January 29, 1980 – Colliding Ships – Confronting Campaigns – Coordinating Rebels

January 29, 1980 – CBS World News Roundup – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –

January 29, 1980 – From disasters at sea to rebels in Afghanistan, it was a busy news day.

Starting with word that the Coastguard Cutter Blackthorn had sunk after being rammed by an oil Tanker off the Florida coast. Some 23 crewmen were feared dead, as the Blackthorn sank shortly within minutes of the accident. Divers braved rough seas to try and locate the missing Coastguard crew, but after several attempts at locating any survivors, it was determined wouldn’t be any more than the 27 who had managed to escape and were saved.

Meanwhile, President Carter‘s Middle East Envoy Saul Linowitz met with Egypt‘s Prime Minister Mustafa Khalil in Cairo to discuss what many had called an impasse over Palestinian autonomy. Linowitz was planning on having those same talks with government leaders in Israel.

Election ’80 was getting up to speed, with Senator Edward Kennedy issuing a broadside at President Carter’s Foreign and Domestic policies. He also recorded a speech to be broadcast in New England. In it, he also addressed the Chappaquidick incident from 1969, a subject he had been avoiding for many years. The two-minute prologue addressed concerns, rumors and conspiracy theories over the incident and was hoping to lay the controversy to rest.

The other man running was running hard in New Hampshire – Governor Ronald Reagan was busy getting the troops fired-up for the Primary Reagan could not afford to lose. The day was busy with stops throughout the state. At rallies he issued broadsides at President Carter as well as Ted Kennedy.

An Islamic Conference in Pakistan wound up condemning not only the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, but the U.S., Israel and Egypt for the Middle East Accords. Forty-One nations met in Islamabad to consider the fate of Afghanistan, now under Russian rule. The group passed a resolution calling for the immediate and complete withdrawal of Soviet troops. And then they passed a resolution condemning the Camp David Accords.

It was Day 87 of captivity for the 52 Americans being held hostage in Tehran. Newspapers in that city told of executions being carried out against conspirators and Shah loyalists to the tune of several a day. Canada closed it’s Embassy in Tehran and sent its employees home.

And Comedy legend Jimmy Durante died this day in Santa Monica – he was 86 and had been ill for a month.

And that’s just a small slice of news happening on this January 29, 1980 as reported by The CBS World News Roundup.

Liked it? Take a second to support gordonskene on Patreon!