European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A it Lay. May9 he to my 6yafl$ Ano Kemt pm 8 pro 9ex-hostage can t forgive Bani sad years fall away As former enemies meet Washington my Loc i us they mood and the Sears were stripped away the former iranian president apologized. The former american hostage Liv tuned hut in the end he  forgive. Quot you hear responsibility for what i regard As an egregious violation of All precepts of diplomatic and Furqan rights Quot said l. Bruce Laingen. The senior american Diplomat held hostage 444 Days in Iran. A he was speaking to Abolhassan Bani Sadr who served As Iran a president through most of the hostage crisis until he was fired and forced into exile in 1981. Guests held their breath As Bani Sadr and Laingen Shook hands at a hotel reception to promote a. Book by the former iranian  i am pleased to meet you Quot said Bani Sadr. With his puffed Cheeks and mysterious Little smile the iranian has changed Little from the Days when he was a regular fixture on american television 11 years ago. I a Ingon appeared less than delighted standing very close he handed Bam Sadr an envelope that he said contained some of the appeals lie had written him in Captivity in Tehran Quot seeking the release of the 52 h s. Embassy hostages a i want to give these to you As an indication of How i Felt then and How i Foci now Quot lain Gen said. His feelings Haven to changed much Laingen said later. The anger is still there. Quot i can to absolve him of responsibility a he told reporters. Laingen said that although Bani Sadr was fighting Lor his political survival against the growing Power of the clerics supported by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini he did no to do enough to get the hostages treed. Curiously Laingen wrote a two Page introduction to the Book Bani Sadr came to promote. Tie said he agreed to lend his name to the Book a my turn to speak a because he regarded ,.As a a valuable historic Dix Umont about the inner it for kegs of Iran a secretive revolution. A very simply readers must accept the Book for what it is a a personal obviously self serving  important View of a major event in world history a Laingen. Strote. A a a a. A a  a ,. The haste premise of the Hook is that Iran a ruling clerics made a secret Deal with Ronald Reagan s pies lentil Campaign to delay the hostages release m order to scuttle Jimmy Carter s reduction in 1980 Bani Sadr has t uttered any Concrete proof. He was to meet wednesday with members of the House foreign affairs committee who Are debating whether to Call for an official investigation of the allegations. The allegations surfaced anew in recent weeks after a former Carter aide wrote an article saying he had enough evidence to Merit further investigation. I Ningon Sud he Isnit willing to believe the allegations a it. Would make me seek at  he Sik lit addition to denials of the affair by All those accused of being involved including president Bush who was Reagan a running mate such a Deal would have been impossible to keep secret in Quot Leaky Washington a a Laingen said. Bani Sadr has argued repeatedly As he docs in the Book that his opposition to the hostage taking and to the secret dealings brought about his downfall. A Tihe clergy used you As a tool to get rid of democratic  Bani Sadr told Laingen staring at him intently. Quot on the night you were taken hostage i went to Kho Memi and told him he had acted against islam against  the two ended their Riel remarks by saying they agreed on one thing both want to return to Iran once the clerics Are ousted and replaced with a democratic . Troops join czech Celebration for last time by Joseph Owen staff writer Cheb Czechoslovakia a it was a Heck of a reunion but it was also the last. Forty eight soldiers from the 1st inf div fwd joined residents of Cheb on wednesday to comment orate the divisions liberation of the czechoslovak City on May 8, 1945. It was the division s second and final appearance at the anniversary Celebration. Its Germany based units Are being deactivated in part because of the change in the East West political climate that enabled them to come to Cheb for the first time last year. A a we re pleased that during our stay in Europe we were Able to meet All of you As friends a a Brig. Gen. William j. Mullen Iii the divisions Forward commander told czechoslovak soldiers and civilians at a memorial to division soldiers who died in Battle in the area. A events beyond our control make this the last time we will be Able to come Here As the 1st infantry division Forward. Perhaps next year you can continue the ceremony without  most of the americans were members of the 4th in 16th inf regt from Goppinger Germany. They served As a reminder that the 16th inf regt fought in the 1945 Battle although battalion commander it. Col Russell Honore said their presence was merely a coincidence. A a we re inactivating. It s about All we be got left a Honore said. Division soldiers who visited this Border City of some 30,000 people last year did no to have time to mingle with their czechoslovak counterparts because the event was just a ceremony squeezed Between two six hour bus rides. This time . And czechoslovak soldiers played basketball and soccer together then celebrated at a dinner that lasted late into tuesday evening. The americans buses on tuesday rolled into a City Square festooned with czechoslovak and american flags. When the afternoon basketball game at the to Kom Otiva sports club opened with the Home team scoring two Points the crowd a mainly soldiers and Young teen agers a roared its approval. But they cheered just As Joud each time the winning american team a collection of Cooks and medics scored a Basket. For the spectators it was enough that the game was taking place. Outside youngsters ambushed the  Diers for autographs As they emerged from the dressing rooms. A at the evening gathering sgt. William c. Hubers of det 1, 101st military intelligence in found himself the Point Man in dozens of conversations because he a a czech linguist. And he did t mind. A a in a just the gregarious Type a he said. A i got to meet a lot More people that  but hubers said the next time he comes to Czecho Slovakia hell visit Prague. I be s seen enough of Cheb. Quot its Worth one visit just to say you be been there but it s not Worth a return visit unless you know someone Quot he said. Spec. Matthew Madaras 24, of cod 4th in Felt otherwise. He had made the trip last year. Quot i wanted to do it again Quot he said. Quot it was a different experience being in a formerly communist controlled is amps. Joseph Owen first sgt. Mark Kloenne of the 4th in 16th inf regt signs autographs for three czechoslovak teen agers in Cheb. Country and seeing How our ideals compare with their ideals. Master sgt. Norman Mabe of he Del from Gipping in was reunited with a Friend he had made last year or. Frantisek Leiter a psychologist platoon Leader and former political officer. A i wrote to him a couple of times a Mabe said. A a he a never asked me for anything i ainu to supposed to give him. When we talk we talk about women. A czechoslovak 2nd it. Martin Sebek a draftee serving his mandatory nine months amazed the americans by telling them his monthly pay is Only 500 crowns about $17. Professional officers of the same rank earn 3,500 to 4, xxx crowns $121 to $138 a month he said. A 25-minute Telephone Call to Germany would Cost Sebek a months wages. Until last year officially sanctioned remembrances of the liberation were political events and the Only foreign guests were soviets according to mayor Frantisek Linda. Quot this Type of Celebration is completely new Lor us Quot he said. The town originally had two monuments to 1st inf div soldiers who died in world War ii. One was in the City Park and the other was on the Highway leading East about four Miles out of town. The communist government Tore Down the one in the Park but left the one outside town standing Linda said. Quot some historical things you simply can to sweep off the. Table Quot the mayor said. Some daring residents had observed the liberation Day anyway laying wreaths and Flowers at the site. But the secret police used to photograph them from a camouflaged truck according to Cheb resident Eva sch vip Pelova. Maj. Gen. Miroslav Matejka commander of the czechoslovak 20th motorized Rifle div made passing reference during the memorial service wednesday to his country a 44 years of official amnesia about world War ii. Quot the role of the american army in the liberation of Czechoslovakia was biased or not mentioned at  he said. A that has changed. After the non violent Resolution that removed the communists from Power in 19x0, the government rebuilt the memorial in the Cit Park