P.o.w. report denied

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32678, 6 August 1971, Page 9

P.o.w. report denied

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) STOCKHOLM, Aug. 5. A spokesman for the North Vietnamese Embassy in Stockholm today described as “pure fabrication” a Swedish newspaper report that Hanoi was about to release 183 American prisoners of war.

“We are very surprised at the report, which is entirely untrue,” an attache at the embassy, Mr Truong Gia Nhan, told the Swedish news agency, Tete. “In view of President Nixon’s stubborn attitude to the seven-point plan introduced by the Communist side at the Paris peace talks, a release of American prisoners of war is impossible in the present position.” The authoritative newspaper, “Dagens Nyheter” had reported today that the prisoners would be transported

aboard a specially-chartered Scandanavian Airlines System aircraft from Vientiane, Laos, to New York.

It added that preparations to transport the pilots began at the end of July, when the United States Military Command in Western Eurore requested an airliner from S.A.S.

Later today, in Copenhagen, S.A.S. confirmed that it had been asked by the United States to send a DCB jet airliner to the Laotian capital of Vientiane to pick up the American prisoners of war next Thursday. A spokesman for the airline told reporters that the American request was made to the airline’s office in Frankfurt during the last 24 hours, but that a contract to charter an aircraft had not yet been signed. “S.A.S. is now awaiting more information from the American authorities,” the Copenhagen spokesman added.

In New York, the manager of S.A.S.’s North American news bureau, said: “Our Stockholm office has confirmed to me by telephone that the United States Armed Forces Headquarters in Germany has contacted them and asked if they can provide a charter plane to fly from Vientiane, Laos, to Bangkok and Rome.”

But in - Washington, the White House swiftly issued a statement saying that the United States had not ne-

Igotiated a deal with North [Vietnam for a release of [prisoners, had not been officially informed of any such plans, and had not made a request at any level for Scandinavian Airlines to send an aircraft to Laos.

The 183 prisoners, identified by the Stockholm newspaper as pilots, would repre sent about half the 371 Americans the Pentagon say the North Vietnamese have imprisoned. The United States Govern ment lists more than 40' other Americans missing i action.

Some of the prisoners hav been held captive for mor than six years. Only nin have been released, the las in 1969.

Purpose for porpouu A florca porpoise has bee trained in Philadelphia t< confront sharks on humat command, opening the possi bility of using porpoises t< protect swimmers and diverin shark-infested waters. Th< porpoise, named Simo, ha: been taught, on receiving e sonar signal, to drive shark: away. Snarks and porpoise: normally ignore each other but after eight months o' daily training, Simo learner to repel sharks by ramminhis nose into their sensitiv [gill area whenever he hear the sonar signal.—Phil ad e I phia, August 5.