Hijacl Accord Reached
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HijacL accord reached Agreement covers some Cuban exiles WASHINGTON (UPI)--Cuba and the United States signed a four-point, five- year agreement yesterday to crack down on hoth air and sea hijackings. Although basically a treaty to deal with airline hijackers from the Unit- R.~ ed States, it also applies to Cuban exiles who commit crimes in coming to the United States. The agreement calls for the extradition of any person who "seizes, remov- es, appropriates or diverts from its normal route or activities" any plane or ship registered under the laws of either country. It pledges both Cuba and the United States to prosecute "with a view to severe punishment (any person who conspires) to promote, or promotes, or prepares, or directs or forms part of an expedition which from its territ- ory or any other place carries out acts of violence." A third point declared each govern- ment "shall apply strictly its own U.S. NAVAL BASE laws to any national of the other. GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA who, coming from the territory of the other. .enters its territory vio- lating its laws as well as neutral and international requirements per- taining to immigration, health, cus- toms and the like." Under a fourth point, either gov- ernment can take into consideration (See CUBA page 2) POWs arrive in U.S.; lived on loyalty TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA (AP)--Operation Homecoming poured a steady stream of freed U.S. prisoners of war into their homeland yesterday. Friday, February 16, 1973 One arrival said they "lived on loyalty" to their country during the dark days in Communist captivity. Tears welled in the eyes of the first man back yesterday, Navy Capt. James B. Stockdale, as he thanked his countrymen for their loyalty to Am- Troop size lowest ericans held captive for years in Vietnam. Limping off from the first of two planes arriving from Clark Air Base in the Philippines yesterday, he said, "The men who follow me down that ramp in nearly a decade know what loyalty means because they have been living with loyalty, living on loyalty, the past several years." SAIGON (AP)--American troop strength He appeared gaunt and old beyond his 49 years--the last 7 1/2 of them a in Vietnam has fallen to its lowest captive--as he added in a hesitating, emotion-filled voice: "Loyalty to level in nearly a decade and the each other, loyalty to the military ethic, loyalty to our commander in United States is fast approaching the chief." halfway mark in getting all its mili- tary forces out by the March 28 dead- Stockdale, who later flew on to San Diego for a reunion with his wife and line, the U.S. command reported yes- four sons, paused and continued. 'As the poet said 4,000 years ago, 'there terday. is nothing so sweet as to return from the sea and hear the sound of rain- The command said another 1,465 Am- drops on the roof."' erican troops were withdrawn during Then, after another pause, he said, "America, America, God shed his grace the last four days, dropping the U.S. on thee." troop level to 15,744. That is the lowest since July 1963. Each craft flying back yesterday carried 20 repatriates, as did another which returned Wednesday--a total of 60. All came 8,010 miles across the At peak strength in April 1969-- Pacific from Clark, where 142 former prisoners tasted their frist freedom almost four years ago--543,000 U.S. after their release Monday. troops were in Vietnam. That had Two other men returned early on special flights Tuesday because of ill- dropped to 23,000 by the time the nesses in their families. cease-fire officially went into (See PULLOUT page 2) Page 2--LATE NEWS ROUNDUP Guantanamo Gazette Friday, February 16, 1973 PULLOUT- from page one W effect Jan. 28. The speed of U.S. troop withdrawals from Vietnam is GAZETTEER significant because the peace agreement signed in Paris Jan. 27 links U.S. prisoner releases with the rate of the .a digest of late news U.S. pullout. During the first 15 days of the cease-fire, the United States withdrew about one-fourth its forces, at a rate of about 400 men a day. On the 16th day, the North Vietna- mese and Viet Cong released about one-fourth the prison- ers they hold in North and South Vietnam and Laos. WASHINGTON (AP)--U.S. Secretary of State William P. By the end of this month, U.S. troop strength should Rogers said yesterday there will be difficulty in gett- drop to about 10,000, and the North Vietnamese and Viet ing Congress to pass postwar U.S. aid to North Vietnam. Cong should release roughly 143 American prisoners, the But he predicted the legislators would eventually app- same number they freed in North and South Vietnam on rove peacetime reconstruction assistance for all Indo- Monday. Similarly, there should be another 25 per cent China. Rogers, at a news conference, also said that the U.S. troop cut around the middle of next month, matched alleged violations of the Vietnam cease-fire currently by an equal prisoner release, and a fourth and final re- being reported do not mean a breakdown of the peace peat of this procedure by the March 28 deadline. accords. "We see no indication that any party is attempt- ing to scuttle the peace agreement or is attempting to In advance of the next regular prisoner release, North undermine it so it won't take effect," he said. Vietnam has announced it will free 20 more Americans within the next few days as a sign of good will in the light of Henry A. Kissinger's visit to Hanoi. LOS ANGELES (AP)--The FBI said yesterday it has arr- Lt. Col. Le Trung Hien, chief spokesman for the South ested an Albanian national here on a charge of hijack- Vietnamese command, said more than 2,100 North Vietnamese ing a Pan American World Airways jetliner during a flight and Viet Cong prisoners have been released since Monday, from Beirut, Lebanon, to New York. Joe D. Jamieson, including about 600 women Viet Cong, in Quang Tri Panv-- assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles FBI ince on the northern front below the Demilitarized Zone division, identified the man under arrest as Haxhi Has- and at Loc Ninh 75 miles north of Saigon near the Cambod- an Xhaferi, 35, who entered the United States in March ian border. 1971 and worked in the Los Angeles area as a contract painter. The hijacking occurred June 22, 1970, over from page one Nicosia, "reece, and the plane was forced to land at CUBA- Cairo. The FBI said Xhaferi was taken into custody by what the agreement describes as "extenuating or mitigat- Egyptian authorities soon after the plane landed and was ing circumstances" in cases where hijackers "were being held in jail for seven months. Xhaferi was indicted on permitted for strictly political reasons and were in the hijacking charge by a federal grand jury Sept. 9, real and imminent danger of death without a viable al- 1970, the FBI said. It said he could he indicted in ternative for leaving the country." this country because the plane was American-owned. The agreement will apply for five years and can be renewed for another five if both sides agree. HOLLYWOOD (UPI)--Comedian Wally Cox, a regular on the Meanwhile, Cuban exiles in San Juan displayed mixed daily "Hollywood Squares" television game show who rose reaction to the report that Washington and Havana have to prominence as "Mr. Peepers," was found dead in his signed an agreement on a plan to curb skyjackers. Bel Air home yesterday, a family friend said. Cox, small Enrique Nunez, editor of the newspaper "Replica", was in stature and whispy of nature, was 48 years old. Los critical of the accord as part "of a policy of appease- Angeles city firemen were summoned to the comedian's ment." mountain top home where he was found dead. A fire de- partment spokesman said death was apparently due to He acknowledged that "the accord without doubt will natural causes. He was found slumped over the pillows lead to a lessening of tensions between the United States of his bed. Cox was born in Detroit, Dec. 6, 1924 and and Cuba." educated at the City College of New York. Water status Local Forecast Guantanamo Water figures for Thursday; Partly cloudy becoming mostly cloudy Gazette with scattered rain showers during WATER PRODUCED: 1,290,000 the late afternoon and early evening. a i e . .e.c. Skies becoming partly cloudy again ear .. WATER CONSUMED: 1,530,000 by Saturday morning. Visibility 10 miles lowering to 5-7 miles in . WATER LOSS: 240,000 showers. Winds N 5 knots becoming .o. .cii~i. b. d. S 8-12 knots with gusts to 20 knots. t*.U . ~. a L . .. WATER IN STORAGE: 19,770,000 Chv.P3. Winds shifting to NW after 8:00 pm .0-i,T I. 11- d. at 10-15 knots with gusts to 21 r i t . it i td t - -m knots. High today 83 degrees. Low tonight 68. Bay condition 1 foot increasing to 2-3 ft. during the afternoon. High tidel958. Low tide 1430. Friday, February 16, 1973 Guantanamo Gazette NATIONAL NEWS--Page 3 Nixon submits environmental proposals WASHINGTON (UPI)--President Nixon asked Congress yesterday to aprove 19 pieces of legislation it refused to enact last session plus eight new pro- posals to win the battle for a better environment, saying victory is within reach.