News stories from Sunday March 4, 1973
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- 106 more American POWs have been released from North Vietnam. The ex-prisoners enjoyed their flight from Hanoi to Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. POW Col. James Kasler said that President Nixon has allowed the POWs to return with honor. More POWs will be released by the Viet Cong in Hanoi tomorrow. [NBC]
- With the continuing release of POWs, the U.S. resumed minesweeping operations in North Vietnam and withdrew more troops from South Vietnam. [NBC]
- The "Black September" terrorists who murdered three diplomats on Friday gave themselves up today in Khartoum, Sudan. The Saudi Arabian ambassador, who was held hostage by the guerrillas, said that the two Americans and one Belgian were told they were going to be killed, and they were allowed to write a last letter to their families and then were executed.
Sudanese government troops surrounded the Saudi Arabian embassy while officials negotiated with the eight terrorists. The terrorists surrendered Sunday morning and released the three remaining hostages. Saudi Ambassador Abdullah el-Malhouk and Jordanian Charge d' Affaires Adliel Nazir said that they were not badly treated by the guerrillas, though they were frightened. The fate of the guerrillas is uncertain.
The U.S. insists that the terrorists be punished and Sudan says they will be. However, Black September terrorists who assassinated Jordan's Prime Minister in 1971 are now free, the three surviving terrorists who killed 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972 are now free, and the six terrorists who seized the Israeli embassy in Bangkok are now free.
[NBC] - The standoff continued at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Federal officers surrounded the area which was seized by militant Indians last week. The takeover of Wounded Knee has resulted in a feud between members of the American Indian Movement who seized the area and the reservation's elected officials. Federal officers are serving the dual purpose of keeping hostile Indians out of Wounded Knee and not allowing AIM sympathizers in as reinforcements. Negotiations to end the takeover are underway, but the feds insist on making mass arrests and the Indians insist on amnesty. Tension is increasing. [NBC]
- President Nixon called for a $2.3 billion "better communities program" to replace urban programs that have failed. The President also said that urban conditions are improving. [NBC]
- European finance ministers are meeting in Brussels to decide on a course of action regarding the dollar crisis. Several meetings will probably be necessary to work out a solution. West Germany's Helmut Schmidt argued for a joint Common Market float against the dollar. French Finance Minister Giscard D'Estaing says that the U.S. should support the falling dollar and Europe should make no move. Most favor the floatation idea. Currency exchanges will remain closed all next week. [NBC]
- Elections are being held in France and Chile today. In France, the Socialist-Communist coalition leads Gaullist supporters of President Pompidou. For the first time since 1958, the Gaullists may be in trouble.
In Chile, voters are choosing a new Parliament and part of the Senate. Under President Salvador Allende, Chile has become polarized. The major question is if opponents of Allende can win two-thirds of the seats in the Senate. If they can, Allende could be impeached and dismissed. Early reports indicate that former President Eduardo Frei has won a political comeback; Frey is an arch-rival of Allende, and his Christian Democrats are allied with the right-wing National party. Allende feels that his opponents can't win a two-thirds majority.
[NBC] - Government scientists reported that the orange dust brought back from the moon is not volcanic. [NBC]