SUNY Plattsburgh - Cardinal Yearbook (Plattsburgh, NY)

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NEWS CARDINAL SECTION YEARBOOK THE HOSTAGE DRAMA On November 4, 1979 the U.S. Em- bassy In Tehran was seized by Iranian militants who took 66 U.S. diplomatic personnel prisoner. Thirteen of them were released November 20 and another on .inly 17, 1980. On Novem- ber 14 Iran announced that It would withdraw Its assets from I ' .S. banks. President Carter forestalled Uiat action by freezing all Iranian assets. He severed diplomatic relations with Iran on April 7, 1980 and ordered trade sanctions against Iran April 17. Eight days later eight servicemen were killed during an ulxirtcd rescue mission. On November 2, 1980 the Iranian Parliament, die Majlis, approved die hostage release terms announced Sep- tember 12 by Ayatollah Khomeini: The I ' .S. must release property and assets of die Shall, cancel all financial claims against Iran, release all of die frozen assets, and promise not to Interfere In Iran ' s Internal affairs. As the weeks progressed there were debates over and slight modifications to this 18 proposal until December 19 when Iran came out with its final reply to U.S. proposals. Their demands were that die United States deposit 24 billion dollars In die Central Bank of Algeria before die hostages were released. On • January ' 15. Behgad Nabavl, Iran ' s chief negotiator said Iran agrees in general with the U.S. proposal but demands die transfer of frozen assets to an Eskrow account. On January 18 Nabavl announced diat the U.S. and Iran have reached an agree- ment on resolving die issue of the hostages. On January 20 at 12:25 p.m. ( EST) two Algerian planes earning die hostages left Tehran Airport for home.

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It ' s so comforting to spend a few hours with a friend . . . To laugh about silly things weVe done together in the past, To talk over the latest important and unimportant happenings in each of our lives, To dream and fantasize a bit about what the future may hold. And sometimes we might just sit quietly together . . . Drawing from the strength each gives the other, Enjoying a few minutes of tranquil peace, Building up courage to turn and face the world again.

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ELECTION ' 81 Former California governor Ronald Reagan overwhelmed Jimmy Carter on November 4 to become die nation ' s for- tlcdi president Public opinion surveys noted a trend toward Reagan in die final week of die campaign but virtually all said diat the election was too close to call. ' Hie results, diough, were one-sided. Nearly complete returns gave Reagan an ab- solute majority of the popular vote and an 8,285,987 vote (or 10 percentage point) lead over Carter. He carried 44 states and won 489 electorial votes compared to Just 49 for Carter, who carried only 6 states and the District of Columbia. Independent candidate .John 13. An- dersen did not win any states. But with 7% of the vote he exceeded the 5% threshold needed to qualify for past election public financing. Falling well below the threshold were the other three party candidates. Libertarian Ed Clark drew 876,557 votes (one percent) in nearly complete but unofficial returns. Trailing with Citizens Party entry Darn - Commoner with 220,789 votes ' (0.3 percent) and Right to Life candidate Ellen McCor- mack with 34,744 votes (0.04 percent). In die vice presidenUal posidon, chosen by Reagan, is George Bush. ABSCAM Congressional Scandal Abscam, short for Arab-Scam, began in 1978 as an FBI invesUgaUon of stolen paintings and organized crime. By die time It disbanded early in February 1980 it had grown into a massive and highly secret undercover operation in which agents — posing as businessmen and rich Arab sheiks — had implicated eight members of Con- gress as criminals. These members supposedly agreed when asked if they could use their poslUons to help Arabs obtain U.S. residency, grants and gam- bling businesses for large sums of money in return. : OR PRESIDEN1 SHIP SINKS On Saturday morning October 4, 1980, the Prinsendam, a cruise ship owned and operated by Holland America Cruises burned and sank. The fire, which started in the engine room and spread to die rest of the ship, forced 470 passengers and crew mem- bers into canvas covered life boats on the open Alaskan seas while forty crew members remained on board to battle die fire. Altogether there were 510 people aboard. Thirteen hours after the ship was abandoned, a rescue was made with helicopters and two ships. A head count was taken and it was not dis- covered until hours after the rescue was completed that 20 people could not be accounted for. A search was in- itiated and die missing lifeboat was not found until 1:30 Sunday morning. The 18 passengers and two paramedics aboard the lifeboat were cold, but alive and well. EARTHQUAKE On November 23, 1980, a dls- asterous earthquake leveling much of southern Italy left many homeless while approximately 3,068 were listed as dead. Rescue attempts became delayed because of a breakdown in com- munication. It took several days for of- ficial rescue teams to assist many of the towns, therefore causing many of the villagers to offer aid to their relatives and friends trapped beneath the debria The Italian government argued that all had been done within human and institutional possibilites of our system. The Liberal and Communist parties, however, attributed die high mortality rate to inefficient govern- ment interaction. The reactions of die Italian people toward their govern- ment ' s efficiency in administering aid will be seen in Italy ' s coming General Election.