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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1980)
MHBMBMBHBBBWWB—WnWBBB^PMWWIWBMWBBWHM—MMWMWmw r Bus driver describes aborted rescue mission United Press International TEHRAN — The driver of the bus stopped by commandos at the re mote desert staging area for the aborted mission to rescue the hos tages says Iranians dressed in uni forms aided the American troops. U.S. officials have indicated that Iranian dissidents were to have helped in the operation, in which eight American servicemen were kil led in the fiery collision of a transport plane and helicopter after the mis sion was aborted. Mohammad Ali Afraz said 10 to 15 Iranians were with the American team that stopped the bus he was driving on the road between Yazd and Tabas in the pre-dawn darkness Friday. In an interview published Sunday in the Persian-language Kayhan newspaper, he said there were about 80 “foreigners” and that the Iranians were dressed in uniforms. The reference to uniforms meant the Iranians apparently wore the loc al military uniform which was recog nizable to the rural Iranians. One of the Iranians questioned the passengers and then ordered all the passengers to get off the bus, Afraz said. “Dozens of flares placed on tripods lit up the desert,” he said. “Planes and helicopters were still landing.” The bus passengers were ordered to put their hands on their heads and were sent in single file to a place away from the bus. One of the American soldiers then took the bus to a spot several miles away. “Every quarter of an hour an air plane or helicopter was landing,” Afraz said. “From each of them would emerge 60 to 70 troops car rying weapons, equipment and sleeping bags or communications equipment.” “A military jeep and two motorcy cles on the ground guided the air craft (after they landed),” he said. “By 3 a. m. there were eight planes and seven helicopters on the ground and there was the sound of planes still in the air.” Afraz said the Americans “first put the bus passengers aboard one air craft and then aboard another and then told them to get off the second aircraft. ” “Suddenly one of the aircraft on the ground exploded.” “Then they guided us towards the bus and, after we got on, they took the bus a few kilometers further away and fired into the rear tires to flatten them,” the bus driver said. He said the passengers were told: “At sunrise you may continue your journey. ” Afraz said he drove the bus out when dawn broke around 6 a.m. As they left, he said, they could still see five helicopters on the ground, and smoke and flames rising from the burning aircraft. He recalled that before the shah’s downfall and withdrawal of U.S. military advisers from Iran in 1979, the Americans used to bring their planes in the same place. Major-Gen. Amir Bahman Bagheri, commander of the Iranian Air Force, told the state television Saturday night the Americans had built the airstrip themselves some 30 years ago. THE BATTALION Page TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 1980 Dollar falls after Vance resigns United Press International LONDON — Reports of U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance’s resignation pushed the dollar down Monday on European financial markets. The price of gold also fell. The price of gold fell $19 in Zurich to $535.50 and was down $13.50 in London at $536 an ounce, but dealers reported “no real selling.” In Hong Kong, gold closed at $533.50, 50 cents down from Monday morning’s opening price. Market sources said local selling interests overtook a rush of early buying triggered by the news of Vance’s resignation. The aftermath of the abortive mission to rescue the hostages in Iran and Vance’s resignation sent the dollar lower on all the money markets. A slight easing of Eurodollar rates also hurt the dollar, West German dealers said. London dealers reported West Ger many’s central bank intervened to check the dollar’s slide. In Frankfurt, the dollar opened at 1.8040 marks com pared with 1.8145 Friday night, and in Zurich it slipped to 1.6715 Swiss francs from 1.6880. The dollar rate in Amsterdam opened at 1.9950 guilders down from 1.9975. In Paris, one dollar bought 4.2062 francs against 4.2225 Fri day and the price in Brussels was 29.5250 Belgian francs against 29.73 at the end of last week. In Milan, where markets were closed Friday for a bank holiday, the dollar was worth 848.50 lire compared with 852.50 Thursday. In Tokyo the dollar slipped to close at 243.20 yen down from 245.90. The dollar also came under fresh selling pressure in London where the comparative strength of the pound pushed the Amer ican currency to its. lowest level since early February. The pound opened at $2.2980 against $2.2760 at close of trading F riday. Pol. Adv. Paid for by Dick Munday, P. O. Box 4084, Bryan, Texas DICK MUNDAY CONSTABLE PRECINCT NO. 4 QUALIFICATIONS 12 Years Experience As Brazos County Constable PrecirictA 16 Years in Business B. S., M. S. Degrees TAMU Justice of Peace and Constable Schools Law Enforcement Schools ifaNa- ey MU •scapee as seU' related an Si®' corret; |Z, s gi«' Irigue fereiK* rentl) 1 lyafW to tl® sting® ice on tln| i0t 4 } Rat risonis oesaid ,s neat IK ie eavinj oe ;e” re- iindaj ?d. Ai »S COD' Limm! lydis- ted ti 377® lsc® s and »alJ 61-day hostage seige over Sifter captives freed in Cuba United Press International BOGOTA, Colombia — Leftist guerrillas flew to Cuba with 12 diplo matic hostages, to peacefully end a 61-day siege at the Dominican Embassy, taking a $2 million ran som, but not the jailed comrades they vowed to die for. U.S. Ambassador Diego Asencio, a captive throughout the two-month occupation, was released with the other hostages in Cuba and flew to Homestead Air Force Base, Fla., for a reunion with his family. Nine of the other 11 diplomats la ter returned to Bogota for an emo tional reunion with their wives and children, while the Mexican ambas sador returned to Mexico City. “The worst diplomatic kidnapping in the world was settled, as the Col ombian government promised, in a manner that was bloodless, decorous and legal,’’said President Julio Cesar Turbay, in a nationwide radio-TV speech. The occupation ended in a whim per compared to its Feb. 27 start when the M-19 guerrillas shot their way into the embassy at a diplomatic reception, wounding four people and losing one man, but taking 57 hostages in the largest mass kidnap ping of diplomats ever. Shortly after dawn Sunday, 15 guerrillas — 10 men and five women -walked out of the embassy, herd ing 16 hostages at gunpoint into two Red Cross buses escorted by three ambulances for the drive to Bogota’s El Dorado Airport. In 24 rounds of negotiations with a hooded woman guerrilla represent ing the M-19 movement, Colombia never yielded to the demand that it release prisoners facing court martial on subversive charges. The M-19 guerrillas took a private ly raised cash ransom payment esti mated at $2 million along with prom ises from the government to permit international monitoring of trials of leftists by military courts. But the government’s promise of letting a Colombian human rights group observe trials of leftists and inviting the International Red Cross to visit jails and detention centers throughout the country broke the siege. During earlier stages of the 61-day crisis, the leftists freed all the rest of their original 60 hostages, except for one, the Uruguayan ambassador, who escaped. The end to the long drama began just after dawn with the arrival of the Cubana jetliner at El Dorado air port. Two aging Colombian Red Cross buses, with all but the driver’s win dow painted red, arrived at the embassy, five miles from the airport. The guerrillas and their hostages piled into the bus, escorted by mem bers of the OAS Human Rights Com mission, Cuban Ambassador Fer nando Ravelo and a Swiss represen tative of the International Red Cross, Armin Kobel — all of whom partici pated in the negotiations to break the siege. At the airport, the buses parked nearly out of sight of the terminal, where the Cubana airliner waited. The ambassadors of Egypt, Israel, the Dominican Republic and Vene zuela were then released along with two Colombians who had stayed in side the embassy to report the drama at their own request. ALTERATIONS IN THE GRAND TRADITION OF OLD TEXAS WHERE MOTHER TAUGHT DAUGHTER THE FINE ART OF SEWING - 1 SO HELEN MARIE TAUGHT EDITH MARIE THE SECRETS OF SEWING AND ALTERATIONS "DON’T GIVE UP — WPLL MAKE IT FIT!" AT WELCH'S CLEANERS WE NOT ONLY SERVE AS AN EXCELLENT DRY CLEANERS BUT WE SPE CIALIZE IN ALTERING HARO TO FIT EVENING DRESSES, TAPERED SHIRTS, JEAN HEMS, WATCH POCKETS, ETC. (WE RE JUST A FEW BLOCKS NORTH OF FED MART.) WELCH’S CLEANERS 3819 E. 29th (TOWN & COUNTRY SHOPPING CENTER) Let OMC ^produce your diploma in metal METAL DIPLOMAS — Photomechanically reproduced from your original. They are available: i i czr SWflSWS LUNCH SPECIAL Get a FREE Single Scoop of ice cream or sherbet (40 flavors) with purchase of any SALAD on the menu. WEDNESDA YS ONLY. Culpepper Plaza • College Station Open: 11:30 Mon.-Sat. • Noon Sunday GOING OUT FOR YOUR BUSINESS SALE Lowest priced TIDDIES in the world! 3 Layers — 14.95 2 Layers — 12.95 MAXELL UD-XL11C90 CASSETTES $4.50 (Limit five please) We also carry complete line of car stereos BEST SELECTION IN TOWN! Disco Lite - Water Beds - Nighttimes - Incense - Pipes $1 OFF ALL RECORDS & TAPES Gold finish on maroon velvet (12x15) Gold finish on maroon velvet (9x11) Gold finish on maroon velvet (Z'/ixS) Silver finish on black velvet (12x15) Silver finish on black velvet (9x11) Silver finish on black velvet (7'/2x9) $76.05 (p&h 3.20) $51.39 (p&h 3.00) $48.65 (p&h 2.80) $70.25 (p&h 3.20) $47.12 (p&h 3.00) $45.33 (p&h 2.80) Gold diplomas have a rich walnut frame and Silver diplomas are set off by a handsome black frame with silver trim. NOTE: For Diploma Products we will send you a mailing tube if you need one so that your diploma will be received and returned in its original condition. NOTICE OMC Industries will be OPEN Saturday, May 3rd from 8 til 4 to accommodate the new graduates. Your original diploma will be photographed and returned to you in minutes. A beautiful framed reproduction will be mailed to you shortly. Our showroom is located on the West Loop (FM 2818) at Carson Street (next door to Central Freight Lipes). We have handcrafted A&M Ringcrest products such as Pen Sets, Belt Buckles, Double Pen Sets, Door knockers, Bookends, Nameplates, and Paperweights. We also have bronze castings of Insionia and other specialty items. Bryan ,TX 77801 .v.y •*•••• iH- llt.. It... lit... It.— I Itt- li.— It.- It.— It*... It.- Itt- Nt... Itt... Mt— I It... F A I IMS •••<« !•••« Mm* •im- IMm. Mm* Him. H»- Nh.' Him. Him. Ili«. IllM. IllM* III*** till** Nil**, hi*** lll*< PIRANHAC0N I MSC AGGIE CINEMA® BITE! COMING THIS FRIDAY »•••• (Mention this ad when you bring in your books) Trade your used bcxjks for the books you’ll need this fall, beat the book rush and if you need a different book later we’ll give you a full refund the first 2 weeks of the semester!!!! kloupot's*! WE WANT ALL ENGINEERING AND BUSINESS TEXTS. Northgate — At the Corner Across from the Post Office