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DATE=4/13/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-229581
TITLE=NICARAGUA / C-I-A (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=MICHAEL DRUDGE
DATELINE=SAN JOSE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO: U-S ARMY FORENSIC EXPERTS HAVE RECOVERED WHAT COULD BE THE
REMAINS OF TWO CUBAN EXILES WHO DIED IN 1961 WHEN THEIR PLANE 
CRASHED IN NICARAGUA DURING THE BAY OF PIGS OPERATION AGAINST 
CUBA.  CORRESPONDENT MICHAEL DRUDGE HAS MORE FROM V-O-A'S CENTRAL
AMERICA BUREAU IN COSTA RICA.
TEXT:  FORENSIC EXPERTS SAY A THREE-WEEK DIG AT A REMOTE 
NICARAGUAN HILLSIDE HAS UNEARTHED HUMAN REMAINS AND PERSONAL 
EFFECTS OF WHAT COULD BE CRISPIN GARCIA AND JUAN DE MATA, CUBAN 
EXILES WHOSE B-26 PLANE CRASHED IN NICARAGUA 37 YEARS AGO.
THE SEARCH TEAM LEADER HAS BEEN BRADLEY ADAMS OF THE U-S ARMY'S 
CENTRAL IDENTIFICATION LAB IN HAWAII.  MR. ADAMS SAYS THE REMAINS
WILL UNDERGO FURTHER TESTING, BUT IT COULD BE MONTHS BEFORE THEY 
ARE POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED.
MR. GARCIA AND MR. DE MATA DIED WHEN THEY OVERSHOT A CLANDESTINE 
AIRSTRIP AFTER A MISSION OVER CUBA FOR THE U-S CENTRAL 
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY AHEAD OF THE BAY OF PIGS INVASION IN 1961.
THEY WERE BURIED AND FORGOTTEN UNTIL FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN JANET 
RAY WEININGER BEGAN INVESTIGATING THE DEATHS.  MS. WEININGER'S 
PILOT FATHER HAD DIED IN A SEPARATE C-I-A MISSION OVER CUBA.
MS. WEININGER SAYS SHE CONVINCED C-I-A OFFICIALS TO FUND THE 
EXCAVATION BY APPEALING TO THEIR CODE OF LOYALITY.  AS SHE PUTS 
IT:  WE ALL MUST LIVE BY A CODE OF LOYALTY TO THOSE WHO HAVE GONE
BEFORE US, BECAUSE IF YOU DO  NOT GIVE LOYALTY, YOU WILL NOT GET 
LOYALTY IN RETURN.
U-S OFFICIALS SAY ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE ASPECTS OF THE 
EXCAVATION IS HOW IT BROUGHT TOGETHER PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN BITTER 
ENEMIES DURING THE COLD WAR.  WORK WAS PROVIDED BY FORMER 
NICARAGUAN CONTRAS, WHO HAD BEEN FUNDED AND ORGANIZED BY THE 
C-I-A IN THE 1980S.  SECURITY CAME FROM FORMER MEMBERS OF THE 
SANDINISTA PEOPLE'S ARMY, WHICH HAD ENJOYED SUPPORT IN THE 1980S 
FROM CUBA'S COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT.  (SIGNED).
NEB/MWD/
13-Apr-98 2:41 PM EDT (1841 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.