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Another day of watching, waiting and listening – President Carter today told the American Legion the United States is capable of responding to a threat to peace in any area of the world. In his prepared speech, Carter also told the Legion’s legislative conference that efforts to release of U.S. hostages in Iran have reached “a particularly sensitive and intense stage.” He gave no details on the step-by-step negotiations – that involve the creation of an international investigative commission to go to Iran and reportedly a framework for eventual release of the hostages. On another matter, Carter made clear he does not expect a Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan by Wednesday. But he reiterated, “We will boycott the Moscow Olympics unless Soviet invasion forces withdraw by February 20.” “That deadline is tomorrow,” he said.
Meanwhile, The United States and Iran have accepted the membership of a commission to investigate the former shah, and the panel will go to Tehran in a few days, the United Nations announced yesterday. But there was no word on how or when this might bring release of the hostages held in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. In Washington, State Department officials said the diplomatic plan for release was “on track” but with no firm timetable. The officials said the U.S. probably will not be certain about the freeing of the hostages “until we see the whites of their eyes.” U.N. Sec.-Gen. Kurt Waldheim was quoted by a Vienna newspaper as saying the hostages would be released “in the course of the commission’s work. Otherwise one would not have received the agreement of the two sides.”
And negotiations remained frozen today and unlikely to thaw soon as the firefighters’ strike entered its sixth day, with Mayor Jane Byrne refusing to bargain and seeking ‘ to enforce a court-ordered ban on pickets. The mayor said the city intends to go to court to have picketing strikers removed from in front of fire station houses. Circuit Judge John Hechinger had issued an order Sunday enjoining firefighters from picketing. Meanwhile, officers of the Chicago Federation of Labor announced Monday that the federation is urging its members to observe the picket lines and not participate in any firefighting work. The labor leaders summoned Frank Muscare, leader of the striking firefighters union, to a meeting to discuss the walkout.
And along with the developing story of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan that’s just a slice of what happened, this February 19, 1980 as reported by CBS Radio: The World Tonight.
