News In Brief

Churchwomen report held pending Salvadorean trial

The State Department said Tuesday it has classified a report on the 1980 killing of four American churchwomen in El Salvador, pending a decision on whether it would jeopardize a trial of five national guardsmen accused of the killings.

A spokesman said the report will not be released until after the trial if US officials decide it could be declared prejudicial and used to dismiss charges against the guardsmen.

The report says there is substantial evidence the guardsmen are guilty of the murders, the New York Times reported Wednesday.