Express front page, April 28, 1980.

The Assam government has sent an urgent message to the Centre for supply of essential petroleum products, including aviation fuel, as it has failed to lift the available stock at the Gauhati refinery following workers’ non-cooperation. The state government said air services to Assam and other parts of the north-eastern region were going to be affected as aviation fuel with the Indian Oil Corporation was not allowed to reach the Borjhar airport for refuelling aircraft. The message said, besides this, transport services, including transportation of essential commodities for the region, had been seriously affected.

American Warning

President Carter’s national security adviser, Brzezinski, said that he would not rule out another mission or any other option to free the hostages in Iran while still hoping for a peaceful solution. Defence secretary Harold Brown declared that the United States would refuse to engage in any barter for the return of the eight dead men left behind when the rescue mission was aborted. Brzezinski warned Iran: “Do not scoff at American power. Do not scoff at American reach. It is in Iran’s interest to resolve it peacefully. It is our preference to resolve it peacefully if possible, but the United States is prepared to do all that is necessary to obtain the release”.

Embassy Siege Ends

The 61-day hostage standoff at the Dominican Republic embassy ended when a Cuban jetliner left Bogota for Havana with an estimated 15 leftist guerillas and an undetermined number of hostage diplomats abroad. Several diplomats apparently were freed just before the Soviet-built Ilyushin jet departed at 8.20 am local time, approximately 90 minutes after the guerillas left the embassy with their hostages in two Red Cross buses. It was believed that five diplomats were on the flight and that 11 were freed. Those freed were taken from the plane and driven in a speeding bus across the
airfield.