Nl Bythe r Associated Press l Edited by Victoria Ayotte Officials say U.S. reserves right to pressure Panama WASHINGTON - The Bush administration said Wednesday it was not asked and did not promise to aid in Tuesday’s failed coup against Panamanian leader Manuel Antonio Noriega but reserves the right to use military force on its “own time table.’’ Amid sharp criticism from Con gress that the United States should have stepped in to help topple Nori ega, officials said the administration was in the dark Tuesday about what was happening in Panama. U.S. officials, asking not to be identified, said the rebels had Nori ega in custody for four to five hours but then let him go, an account sub stantially confirmed by Noriega aides in Panama. In the Senate, Jesse Helms, R N.C., proposed an amendment to an anti-drug bill to authorize Bush to use U.S. troops to forcefully remove Noriega from power and bring him to trial in the United States on the drug charges already pending against him. The move was seen as symbolic, since Bush already has such powers. Noriega blamed the uprising on the United States, saying, ‘'The proof is that American troops closed access routes to the barracks, just as they closed the Pan-American Highway.’’ Fhzwater said Wednesday, “We did move forces in a position to se cure the causeway and the bridge of the Americas as a means of protect ing U.S. citizens who were on the base. Those are the major access routes to our base.” Defense Secretary Dick Cheney told reporters on Capitol Hill that it was not clear at the time that Noriega was being held, bui the Bush admini stration now believes that was the case. “Clearly they were not of the mind to turn him over to us,’ ’ Cheney said. 6 pk/warm Sweet China.China . 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On a second look, he said, he realized there was a coyote in his yard. He ran inside to get a camera but the animal was gone when he came out Coyotes are small wolves na tive to America’s western prairies. They are up to 4 feet long. The supervisor said police told him they had seen coyotes in the Gypsy Trail and Fanners Mills sections of town and two coyotes were killed by cars in the past few nights. Cazaari said no one had been attacked , but said residents should be careful Noriega captured, held during coup attempt PANAMA CITY, Panama - Rebel officers trying to depose Gea. Manuel Antonio' Noriega captured him and held him for hours but re leased him after loyal forces warned the rebels would “face the conse quences” if he was harmed, a Nori ega aide said Wednesday. Later, thousands of people, many of them public employees, demon strated in front of the building to show him support. Noriega leaned out a second-story window, hanging onto a grating, as he smiled and waved. Ll Col. Amulfo Castrejon, direc tor for the Defense Forces Security and Defense Committee, told report ers that while being held Tuesday, Noriega “had tried to calm his cap tors ... trying to avoid bloodshed. Lower-ranking officers attempt ing the coup were defeated after loyal farces surrounded Defense Forces headquarters and counterattacked 4The surrender camrwhen the loyal officers took command of the combat units and gave the rebels a last chance to release the commander and members of his staff or face the consequences/* Castrejon said. “The genera] was a hostage for four hours/’ Flag burning ban slowed WASHINGTON - Senate Demo crats put the brakes on a bilk to ban flag desecration hue Wednesday, saying a pair of Republican-spon sored changes in the wording would leave it vulnerable to a Supreme Court challenge. “The one thing we are required to avoid doing, or giving the court an excuse to suggest we are doing, is to proscribe any communicative ideas .. any speech,’’ Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Dcl ., said as the Senate postponed action. He said, however, that the court might well interpret the proposed Salinas plans drug war WASHINGTON - Mexican President Carlos Satinas de Gortari told a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday his nation intends “to eradicate drag trafficking at its very roots.” But Salinas, who is ori a state visit to the United States, warned that “at the world level, we yue losing.” He said that was unacceptable and called for greater cooperation between gov ernments to turn the tide. The Mexican president also used the speech to renew his appeal for Kier Mexican access to u.S. mar , saying thru while Mexico has eliminated most non tariff harriers to U.S. products, “we continue con fronting them in the United States.” Salinas described this as an “in equitable paradox” and said Mexico must have “greater and more secure access to the world's greatest market, the United Stales” to obtain the eco nomic growth that is needed to im prove the lot of its people. Specifically, he said Mexico wants greater access to U.S. textile and steel markets. U.S. officials disagree v/ith Sali nas’ postrayal of the United Slates as a protsc ttonist nation. They say two M of Mexico’s exports come to i the United States and that Mexico had a $2.7 billion surplus in its U.S. trade last year on total two-way trade ai about $44 billion. While vowing an all-out effort to curb drug trafficking. Salinas firmly ruled out joint U.S.-Mexican military operations to fight the traffickers. 4 ‘The responsibility for the fight in our country is exclusively ours," he said. "There will be no joint military operations on our soil. E. Germans make last-resort effort to emigrate West PRAGUE, Czechoslovakia - East Germans jammed Western embas sies, swam rivers and lined railroad tracks in at least four Soviet bloc nations Wednesday in a desperate bid to catch what could be the last free dom trains to the West. The flood of would-be East Ger man emigres in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Bulgaria and East Germany came as the beleaguered government, in East Berlin said it would allow one more exodus of disillusioned citi zens. The agreement covered an esti mated 11,000 weary refugees who had converged on the West German Embassy in Prague, but there were reports thousands of others through out the East bloc were hoping to take part In Prague, the first of 15 trains began carrying East Germans to the West late Wednesday. Cheering ar waving, whistling derisively, er~ refugees hurled their now-w' East German money from tU » dows. A crowd of Czechoslovaks ap plauded as the first group left the embassy area to board buses to the train station. Helmeted riot police arrived and pushed the onlookers back, stifling the cheers. Two East Germans who boarded the first train said they had arrived in Prague after illegally crossing the heavily guarded East German Czechoslovak border. They said they were part of a group of six people who managed to sneak across but were spotted by Czechoslovak guards who opened fire. In the confusion, the two es caped but the other four have been unheard of since. East Germany, hoping to end the embarrassing exodus of its young, skilled citizens before the Commu nist nation celebrates its 40th anni versary this weekend, on Tuesday closed its border with ally Czechoslo vakia to keep its people home. “We knew .it was our last chance," one East German refugee said about fleeing to Prague. "We were right, now the border is closed. ’ ’ Because Czechoslovakia was the only nation where East Germans could travel without, receiving spe cial permission, thousands had streamed here to seek asylum. The clampdown on travel also was likely to severely curb the number of Bpat Germans going to reform minded Hungary. The shortest route to Hungary from East Germany is through Czechoslovakia. East Germans were frantically trying other avenues to catch what theyreared would be their last chance to reach West Germany, where they are granted automatic citizenship. In East Berlin, police Wednesday scuffled with about 50 East Germans trying to enter the U.S. Embassy, witnesses said. Eighteen others made it inside the compound Tuesday, U.S diplomatic sources said. "This is our last hope," said one refugee in the group of 10 adults and eight children. "We’re not going to budge until we know we’ll be able to leave." Nebraskan EdNa Amy Edvraraa PhoioGhtei Irtc Oragory ..__ ___ «TB-17«C Night Newt Edltora trie Planner Managing Editor Jana Hlrl Derate Vfleoart Aaaoc. News EdMora Brandon Loom* Librarian Victoria Awaits Editor* Pm#Editor QanaraTkto!^ oanstiatiu „ *«»f*Jor VtoterteAyBBa Production Manager Katharine Pollcky Copy Daek Editor Paanna Netera Publication. Board Art.4ESs.ss! ch*T™ jsaar D*«raloneIdftv BtfSET *'***^ ***~ gra^ton Hatateraiiraa^—^— :-*---“■ - -—* by phoning 471-1 MlieBMBt SuBacripBra — i R BL .Lincoln, M