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Busy day in the world, this February 7th. Iran’s turmoil has overshadowed of late the Mideast’s longest-running crisis. What action there has been on the Arab-Israeli conflict has been largely talk and that has been largely in Washington with efforts to get the Egyptians and Israelis back to the negotiating table. But Jordan’s King Hussein recently contributed a few words to the subject, expressing himself in a brief interview in The New York Times as more doubtful than ever that direct Egyptian-Israeli contacts could produce a settlement. He called upon Egypt to return to the “family” so that all Arabs, including Palestinians, could negotiate with Israeli from a position of solidarity. It may be recalled that Arab solidarity had produced stalemate and a rising threat of renewed war before Egypt’s President Sadat broke ranks with his mission of Jerusalem.
The results of that initiative may be disappointing to date, but at least Sadat’s courage in making it and Israeli Prime Minister Begin’s in taking him up got things moving. It is questionable that a return to Arab solidarity would mean anything hut a return to the status quo ante. King Hussein is an outstanding realist among Arab leaders. It is difficult to see what advantage he or anyone else would see in such a development-other than Palestinian extremists who, if they can’t get everything, will take violent stalemate..
Waves of jet fighters and helicopters flew over Tehran Tuesday in a new show of government force as supporters of a rival government named by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini marched through the city. Thousands of pro-Khomeini demonstrators defiantly waved their fists at the aircraft and shouted “Allah Akhbar” (God is great). The air display emphasized the resolve of Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar to stay in power until elections can be held. In Washington, the State Department dropped its no-comment stand on the Iranian rivals and declared, “We support the constitutional process in Iran and we recognize the Bakhtiar government.” Department spokesman Hodding Carter added, “We will continue to deal with that government on an official basis.”.
And another freighter jammed with Vietnamese Boat People sailed into Hong Kong waters this day. Government officials said the ship could stay indefinitely but questioned whether the 3000 passengers were true refugees or people who had bought their way out. The officials said the Boat People could not come ashore because Hong Kong’s refugee camps were full and that it would be more humane to keep them on the relatively roomy 3506-ton freighter Skyluck than to bring them ashore to the crowded camps and food was sent to the ship. The Taiwanese freighter dropped anchor at Lamma Island about two miles southwest of Hong Kong. About 30 policemen boarded the freighter. Sources close to the government said they seized documents and questioned the passengers and crew.
And that’s only a small slice of what went on, this February 7th in 1979 as reported by The CBS World News Roundup.
