With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

                                       For the story behind the story...


                         Sunday April 8, 2001; 4:37 p.m. EDT

                         China Held Back 16 Crew Members at Last U.S. Visit

                         Chinese authorities on the island of Hainan denied U.S. diplomats
                         access to most of the crew of a downed reconnaissance plane
                         during a Saturday night meeting, contrary to widespread reports in
                         the American media Sunday that all 24 U.S. hostages were made
                         available.

                         Monday's South China Morning Post reports that the Chinese
                         allowed only one third of the American crew held hostage since last
                         Sunday to meet with U.S. representatives.

                         "The White House revealed that only eight of the crew, including the
                         pilot, had been at Saturday's meeting, where U.S. diplomats passed
                         on e-mails from home, toiletries and the latest American sports
                         scores," the SCMP said.

                         "Despite U.S. pressure for unrestricted access twice daily to the 21
                         men and three women held on Hainan Island.... only eight of the 21
                         had been permitted to attend the last meeting Saturday night,"
                         reported the paper, indicating that three U.S. female crew members
                         were among those left behind by the Chinese.

                         Apparently U.S. Defense Attache Brig. Gen. Neal Sealock, who
                         attended the meeting, made no mention at an early Sunday morning
                         (China time) press conference that the Chinese had denied access
                         to two-thirds of the U.S. crew.

                         Sunday morning's U.S. news accounts quote Sealock as assuring
                         reporters that the crew was in "very high spirits," but said nothing
                         about China's ominous decision to withold access to most of them.

                         National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice reportedly complained
                         about the new limitation, with the SCMP saying she told CNN the
                         restriction "isn't helpful" and that the U.S. wants "unfettered access"
                         to the detainees.

                         But Rice's complaint could not be found on CNN's website and she
                         made no mention that 16 of the hostages had been witheld during a
                         wide ranging interview with the network's Wolf Blitzer on CNN's
                         "Late Edition" Sunday afternoon.

Nothing like an "unbiased media"(oxymoron)...

I think they actually share some DNA.
[red][size=4] P.R.K.