This Day In 1970's History: Wednesday January 10, 1973
- Former White House consultant E. Howard Hunt pleaded guilty to planting bugs in the Democratic party headquarters at the Watergate hotel. Prosecutor Earl Silbert agreed to allow Hunt's guilty plea. Hunt recruited men to bug the Watergate building and Senator McGovern's headquarters. Tom Gregory, a student at Brigham Young University, planted a bug in McGovern's offices. Silbert stated that a Republican intelligence operation was ordered by deputy campaign director Jeb Magruder, and run through G. Gordon Liddy. Its aim was to learn about planned demonstrations against Nixon campaigners and the Republican national convention. $235,000 was paid out for plans to infiltrate Senator Muskie's headquarters as well as McGovern headquarters, Democratic national headquarters at the Watergate and the Democratic national convention.
Silbert suggested that the motive of James McCord and the "Miami 4" was financial, but Hunt and Liddy were the top men. Henry Rothblatt, the lawyer for the four Miami-based defendants, denied this and said that his clients were obeying orders from higher-ups. Attorney William Bittman announced that Hunt wants to plead guilty to only three of the six counts against him -- wiretapping conspiracy, illegal entry into a building, and stealing papers. Judge Sirica is not sure about whether to let Hunt off on the other three charges against him. [CBS]
- The atmosphere was less icy at the Paris Peace Talks today.
President Nixon never consulted his top military advisers before ordering the December bombing of Hanoi. Admiral Thomas Moorer, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that he wasn't asked about the bombing. White House spokesman Jerry Warren denied Moorer's claim and the Pentagon refuses to answer questions about it. [CBS]
- Defense Secretary-designate Elliot Richardson defended President Nixon's bombing policy at his Senate confirmation hearing. Senator Harold Hughes is threatening to fight Richardson's confirmation as a way of pressuring the President into ending the Vietnam war. [CBS]
- The U.S. lost an A-6 fighter-bomber, a helicopter and eight men in Vietnam today. The United States has acknowledged the loss of 16 B-52's during last December's bombing of North Vietnam.
Some parts of Hanoi no longer exist -- areas of the city that had no civilian targets. But one resident of the area claims that eight members of her family were killed during the bombings and Bach Mai Hospital was destroyed. [CBS]
- Four more U.S. POWs were displayed today in Hanoi. William Conlee reported that he is being treated well; Carl Jeffcoat said he was shocked that American B-52's were targeting areas which had no military installations; John Will asserted that civilians were bombed and a POW camp was almost bombed; Paul Granger said that he feels sorry for the Vietnamese people and he prays for peace. [CBS]
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