News stories from Sunday March 19, 1972

Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:

Three American pilots who were shot down over Laos were rescued by helicopters. North Vietnam attacked a South Vietnamese air base southwest of Hue, wounding 425 soldiers. Some American soldiers in South Vietnam will be withdrawn up to five months early. Troop strength will be down to 69,000 by May 1. [NBC] Time magazine reported that the Justice Department last week sent letters to potential contributors to the Republican national convention in San Diego, saying that such contributions could be written off under new a federal tax law. The magazine claims that this revelation links the Justice Department to the ITT affair, involving charges that the department settled ITT's antitrust case in exchange for a contribution to the Republican convention. Life magazine charged that the Nixon administration tampered with justice in San Diego, as the U.S. attorney there squelched an investigation into reports of illegal political contributions. [NBC] The Senate Labor Committee is considering a bill to regulate pension plans. Thirty million Americans belong to company pension plans, but many never collect the money if they change jobs or their firm goes out of business. At congressional hearings on pension fund injustices, people complained of having to leave a company a few years short of retirement, thus becoming ineligible to collect their pensions. [NBC] India and Bangladesh consummated a 25-year friendship treaty, signed by India's Premier Indira Gandhi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheik Mujibur Rahman. In Dacca, Mrs. Gandhi was greeted elaborately upon arriving for her first visit to Bangladesh. Continued aid from India and a trade agreement were also discussed. [NBC] Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto called on Bangladesh to stop the massacre of Baharis, a minority group which sided with Pakistan during the war. [NBC] China attacked King Hussein's plan to create a Palestinian state in the West Bank region of Jordan, which is now occupied by Israel; China is trying to increase its influence in the Mideast.Closure of the Suez Canal and British withdrawal in 1967 left the country of Yemen in need of foreign aid. A "people's hospital" specializes in acupuncture and is covered with pictures of Chairman Mao. China funded construction of a road to link agricultural areas of Yemen with the population center of Aden. Chinese projects have effectively countered Soviet influence in this sensitive area of the world. [NBC] An Egyptian airplane with 21 persons aboard crashed into a mountain as it prepared to land in Aden. All 21 were killed. [NBC] Ten thousand Catholics demonstrated in Belfast, Northern Ireland, demanding an end to internment of IRA members and the withdrawal of British soldiers. Protestants demonstrated yesterday. [NBC] The people of Poland are voting for new members of Parliament, however all candidates must be approved by the Communist government. [NBC]