May 3, 1982 – CBS World News Roundup – Charles Osgood – 9:00 am news – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
May 3, 1982 – The Falklands crisis was once again front page news. Seems the U.S. was attempting to broker a settlement via Peru between Secretary of State Haig and Peruvian President Belaúnde Terry. Cautious optimism fell flat on its face as both Britain and Argentina gave a resounding No.
In the meantime, tensions were heating up. Britain was stepping up pressure by mobilizing the Fifth Infantry Brigade, which was still in the UK as well as requisitioning the QEII as a transport ship for several thousand troops. The latest reports were of a Helicopter attack on two Argentine vessels; one was sunk and the other sustained damages. All the Helicopters involved returned to base safely, despite Argentine propaganda to the contrary. Argentina neglected to mention the attack on their ships and it wasn’t until later that acknowledgement of the attack on the Cruiser Belgrano and the damage it sustained was given. The attack was the primary reason for the rejection of the 7-point ceasefire proposal from the U.S. and Peru. Argentine President General Galtieri said the current situation in the Falklands was just the beginning of more hostilities.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, civil unrest was threatening to engulf Warsaw as thousands of people in support of Solidarity gathered to protest against government orders. Polish riot police fired teargas and water cannons into a crowd estimated at 15,000 Solidarity demonstrators who gathered in Warsaw’s Old City. The demonstrators chanted “Down with the Junta!” and “Free Lech Walesa” as water cannons pursued the demonstrators through the narrow winding streets of the Old City. The demonstration had been planned two days earlier at the First Solidarity rally since Martial Law. Authorities warned they would deal firmly with any disruptions this day and by all appearances, they did so. Police arrested a large number of protestors and a larger number of protestors were injured as a result of the Police crackdown.
And aside from the minute-to-minute changes in the Falklands, that’s just a little of what happened, this May 3, 1982 from the CBS World News Roundup, Newsbreak with Charles Osgood and the 9:00 am network news. Busy day.
