The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who arrived here Friday seeking the release of a captured American bombardier-navigator, said today that he was extending his stay another day in order to meet with President Hafez al-Assad. Mr. Jackson, a candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination, said at a news conference that he had planned to return to the United States with his party of 14 on Monday but extended the visit when he learned today that a meeting with President Assad had been scheduled for Monday. It was originally scheduled for Saturday, after the delegation’s visit with the captured United States Navy bombardier-navigator, Lieutenant Robert O. Goodman Jr. “The outcome of the meeting tomorrow will determine when we leave,” Mr. Jackson said. “We would rather wait here in Syria with the possibility of getting Robert Goodman free than to be back home hoping that it would happen.” Mr. Jackson, noting Congressional expressions of opposition to the continued presence of the Marines in Lebanon, suggested that these could prove helpful in his talks with Mr. Assad.
Mr. Jackson has repeatedly said that he planned to urge Syrian officials to release the 27-year-old lieutenant, primarily as a “humanitarian gesture” and also as a signal of Syria’s desire for peace in the region and to remove a potential justification for escalation of any American-Syrian conflict. Mr. Jackson said he would also point out to President Assad the statements of such people as Senator Barry Goldwater, Republican of Arizona, and former Vice President Walter F. Mondale, another Democratic Presidential aspirant, as evidence of a “strong move in our country to withdraw the troops.” “Releasing Lieutenant Goodman will be a part of stimulating that process, and I hope that he would appreciate the strategic implications of that,” Mr. Jackson said of Mr. Assad.
Senator John Tower will go to Beirut and other Mideast capitals to try to determine whether American marines should be withdrawn from Lebanon. Mr. Tower, a key Republican who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is one of President Reagan’s strongest supporters on military issues.
Guerrillas of the Polisario Front reportedly killed 154 Moroccan soldiers and destroyed 40 vehicles in a new, large-scale offensive in the Western Sahara. A Polisario statement, published by the Algerian news agency, said the five-hour battle occurred last Friday. The Front, which has fought an eight-year campaign against Morocco over the former Spanish territory, said on December 22 that the Moroccans had launched a major offensive with 25,000 troops backed by armored vehicles and combat aircraft. Officials in Rabat, the Moroccan capital, have neither confirmed nor denied the reported new fighting.
Britain’s first 16 cruise missiles became operational, four years after NATO pledged to deploy the nuclear weapons to counter the growing number of Soviet SS-20 rockets. The 16 low-flying missiles are ready for use at Greenham Common air base. Britain is scheduled to have 160 cruise missiles.
A 10-year-old Italian boy was freed by kidnappers who had held him for seven months, police in Reggio Calabria reported. A police official said Rocco Lupini was “in excellent condition” after his release near the town of Oppido Mamertina, where he was abducted last May 18 with his mother, Fautsa Rigoli Lupini. The boy’s mother was freed on Nov. 22. The Italian news agency ANSA quoted unidentified sources as saying the kidnappers had initially asked for a $3 million ransom but later dropped the demand to $1 million. A police official said he suspected a ransom had been paid and the family was being questioned.
Hundreds of American soldiers brawled in a Frankfurt bar district Saturday night and early today. “It was American soldiers against American soldiers,” said a police spokesman of a running battle involving some 500 United States soldiers from about 8.35 P.M. to 3 A.M. Sunday in Sachsenhausen, a district of Frankfurt with many cafes and bars. “They threw firecrackers at each other and ran away when American Military Police and German police appeared, only to start fighting again when the police went away.” He said no arrests were made and 30 soldiers were slightly injured.
The leader of a 12-party Philippine opposition coalition said his group will challenge the government of President Ferdinand E. Marcos in parliamentary elections next May. In an interview with Western newsmen, Salvador Laurel, president of the United Nationalist Democratic Organization, vowed that his group will protect every ballot “with a bolo or a bullet.” Laurel said Marcos is under strong pressure to hold clean elections after a decade of voting under martial law. “We want to give democracy one last try in this country before we give up the parliamentary struggle.” Laurel said.
An end to Japanese whaling is being sought by the Reagan Administration through heavy economic pressure and top-level diplomatic negotiations. Conservationists believe that the United States effort is close to success and that if Japan agrees to end its commercial whaling, the killing of the mammals will virtually be ended throughout the world.
Vietnamese troops occupying Cambodia shattered a weeklong lull along the Thai border with heavy artillery barrages against Cambodian guerrillas bases in Thailand, military sources said. Thai army officers patrolling the tense border near Aranyaprathet, 120 miles east of Bangkok, said the shelling from Vietnamese artillery began late Saturday and could still be heard Sunday afternoon. There were no immediate reports of civilian casualties in Thailand.
A strong earthquake rocked Japan on New Year’s Day, swaying high-rise buildings and disrupting air and rail traffic, but no damage or casualties were reported. The quake measured 7.5 on the Richter scale, according to Meteorological Agency officials, who traced the earthquake to a point 212 miles below the Earth’s surface. In Golden, Colo., the U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered near the south coast of Honshu, about 220 miles southwest of Tokyo. Railway officials halted travel on the high-speed “bullet train” for 50 minutes.
El Salvador’s major bridge was destroyed by leftist guerrillas after they had routed several hundred Government troops assigned to guard it. The quarter-mile long Cuscatlan bridge was the last suspension bridge open to motorists traveling to the eastern part of the country, but motorists could still cross the river using a nearby dam. The loss of the bridge was a serious economic setback, the Defense Ministry said.
The interim Grenada government is recruiting Caribbean legal experts to help speed the legal process for at least 35 Grenadians detained after the United States invasion two months ago, an official said Saturday. The official in the Prosecutor’s Office, who asked not to be identified, said work had begun in “formulation of charges.” “The preliminary work has already been started, and a team of top-flight Caribbean barristers will be coming to Grenada to assist in this operation,” he said. Among those still known to be held are Bernard Coard, the hard-line Marxist Deputy Prime Minister whose split with Prime Minister Maurice Bishop led to a coup and the killing of Mr. Bishop. Also held is General Hudson Austin, the army commander who led the coup against Mr. Bishop a week before the United States invasion.
Discontent in Latin America has been caused mainly by critical economic and social problems rather than Marxist subversion, according to an eighth-month study by the University of Miami. The report says that the United States is unprepared for “the inevitability of more insurgent movements arising in the next one to three years” as the region’s economic crisis continues. The report reflects the views of Miami’s generally conservative banking and business community.
At least five people in northern Mexico died of exposure or accidents related to cold weather, and the thermometer dipped below freezing on New Year’s Eve in Mexico City, the national Tacubaya Meteorological Service reported. The newspaper Excelsior said that at least 90 people have died around the country in the week-long cold spell.
Nigeria’s takeover by the army was confirmed by a general. Major General Mohammed Buhari announced that he had assumed authority following the military coup Saturday that toppled the country’s civilian Government led by President Shehu Shagari. The general, who served as Nigerian oil minister in the 1970’s, said a new “federal Government” had taken over in order “to save this nation from imminent collapse.” He said that Nigerians had been living under “difficult and degrading conditions.”
Guinea’s worst earthquake killed 275 people, injured 1,500 and left 20,000 villagers homeless in the hardest hit region, President Sekou Toure reported. The figures from the mid-December quake, which measured 6.3 on the Richter scale, covered only the Gaoul area, 190 miles north of the capital of Conakry, which took the full force of the quake. Conakry Radio reported last week that all but two of the country’s 35 administrative areas had been hit by the main quake and subsequent tremors.
AT&T’s 22 owned Bell system companies divest into 8 companies as Ma Bell is broken up.
President Reagan speaks with Senator Barry Goldwater (R-Arizona) in the early afternoon.
Expansion of the Justice Department is sought by the Reagan Administration, which will request a $200 million increase in the department’s budget for the fiscal year 1985, starting October 1. Most of the money will be used for criminal justice, officials say, including the hiring of new agents for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, an expansion of Federal prosecutors’ offices around the country, and the building of new Federal prison space.
The Army and Navy Club building in Washington, an eight-story landmark built in 1912, was closed to make way for demolition. It is to be replaced, in 22 months or so, by a more economical building. In the meantime, club members will be guests of hotels and other clubs in the capital.
Senator Gary Hart of Colorado, one of the Democrats seeking the Presidential nomination, calls for Government policies to lead basic industries to modernize and to train workers and a jobs program to repair basic physical structures. He stresses bipartisan commitment to racial equality and would seek passage of the equal rights amendment. He favors a freeze on new nuclear weapons and a reduction of weapons.
A Pentagon commission will recommend a substantial reduction in retirement pay for future military personnel who leave after only 20 years of service. The move is an attempt to cut the swelling cost of military retirement and would save more than $2 billion the first year, according to Pentagon sources. The commission, which has been studying the military’s controversial and costly retirement system for more than a year, this week is expected to advise Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger that 20-year veterans should receive a pension of about 35% of their basic pay, instead of the current 50%.
The United States is vulnerable to terrorist tactics because it has little experience in combating terrorism and has no coordinated office to deal with the problem, says a British authority on the subject. Paul Wilkinson, a professor of international relations, told the U.S. News & World Report magazine that the United States should anticipate more attacks and said terrorism can be defeated by refusing to accede to terrorist demands and by treating terrorist acts as common crimes.
Forty-eight percent of all adult Iowans responding to a poll published in the Des Moines Register said they believe electing a black to the presidency would be good for the country. But Jesse Jackson is not the one, the poll indicated. Only 24% felt the civil rights leader, who is seeking the 1984 Democratic nomination, is qualified to serve. Of the 1,001 persons polled, 20% felt electing a black would be a negative step, 13% believed it would be neither good nor bad, and 19% had no opinion.
Former senators and House members expressed concern over ethical failures, ineffectiveness, junketeering and lack of discipline in Congress. Caustic remarks by many showed the ex-lawmakers to be just about as cynical about Congress as the public. “(Lawmakers) are bought, sold, signed, sealed and delivered by contributions before election, making them immobile to act on anything,” said Alvin O’Konski a Wisconsin Republican congressman from 1943 to 1973. One reform suggested by several was to make the House term four years instead of two because many felt members spend too much time running for reelection. A report on the survey of 120 former senators and House members, conducted by the Center for Responsive Politics, was published in US News & World Report magazine.
The Philadelphia police department agreed to hire 70 Spanish-speaking officers in the next two years, tentatively settling the last of a series of discrimination suits. The agreement in principle must be approved by a federal court. A similar agreement was approved in federal court in November to end a 13-year court dispute by black applicants to the police department, in which the city agreed to add 293 black officers in the next several years.
River currents today thwarted a search for the bodies of two crew members missing after two Burlington Northern locomotives ran off an open swing bridge in a heavy fog and plunged into the Willamette River. A spokesman for the railroad said an automatic derail warning device damaged in an earlier incident might be linked to the accident Saturday night. Divers from the Clackamas County sheriff’s office searched for the crew for several hours but were called off because of the river currents, the Multnomah County Fire Bureau said. The crew members were identified as D. A. Richardson of Portland and T. L. Brothers of Vancouver, Washington.
Two hunters trying to rescue a dog that had fallen through a thin layer of ice on a frozen pond drowned today after the ice broke beneath their own feet. The men were identified as Joseph George Williams, 26 years old, and his cousin, Claude Ray Williams, 18, both of Stockdale, Texas. The Williamses were hunting rabbits in the field when one of their greyhounds ran into the middle of the frozen pond, said Ike Herrington, a Hays County sheriff’s deputy. The ice under the dog gave way and the animal fell into the water. It, too, drowned. A hunting companion, Frank Burleson, said they drowned before others could reach them.
Better protection of medical records that are computerized is needed because of the increased demands for information by the Government and insurance companies, the American College of Hospital Administrators said. “Never before has the privacy of health records been so endangered.”
The road over Billie’s Mountain, a major link between northern and southeastern Utah that has been closed since April because of a mudslide, was opened to motorists Saturday.
The New York City transit fare rises from 75 cents to 90 cents.
The latest onslaught of El Nino — a Pacific Ocean warming phenomenon blamed for widespread weather disruptions — has disappeared with a return of cold water, reported Richard T. Barber, a Duke University scientist. El Nino — Spanish for the Christ Child and named by Peruvian fishermen because its arrival usually coincides with Christmas — displaces normally cold, nutrient-rich deep water that certain marine life depends on for survival.
Discoveries in a wind-swept Egyptian desert have made a cat-sized primate one of the best-known common ancestors of humans and apes, says Elwyn L. Simons, director of the Duke University Primate Center. Skull parts, limb and ankle bones of the ape were found during a November expedition southwest of Cairo. Simons said the expedition also has shown that Aegyptopithecus zeuris flourished 32 million years ago instead of 27 million years ago as had been believed.
NFL Divisional Playoffs:
The Raiders eliminated longtime rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers in dominant fashion, 38—10, in their playoff game in Los Angeles. The Raiders scored three touchdowns in the third quarter en route to the win over the Steelers, who were playing without Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw due to injury. In the first quarter, a 15-yard run by Steelers running back Frank Pollard and Cliff Stoudt’s 44-yard completion to Wayne Capers sparked a 78-yard drive, but when faced with fourth down and inches near the goal line, they opted for kicker Gary Anderson’s 17-yard field goal. The Steelers defense forced a punt on the next drive, but Ray Guy’s 34-yard kick pinned them on their own 14-yard line, and on the next play, Raiders defensive back Lester Hayes returned an interception 18 yards for a touchdown, making the score 7—3. After forcing a punt, Los Angeles running back Marcus Allen started off a drive with two carries for 13 yards. Then Jim Plunkett got his team rolling, completing a 9-yard pass to tight end Todd Christensen, a 17-yard pass to Allen, and two passes to Cliff Branch for 34 yards, moving the ball to the Steelers 5-yard line. Allen eventually finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, increasing the Raiders lead to 14—3 in the second quarter. Later on, after Los Angeles received a Steelers punt with 1:02 left in the half, Allen’s 21-yard run and Plunkett’s 17-yard completion to Branch set up a 45-yard field goal from Chris Bahr, giving the Raiders a 17—3 halftime lead.
The Raiders then scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. First, they took the opening kickoff and stormed 72 yards to a 9-yard touchdown run by Kenny King. Then after a punt, Allen scored on a 49-yard touchdown run, increasing his team’s lead to 31—3. Pittsburgh managed to respond with Stoudt’s 58-yard touchdown pass to receiver John Stallworth. But Los Angeles stormed right back, scoring on Frank Hawkins’ 2-yard touchdown run to make the score 38—10. This turned out to be the last score of the game, as both teams’ defenses took over during the fourth quarter. Allen finished the game with 121 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries, while also catching five passes for 38 yards. Raiders defensive end Lyle Alzado had 2½ sacks.
Pittsburgh Steelers 10, Los Angeles Raiders 38
The Washington Redskins routed the Los Angeles Rams, 51—7 in their NFC Divisional Playoff Game. The advance to the National Conference championship was symbolized by the opening drives of the game: The Redskins halted Eric Dickerson, the league’s leading rusher, who was unable to run wide on the frozen edges of the natural field. But when the Redskins got the ball, the drive ended with John Riggins scoring the first of his three touchdowns, which tied a National Football League playoff record. Typically, he roared up the middle. The Redskins crushed the Rams by scoring on their first five possessions on their way to the 51—7 win, breaking the then-record for the largest margin of victory in their team history.
Washington drove 65 yards in eight plays on their opening possession, including NFL MVP Joe Theismann’s 29-yard completion to Charlie Brown on third down and 5, while John Riggins rushed six times for 23 yards and scored with a 3-yard touchdown run. Five minutes later, Theismann threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to receiver Art Monk. An interception by Anthony Washington then set up kicker Mark Moseley’s 42-yard field goal with less than a minute left in the first quarter. Nick Giaquinto then returned a punt 48 yards to set up a one-yard touchdown run by Riggins to give the Redskins a 24—0 lead only a minute into the second quarter. At this point, LA finally managed to respond with Vince Ferragamo’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Preston Dennard, cutting the score to 24—7. But this was as close as it would get, as the Redskins added two more touchdowns before halftime, a 21-yard catch by Monk and a 1-yard run by Riggins.
Moseley’s two field goals were the only scoring in the third quarter. Then in the fourth quarter, defensive back Darrell Green intercepted a pass from Ferragamo after it bounced off Eric Dickerson and returned it 72 yards for a touchdown. Riggins recorded 119 yards and three touchdowns. Theismann completed 18 of 23 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Brown caught six passes for 171 yards. Meanwhile, Ferragamo completed only 20 of 43 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown, with three interceptions. And Dickerson, who led the league in rushing during the regular season, was limited to only 16 yards on 10 carries, and nine yards on six receptions. The Rams’ loss meant that the following week’s title game was the first-ever NFC Championship Game ever to not involve either them or the Dallas Cowboys. The first 13 had always involved one of the two teams.
Los Angeles Rams 7, Washington Redskins 51
Born:
Johnny Baldwin, NFL linebacker (Kansas City Chiefs), in Bessemer, Alabama.
Died:
Alexis Korner, 55, British blues revivalist, guitar player (Blues Incorporated – “Please Please Please Please”), and radio broadcaster, of lung cancer.
Ken Sitzberger, 38, American diver & broadcaster (Olympic gold 3m springboard 1964), of a brain hemorrhage.
History Diaries 