European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 24, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday August 24, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 3 coup leaders coup in the Kremlin nuclear codes from wire reports Kennebunkport Maine a the United states was never under any threat of a nuclear attack even though leaders of an unsuccessful coup in the soviet Union gained Possession of secret codes for unleashing that nations nuclear Arsenal president Bush said Friday. Bush was responding to a published report that the hard line communists who Lead the coup took Possession of a briefcase that contained the codes while soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev was being held prisoner. The report appeared in fridays editions of the Washington Post which attributed it to Vladimir Lysenko a Deputy inthe russian parliament and a member of the delegation that flew wednesday evening to meet Gorbachev and return with him to Moscow. A there were no actions that were picked up by anybody that sent any signals of concern on that in terms of movement or things that you would associate with any concern for a nuclear threat of any kind a Bush said. A so we did not know  the Post also said that during the soviet presidents hours under siege he dictated a last will and testament onto videocassette tapes and asked his guards to sneak the film to the outside world. A Only those guards who brought food to him were allowed inside his room a Lysenko said. A that might be How he got the tapes out. He said they were Cut up into strips and sent out. Gorbachev said that even he did not know where All the tapes  1 Selling fast a Aileen Herr or a of Orange calif., examines a Gorby doll at doll City . In Orange calif., on thursday. The 10-Inch cloth and plastic rendering of soviet presi Dent Michael s. Gorbachev priced at $16.99, has been a fast Selling item. About 1,000 of the dolls have been sold since the Short lived  topples statue of Lenin in Vilnius Moscow up a lithuanians on Friday toppled the statue of soviet state founder Vladimir Lenin in Vilnius and Latvia arrested the republics communist party chief Alfreds rubies the Independent Baltic news service said. The moves came As the Baltic republics marked the 52nd anniversary of the Molotov Ribbentrop pact Between the soviet Union and nazi Germany that led to Josef Stalin a annexation of the Baltic in 1940. The Independence seeking Baltic republics have moved to capitalize on the collapse of a coup against Mikhail s. Gorbachev to remove the vestiges of Central control in their republics. The coup leaders had singled out the Baltic for especially harsh treatment during the Brief coup which ended wednesday. The coup leaders concentrated on seizing Media facilities in an Effort to Cut the republics off from the outside world and control the flow of information to the people. The lawmakers ordered their chief prosecutor to bring to trial All those who violated lithuanian Law during the Days of the coup. The Baltic news service said the statue of Lenin which stood in Central Vilnius under the Protection of Central authorities despite last years declaration of Independence was torn Down about 6 . Friday As the republics legislators and residents looked on and cheered. Lithuania also banned the communist party in the Republic late thursday and Friday ordered All parly property he turned Over to the elected government of the Republic. Baltic news service said party leaders in Lithuania left the Central committee building in Vilnius Early thursday and went to seek the Protection of a soviet military base. It Latvia also moved against the communists seizing party properly and arresting rubies the hated party chief ii the Republic on charges that included his support for the coup attempt against Gorbachev the Agency said. Soviet Hammer and sickle Flag yields to White Blue and red thousands of muscovites converge on red Square accompanied by a huge russian Flag. By the new York times Moscow a the Hammer and sickle went the Way of the Junta As russian Republic president Boris n. Yeltsin restored the White Blue and red Banner of pre revolutionary Russia As the republics official Flag. Across the City Large and Small versions of the new Flag fluttered above the demonstrations As a potent repudiation of the seven decades of communism. A huge Roar went up As Yeltsin told a crowd numbering tens of thousands that the new Emblem had been approved thursday by the russian parliament. It was raised. Thursday Over the republics parliament Headquarters amid the barricades and jubilant crowds of the successful three Day Vigil against the coup. In the last few years various republics and nationalities have taken special pleasure in rebuffing local versions of the soviet hag and raising up other beloved emblems of their National identities. The new russian Flag was brought to Moscow initially by Peter the great who according to some historians copied the colors from the dutch Flag and used them for the Banner of his merchant Navy. It became the official Flag of the russian Empire Early in the kith Century. A similar Flag with a double headed Black Eagle on the upper Field of White was the Ensign of the russian american co., which flew it Over Alaska. The doubleheader Eagle was adopted by the czars to assert their links with the byzantine Empire. 1 he Czar s Emblem was a Gold Flag pm blazoned with each czars individually drawn double headed Eagle. Under soviet Power the russian federation flew the red Flag with Hammer and sickle but with a Blue strip Down the left Border. During thursdays demonstrations that Flag continued to Fly Over Yeltsin a offices inside the Kremlin evidently because no one had yet thought it replace it. I he White Blue and red Flag had become the most popular Flag of political insurgents within Russia marshalling demonstrators in protest rallies outside the Kremlin. Protesters who marched on the Kremlin on thursday to celebrate the defeat of the to ii carried a big sign addressed to president Mikhail s. Gorbachev that read a Mikhail done to forget under which Flag you were