World IN BRIEF / UNITED STATES : 2 Ex-POWs Receive OK to Leave Army

After battling Pentagon red tape, two U.S. soldiers who were prisoners of war in Yugoslavia this year have been told they can leave the Army. Staff Sgt. Christopher J. Stone of Smith’s Creek, Mich., and Spc. Steven Gonzales of Huntsville, Texas, said last week that their resignations were cleared through Army Command in Europe in July. But then the paperwork sat at the Pentagon for 1 1/2 months. Stone, 25, and Gonzales, 22, along with Staff Sgt. Andrew Ramirez of East Los Angeles, endured 32 days of captivity. Ramirez, 24, has been granted a transfer to Ft. Irwin near Barstow.