News stories from Sunday January 27, 1974
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Israel and Syria continued fighting along the Golan Heights for a second straight day. The Israeli government announced that disengagement plans with Syria won't begin until Syria releases the names of all POWs and allows the Red Cross to visit the prisoners. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is still moderately hopeful about the disengagement plan. Kissinger met today with United Nations Secretary General Kurt Waldheim in New York. The meeting took place at the home of the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Scali. Kissinger's talks with Waldheim were aimed at keeping him informed about the role of United Nations' troops in the Mideast. [NBC]
- In Tokyo, Saudi Arabian oil minister Sheik Yamani stated that he is worried about the impact that oil price increases may have on the world economy. Arab sources declared that the oil embargo against the United States will continue. American Petroleum Institute president Frank Ikard could not predict how high gasoline prices would go, but he said that he doesn't expect it to reach $1.00 a gallon. [NBC]
- Today is MIA (missing in action) Awareness Day, as proclaimed by President Nixon. Relatives of those men held demonstrations and news conferences. The National League of Families called upon the President to send Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to Southeast Asia to get more facts regarding MIAs. The relatives of MIAs could accept a confirmation of death better than the present state of limbo. Meanwhile, many deserters and draft dodgers still remain in other countries without much hope of ever getting back home. [NBC]
- Fighting continues in South Vietnam although the first anniversary of the Vietnam cease-fire has been reached. Troops continue fighting a war that just won't stop despite the cease-fire. The South Vietnam government is not blameless, as President Thieu refuses to agree to any political solution. Refugees from the Vietnam war remain as displaced as they were before the cease-fire agreement. South Vietnam knows that the peace agreement leaves much to be desired for them. [NBC]
- A background report on the California girl who was recently arrested in Britain on an arms smuggling charge: Two men were also arrested, both of whom attended Santa Barbara College. Allison Thompson lived near the college. Mrs. Thompson's aunt, Melissa Merwin, said that Ted Brown encouraged Allison to pursue modeling or work as an artist. Brown is accused of violating arms export laws by supplying guns to Allison and her two companions for them to relay to Palestinian terrorists in England.
Santa Barbara shop owner Walid Bitar, one of the few people able to identify all four suspects, recalled that they were often seen together in a nearby restaurant. Bitar identified the Pakistani and Moroccan students as well as Brown and Thompson. He named the Moroccan as the leader of the little group. Brown purchased the arms and the tickets for the flight to England. The federal grand jury's report on its findings regarding this case will be issued tomorrow.
[NBC] - With fears mounting that a recession is under way or soon will be, serious talk of tax reductions has begun in Congress in the last several days. Influential legislators who are talking about tax cuts include the chairmen of both the House and Senate tax writing committees, Representative Wilbur Mills and Senator Russell Long, and Senators Edward Kennedy and Walter Mondale. They have different ideas about who would get tax relief. [New York Times]
- More than four months after the violent coup that toppled the Marxist government of President Salvador Allende and took his life, the ruling military junta in Chile has done little to convince his followers that there are "neither victors nor vanquished," a phrase used by Gen. Augusto Pinochet, the new President. Chile remains divided between an apparent anti-Marxist majority either actively supporting the junta or passively accepting its excesses, and a large leftist minority which is cowed, silent and pessimistic. [New York Times]
- Pastoral and theological problems have arisen for Roman Catholic clergymen across the country since the film version of the best-selling novel, "The Exorcist", opened to capacity crowds in 24 cities the day after Christmas. The effect of the extremely popular movie's horror scenes on many movie-goers has been intense. [New York Times]