The Galveston Daily News from Galveston, Texas • Page 4

4-A HIE DAILY NEWS MONDAY, JUNE 27, 1994 GALVESTON COUNTY, TEXAS Panel: Killer acted alone; conspiracy claims rejected The Associated Press 1 JERUSALEM Rejecting Palestinian claims of a conspiracy, an Israeli commission found Sunday that a Jewish settler acted alone when he killed at least 29 Muslims in a Hebron mosque. The five-member panel then cleared the government and army command of any responsibility for the Feb. 25 blood bath, prompting charges by Palestinians and liberal Israelis that the six-week investigation was a whitewash. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin pledged to carry out the commission's recommendations, including improvement of security at the Tomb of the Patriarchs, which is sacred to Muslims and Jews. Jews will be barred from carrying weapons at the site in the West Bank town, and Jewish and Muslim worshipers will be separated to prevent friction.

But Rabin said there were no guarantees that security forces could stop another massacre by a "Jewish madman who decides to open fire in one of a thousand mosques where prayers are held in the West Bank." The commission appeared to accept the argument of army chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Ehud Barak, who testified the massacre "hit us like lightning from a clear blue sky." In its 338-page report, the Obituaries Billy M. Barker LIVINGSTON services for Billy Marshall Barker, 60 of Livingston will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 28, 1994 from The First Baptist Church in Alta Loma, with Bro.

Gerald Barker officiating. Interment will foJlow in the SouthPark Memorial Cemetery in Pearland. Billy was born July 17, 1933 in Bovena, Texas, the son of William and Juanita Barker. He grew up and attended school on Houston, Texas, and joined the U.S. Navy in 1951, at the age of seventeen.

He served as a medic on the U.S.S. Buchner Troop Ship during the Korean conflict. After his service in St. Louis Missouri, and later moved to the Monsanto Plant in Texas City. While there he held positions as Chemical Operator, Security Guard, and Security Sergeant When Monsanto was sold to Sterling Chemical, he was promoted to night supervisor, a position he held at the time of his death.

He married Karlene Nelle Dierker on July 29, 1969 in Alvin Texas. He was a member of the Houston Youth Symphony. SPEBSOSA, Church song leader, a revival soloist, and led a neighborhood children's choir in his home. He was a father to four children, to an adopted daughter, to many fos- 1HE A1.VF.STON COUNTY DAILY NEWS U.S.P.S. 213400 Founded in 1842 Texas' Oldest Newspaper Dedicated to the growth and progress of Galveston and all of Gatveston County.

Published every morning by Galveston Newspapers 8522 Teichman Road, Box 628 Galveston, Texas 77553. Second class postage paid at Gatveston Texas. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use or republication of an the local news of spontaneous origin printed in this newspaper. Subscription rates by carrier. S9.75 per month; by mail, Si68 per year anywhere in the continental United States.

S324 per year outside the United States. Telephone (409) 744-3611 (409) 986-7711 The Galveston County Daily News welcomes letters to the editor, which should be limited to 150 words. FLOWERS HELP TO HEAU HMXEN HEART. ,2710 Broadway 765-LQVE panel said the army could not have predicted an attack by a Jewish extremist on Palestinians because intelligence reports focused on possible violence by Muslim militants against Jewish settlers. "We do not believe that anyone can be blamed for not having foreseen the fact that a Jew would plan and carry out a massacre of Muslims in the Tomb of the Patriarchs," the report said.

The commission said the mosque gunman, Baruch Goldstein, could perhaps have been stopped had the full guard detail shown up at the tomb on the morning of the massacre. Five out of 10 guards were absent, including three who overslept. The panel left it up to the army to file disciplinary charges. Goldstein, a physician who immigrated from New York, walked into the tomb dressed in his army reserve uniform and opened fire with a Galil assault rifle on rows of worshipers. He was bludgeoned to death by worshipers.

"The massacre was a base and murderous act in which innocent people bending in prayer to their maker were killed," said the report. "The massacre was one of the harshest expressions of the Jewish- Arab conflict." The report said 29 Palestinians were killed and 125 wounded. World Rwanda Besieged leader vows to continue fighting rebels 2 GYSENYI Rwanda's prime minister talked tough on Sunday, saying his besieged government forces were growing stronger despite an arms embargo. He vowed to keep up the fight against Tutsi-led rebels. The declaration by interim Prime Minister Jean Kambannada indicated the bloodletting that has killed at least 200,000 people in the last 10 weeks may be far from over.

Most of the victims have been ethnic Tutsi civilians butchered by militias of the majority Hutu tribe, which controls the government and army. The warlike posturing marked a change for Kambannada, a former bank director who became prime minister when his predecessor was assassinated by extremist army troops shortly after the civil war began. Clad in new camouflage fatigues with a submachine gun beside him, Kamban- nada spoke to journalists in a hotel room near scenic Lake Kivu. He said although the rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front has taken two-thirds of this central African county, the rebels are not as strong as they appear and the government is not ready to reach a peace settlement. Haiti Bank chief denies U.S.

report of Cedras looting 3 PORT-AU-PRINCE The Central Bank president denied U.S. news reports that army commander Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras looted $500,000 from the bank in the past week. Bonivert Claude said the reports by The Washington Post and ABC News were "untruthful." His statement was broadcast on national television just before midnight Saturday.

"No irregular transaction ever occurred in the Bank of the Republic of Haiti," Claude said. Central bank transactions are made between government and banking institutions, not individuals, he said. Claude's statement did not address the possibility that the army, as a government could have made a request for money. Also unsaid was the possibility that an informal request or threat could have been made. Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnians push forward; general urges offensive 4 SARAJEVO With his forces reportedly making some battlefield gains, the Bosnian army commander called Sunday for a major new effort to defeat his Serb foes.

U.N. officials reported a relative lull in fighting after heavy clashes on Saturday that scuttled plans for a meeting between the two sides. They refused again Sunday to meet. The meeting was aimed at trying to establish a cease-fire that would be honored. A month-long truce was called on June 10, but has been violated daily, usually by both sides.

The forces of Bosnia's Muslim-led government, long eager for a cease-fire while on the defensive against the better-armed Serbs, in recent months have made modest battlefield gains. U.N. spokesman Maj. Rob Annink said Sunday there were indications of government gains from the northwest and east of a finger of territory east of Tuzla, the government's main northern The fighting quieted somewhat Sunday, Annink said. Gen.

Rasim Delic, the Bosnian army leader, has urged his troops and Croats, now allied with them in a federation, to go on the offensive. The Associated Press ter children, and was a Santa Glaus to hundreds of others. He died Saturday, June 25th at home with his family, after a long battle with lung cancer. He is survived by his wife Karlene Dierker Barker of Livingston; two sons, Steven Lee Barker of St. William Patrick Barker of Livingston; three daughters, Sheryl Lynn Barker Scofield of St, Louis, Missouri, Amy Louise Barker of Nashville, Elizabeth Anne Barker of Livingston; one brother, Gerald Wayne Barker of Texas City and many dear friends.

Pallbearers are Robert Steinkuehler, Richard Smith, Lyle Williamson, Don Childress, James Nidiffer, and Jack Hutchison. Honorary bearers are David Wood, Michael Witt, Ray Fluharty and Harold Guilder. Pace Funeral Home in is in charge of arrangements. Pace Funeral Home Funerals TODAY Dorothy M. Whaley, 65, of Texas City died Friday; services 10 a.m.

today at the Chapel of J. Levy burial follows at Grace Memorial Park in Hitchcock. Doree B. Burnett, 73, of League City died Friday; services 11:30 a.m. today at the Jack Rowe Cathedral Chapel in League City; burial follows in Forest Park East Cemetery in League City.

The Galveston County Daily News classified advertising department charges a standard advertising rate oi $13.30 per column inch to publish obituaries. Obituaries can be faxed to The Daily News at 744-6268 or hand-delivered to the classified advertising department at the newspaper's main office, 8522 Teichman Road in Gaiveston, or the mainland service center at 3000 FM 1764 in La Marque. The deadline for full obituaries is 4 p.m. Brief notices that funeral arrangements are pending with the funeral home will be accepted until 7 p.m.; these notices are not charged. Obituaries should be typed.

Obituaries must contain complete billing information: the name, full mailing address and telephone number of the party that will pay for the obituary. Obituaries may be placed by a private party, but they must include the phone number of a source, such as a funeral home or clergyman, that can verify the information. Obituaries placed by funeral homes will be billed. Private parties placing obituaries Monday through Friday must pay at the time the obituary is placed. (Notices for indigent funerals being handled by the county can be published without charge; contact The Daily News classified advertising department for more information.) Major credit cards are accepted.

Weekends obituaries will be handled by The Daily News editorial department between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Families and funeral homes are urged to make sure information supplied to The Daily News is accurate, and all names are correctly spelled. The Daily News assumes no responsibility for inaccurate information supplied to us. For more information, call classified advertising between 9 a.m.

and 5 p.m. at 744-7355. croiiworti puzzle A HEARING PROBLEMS? CALL GAICO HEARING AID SERVICE SINCE 1964 FREE ELECTRONIC HEARNG TESTS FREE IN-HOME SERVICE TESTING REPAIRS BATTERIES SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNTS 31M-1MASA Rd. 1 or call 1-800-966-1952 3 a LUCKY a I PLATE WINNER Lucky License Plate Winner 940 RRP Eckerd Drugs League City To collect your $50 prize bring your car or truck with the winning license number to either Daily News locations along with a copy of today's paper. For more information cail: The Galveston County Daily News Circulation Department Attention: Linda Hooper 409-744-3611 GALVESTON COUNTY THE DAILY NEWS The Voice of Galveston County Since 1842 8522 Teichman Rd, Galveston 3000 Hwy 1764, La Marque.