
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, May 14, 1990                   TAG: 9005140092
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE: MANILA, PHILIPPINES                                LENGTH: Medium

2 U.S. AIRMEN SLAIN

Suspected communist rebels shot and killed two U.S. servicemen outside Clark Air Base north of the capital Sunday night, just hours after American negotiators arrived to open talks today on the future of U.S. military facilities in the Philippines.

The assailants, described by witnesses as young men, fled on foot. Nobody immediately claimed responsibility, but the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military wing, the New People's Army, recently threatened to step up attacks on American targets here to protest the U.S. military presence, and police said they suspected the guerrillas.

Sunday night's slayings bring to at least 10 the number of Americans killed in politically motivated attacks in the Philippines since October 1987 - including one nine days ago - and they are certain to raise new questions about whether security precautions have been adequate here in the face of increased threats.

Police and military officials said the two servicemen were slain at 8:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m. EDT) while waiting for pedicabs in Dau, the commercial center of Angeles City, home to the giant Clark Air Base 50 miles north of Manila. The men, wearing civilian clothes, were approached by a few assailants and shot in the head by a .45-caliber revolver, according to police and diplomats in Manila.

Police identified the victims as Airman John Raven, 21, and Airman James Green, 22, assigned to the 8th Aircraft Generation Squadron on temporary duty here from Kunsan Air Base in South Korea. A third American, Airman Ronald Moore, told reporters he escaped the shooting.

Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Mukri, the U.S. military public affairs spokesman, said authorities had canceled all off-base leaves for the more than 40,000 U.S. military personnel, Defense Department employees, civilians working under contract with the military, and their dependents.

An identical order canceling off-base leaves for Americans was issued May 4, when U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. John Fredette was shot and killed by assailants who fired a single bullet into the back of his head in Olongapo City, which houses the sprawling Subic Bay Naval Station, 50 miles west of Manila.

Although police arrested two drug addicts in the case, U.S. officials doubt they were the killers and suspect communist rebels were behind the attack.

by CNB