and ran into a tree.

The cop is standing next to the truck, aiming his gun and saying, 'Stop, Duncan said. Miles got the truck moving again and slammed into Duncan's new sports car, pushing it about 25 feet onto a rock. Miles then drove down Owls Nest Road toward Kennett Pike, with Harris running after him. A minute after Miles disappeared, three more police cars rolled up. Despite a radioed description, about a dozen state, city and county police officers and a state police helicopter failed to sight the truck.

Jennings defended the actions of Harris, who joined the force in January. He said the officer could not have shot at Miles, and he said the ammunition police use "isn't going to do anything to the truck." Anyway, he said, "It is not our policy to shoot at vehicles. "Overall, I think the officer acted in a very professional manner," Jennings said. Duncan was counting his losses neither vehicle was insured for collision or theft. "I am extremely angry about the whole thing," he said.

"I myself wouldn't have done anything more than the cop did, but I'm not trained for things like that. He is." "The whole time, the police officer is right near him," Duncan said. "He had plenty of time to seize him Jennings said Harris drew his service revolver and ordered Miles to stop. "The guy Miles turned away from the officer," Jenning said. "He obviously was not concerned about a police officer with a gun pointing at him, ordering him to stop." Miles is about 6-foot-5 and weighs 175 pounds, police said.

Harris' statistics were not available, but he is not 6-foot-5. "The guy turned and went for the truck. Obviously, he didn't come at the officer with the hammer. If he did, it would be a whole different story," Jennings said. According to police department policy, an officer cannot fire his gun unless he fears for his life or that of others nearby, Jennings said.

"You have to understand what is going through the officer's mind," he said. "At this point, what had the guy done? A few traffic violations, at the very most, burglary." Duncan stood off to one side, wary of getting between Harris' gun and Miles. Duncan said Miles got into the truck, but he wasn't in the clear yet. "He had trouble starting it up," Duncan said. "Then he couldn't get it in gear.

He was grinding the NEWS-JOUINAL IN ITS PLACE, Continued from Al questioning in the robberies. He also knew an arrest warrant had been issued charging Miles with escape from the Plummer House work-release center in Wilmington. Miles was finishing a six-year sentence for second-degree forgery and violation of probation when he failed to return to Plummer from a job on June 23. Saggione tried to pull Miles over, but Miles sped west on Fourth Street. "He ran every red light from Fourth and Jackson to Fourth and Cleveland," Jennings said.

"I don't know how he is still alive." With the detective and several patrol cars in pursuit, Miles cut over to Lancaster Avenue. Saggione and other officers lost sight of him near Sanford School. Around that time, rookie Wilmington Patrolman Thomas Harris saw Miles' car duck into a dead-end road off Kennett Pike. He followed and boxed Miles in. Miles jumped out and ran.

Harris stopped his car, jumped out and ran after him. Two civilians who saw Harris running gave chase, too. Meanwhile, Miles was talking to Duncan, who edged out of his office, stepped outside and wondered, "What the hell am I going to do now?" Duncan said he was scared, "but I wasn't so scared I was going to give him my. keys. I could see he wasn't armed." It was then that Patrolman Harris puffed up to the office and asked Duncan where Miles was.

Duncan pointed to the office, he said, and the officer called on a walkie-talkie for help. According to Jennings, Harris tried to talk Miles out of the small building. "The officer believed that this guy was going to make an attempt to barricade himself," Jennings said. Miles closed the windows and doors. He rifled through drawers in the office and found keys to Duncan's small dump truck.

And he picked up a claw hammer from a table in the office, Jennings and Duncan said. Minutes later, Duncan said, Miles came outside and walked over to the truck. 1 Md. clam embargo lifted, 3 imposed Associated Press health department spokesman. Service.

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We're proud to have been associated with this major acquisition and wish The News-Journal continued, success in their new location. BOSTON Massachusetts lifted an embargo Friday on one Maryland company prevented from shipping clams to the Bay State because of unsafe shellfish bacteria levels, but added three other Maryland clammers to the restricted list. The embargo imposed Aug. 7 against Warren Denton Seafood Co. of Broom Island was rescinded because the quality of its clam samples had "improved dramatically," said John Stobierski, a Norman Dorrell, owner of Warren Denton, had complained the embargo was intended to keep Maryland clams out of Massachusetts until after Labor Day to protect local clammers.

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