April 11, 1983 - Another Peace Plan Bites The Dust.
April 11, 1983 - The Middle East Peace Settlement falls apart. King Hussein drops out, citing PLO unwillingness to come to terms. PLO Moderate leader Issam Sartawi assassinated. MX Missile program. Star Wars Defense initiative gets promoted by Caspar Weinberger. Nuclear Freeze Initiative introduced. Kenneth Adelman confirmation battle. Shuttle Challenger heads back to Cape Canaveral after successful landing. London streets blocked and traffic snarled while WW2 era bomb is defused.
News this day was about the sudden collapse of any Peace Settlement in the Middle East. Jordan's King Hussein issued a tersely worded note saying the PLO weren't serious in discussing any worthwhile peace deal. This was hot on the heels of the assassination of PLO Moderate Leader Issam Sartawi in Portugal. Reagan scrambled to put a positive spin on things, but the damage had been done and now it was back to square one.
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill - Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger was busy going on a promo tour for the Star Wars Missile Defense initiative, trying to drum up support. And a plan was introduced to keep the MX Missile program going, despite a Nuclear Freeze Initiative introduced in the House. Also on Capitol Hill, a fight was underway over the confirmation of Kenneth Adelman as Director of Arms Control.
The Space Shuttle Challenger was heading back to Cape Canaveral to ready for its next launch, after a successful landing the day before.
And all roads were closed in London and traffic was snarled for miles in every direction as a World War 2 era bomb was being defused.
Just one of those kinds of days.
As heard on The CBS World News Roundup and the 9:00 am (Pacific Coast) network news for April 11, 1983.