CBS World News Roundup – April 5, 1980 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
Day 154 of the hostage drama at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Easter was quickly approaching, and even though there was no freedom in the offing, there were services to be performed by clergy who were invited by the Iranians for the occasion and who were all associated with the committee Crisis Resolution In Iran, a group that had been critical of American policy during the crisis. Meanwhile Iranian President Bani Sadr went on the radio to deliver what was called “an open letter to the Egyptian people”, demanding the return of the deposed Shah to Iran and urging the Egyptian people to overthrow Anwar Sadat. Western observers saw this as an effort by Bani Sadr to bolster his status in the eyes of Muslim clergymen, who thus far had refused to exceed at the Presidents request to turn the hostages over to the custody of the government. The Revolutionary Council was expected to vote on it later on during Easter night. In the meantime, Easter presents were arriving for the hostages as well as chocolates from various churches around the U.S.
Easter weekend was going to be spent at Camp David this year, with the President looking for some solution to the otherwise stalemated situation while officials continued to monitor the situation in Tehran. The Administration planned to maintain it’s silence unless the Revolutionary Council meets and announces a final decision on the transfer of the hostages out of the hands of the militants. Otherwise, the White House plan was to wait and see until tomorrow. If nothing happens by then, officials say it is possible, though not definite, that the President could return from Camp David to impose economic sanctions against Iran. Meanwhile, officials admitted they were in a terrible box with the realization that if Bani Sadr failed, President Carter has no other plan, no other alternative but to impose sanctions and break diplomatic relations with Tehran. Steps which even the Administration does not believe would produce a speedy release of the hostages. One White House Official was heard to say that the mood could be summed up in a word; sad.
And that’s a small slice of what happened this April 5, 1980 with Easter looming, as presented by The CBS World News Roundup.
