Listen To This3lesson 25

US officials are denying any official American connection with a plane Nicaragua says it shot down over the weekend. The Sandinista government says three Americans were killed and a fourth, identified as Eugene Hasenfus of Marinette, Wisconsin, was captured. Nicaragua says Hasenfus identified himself as a US military advisor. But Secretary of State George Shultz said the transport which allegedly was carrying weapons to contra rebels was sponsored by a private American group, and that none of the people on board the plane were with US military intelligence operations.


A spokesman for Austrian President Kurt Waldheim says Waldheim now says he was in Cozara, Yugoslavia during the 1942 Nazi massacre. But this does not in any way make him a war criminal. Gerald Christian was responding to a story in the Washington Post today in which he was quoted as saying that after additional research, Waldheim had determined that he served as a supply officer in Coraza. Christian says that Waldheim was not a combatant in the pacification campaign, which resulted in the death of thousands of people. Reacting to the latest disclosure, Attorney General Edward Meese said this will be additional information that we will consider in making a decision on whether to bar Waldheim from the United States.


South Africa reacted today to allegations that it is to blame for the plane crash that killed Mozambique President, Samora Machel. Defense Minister, Magnis Balong said South Africa is not involved in the accident in any way. He said African leaders like Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda, are spreading propaganda, and Balong warned that they are playing what he called "a dangerous game".


Not our plane, not our advisor. Denials in Washington today about an American and his aircraft shot down this weekend in Nicaragua. The Sandinistas said yesterday their government troops shot down a transport plane, killing three Americans and capturing a fourth. The Nicaraguans charge that the plane was on CIA mission. They say the aircraft was to ferry supplies to US-backed contra rebels in southern Nicaragua. Today, Reagan Administration officials denied the plane was an American military aircraft, or that the survivor was a US military advisor. NPR's Richard Gonzalez reports.
The Nicaraguan government identified the surviving crew member as Eugene Hasenfus, and said the man had identified himself as a US military advisor in nearby El Salvador. But relatives in Wisconsin said the man's name is Eugene Hasenfus, and that he is an ex-marine who had been working for a Florida air freight company since this summer.
Hasenfus' wife, Sally, was contacted, but she declined to say whether she had been notified by US officials and would not say anything more about her husband's activities.
Secretary of State George Shultz said today the plane had been hired by private citizens who had no connection to the US government.
"The people involved were not from our military, not from any US government agency, and CIA included. So it's ... these are private citizens, and it's not a governmental operation."
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, there were cautious reactions to the reports of the downed aircraft. Republican Senator David Durenberger of Minnesota, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the CIA had assured him that the plane, its pilots and cargo had no connection to US government efforts to support the contras. But Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont said he doubts the administration is telling everything it knows about the plane.
"If Americans are down there, it stretches credulity for anybody to think that they could be operating out of either Costa Rica or Honduras without the knowledge of US authorities."
There are several private groups who have raised funds to send supplies and military trainers to the contras. One of the most active groups, Civilian Material Assistance, which has been involved in supply flights to the contras in the past, denied any connection to this latest incident.
Another group, the US Council for World Freedom led by retired General John Singlaub has sent the contras boats, clothing and weapons. Singlaub could not be reached for comment today. US citizens working with the contras commonly refer to themselves as US advisors.
Congress has approved $100,000,000 in military and non-lethal aid to the contras, but barred direct US military support, including the presence of US advisors on Nicaragua soil. Here in Washington, a spokesman for the Nicaraguan Embassy, Francisco Cambbe, said his government sees no difference between congressionally approved aid to the contras and privately funded assistance.
"The administration of the United States is actively involved in promoting and encouraging North American citizens to become involved in this dirty war against Nicaragua. This past Sunday General Singlaub on '60 Minutes' stated clearly that his so-called private operation was being carried out with the support and encouragement of the White House. So, therefore, there is no distinction whatsoever."
At a news conference today for four Americans engaged in a fast and protest of the administration's support for the contras, Democratic Senator John Carry of Massachusetts said, many questions about the downed plane still remain unanswered.
"If it's an American plane, with Americans on board, with an American military advisor, carrying weapons and war supplies that originated in this country, which is somehow over Nicaraguan air space, to the degree that it landed in Nicaraguan space, that ought to be of serious concern to the people of this country."
Carry said more information is needed to determine whether the plane was a privately-funded effort, and to what degree such activities violate international law. I'm Richard Gonzalez in Washington.


Goblins, ghosts, princes and princesses. This is the way many people are dressing this Halloween. But in some places, Halloween revellers are decked out more aggressively, arming themselves with what pass for the guns of modern warfare. More from NPR's Frank Browing.
Just outside Baltimore on Harford Road, there's a gun shop that's doing a booming business this Halloween. They've got uzzies, M-16s, Thompson submachine guns, all made from plastic. Replicas, which police say, are so accurately crafted that on a dark night they easily pass for the real thing. Patrick Lauchlin, who works at the shop and also sells real guns, says they've been hot items for tonight's festivities.
"This year, assault rifles, in the Rambo mode, like, especially the M-16 Colt, you know, and of course the Thompson's a classic for the Bonnie and Clyde, in, you know, twenties era, and I just rented three of the western rigs with the western type of single action army Colt revolver for a car dealer who's dressing his people up for a sales promotion."
One especially favored replica is of a Walther P-38, that Pat Lauchlin wears in his holster. Lauchlin says he's had relatively few children asking for them for trick-or-treating, though there was one, but he doesn't think it's a good idea for ten-year-olds to carry replica weapons that look as real as these.
"They are totally realistic looking. They basically function and disassemble like a real gun world. But they're made primarily out of pop metal and some plastic and cannot be made to fire in any way."
But even though these guns are fake, they're not cheap. P-38 Walthers with gun powder caps start at $79, and the Thompsons run some 250. Beyond Baltimore, though, the gun replicas have also been hot sellers in many fancy adult toy stores, notably for the Sharper Image Chain. Lisa Bouche is spokesperson for Sharper Image at its San Francisco headquarters.
"We, of course, see a surge in a lot of sales around this time of year with the holidays coming up, and I would imagine a lot of people probably ... even though they are in the high end in price, our customer generally does have quite a bit of money to spend. So I could definitely foresee them buying it for that purpose."
Lest anyone misperceive, who it is that is looking for the guns, Bouche is quick to note that the average income of the store's shoppers is $91,000. This is Frank Browning in Washington.
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In World War II, many Air Force pilots would convince that mechanical and electronic problems were caused by gremlins. According to Mike Waters, gremlins are small creatures rarely noticed by humans anymore. But he says they are still among us.
Gremlins, like almost all creatures, like to have recognition. There was a time when the mischievous works of gremlins were almost legend. But now people talk about bugs in the equipment. It's not bugs. It's the gremlins. There is one night, one night every year, when some gremlins are acknowledged, and that night is Halloween.
I know a gremlin who, on Halloween night, goes skipping down a street until it sees a lighted porch. It will climb the stairs, reach up, press the doorbell, and wait for the lady of the house to come, who invariably will say something like,
"You're a little gremlin, aren't you?"
The gremlin will nod.
And she will say, "Would you like some taffy?"
And the gremlin would say, "No."
"You have a deep voice."
The gremlin would nod.
"What's your name, child?"
"Inkey."
"Do you live in this neighborhood, child?"
"No."
"What's your last name, child?"
"Gall."
"Inkey Gall. Would you like some Tootsie Rolls, Inkey Gall?"
"No. "
"What would you like?"
"I'd like to mess up your TV."
"Is your mother out there on the sidewalk?"
"No."
"John, John, would you come in here, please?"
"Barbara, the TV's gone funny. I have to fix it."
"Inkey Gall, I think your mother wants you. I think you should go home right away."
The gremlin smiled, or grimaced, which is the way a gremlin smiles. And as it moved across the porch, it turned and said, "I've messed up every drop of milk in your refrigerator."
And the woman knew that all the milk in the refrigerator was sour. Inkey Gall turned, bounced down the steps and skipped down the street, looking for another house, where the porch lights were lit.
Now, there's no such thing as insurance against gremlins. So if you answer your door on Halloween, you should know, not everyone that looks like a gremlin is a child, and not everyone is interested in treats. (Doorbell)