This Day In 1970's History: Monday November 26, 1979
- A partial American evacuation from about 10 Moslem countries was announced by the State Department, which said that dependents, non-essential personnel and private businessmen should "voluntarily" leave those countries to minimize risks in the aftermath of the turmoil in Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the White House held to its position on Iran, saying it would reject any arrangement that did not begin with the unconditional release of all 49 American hostages in Teheran. [New York Times]
- An appeal for the immediate release of American hostages in Iran was being prepared by the United Nations Security Council. The members weighed whether to issue the appeal from the council or its president.
Iran's leaders seemed divided over a request by Secretary General Waldheim for a United Nations Security Council meeting. Officials said they had asked for a week's delay in the meeting so that Iran could clarify its positions. But the Iranians' price for releasing 42 American hostages still appeared to be a surrender of the deposed Shah for trial in Iran. [New York Times]
- The financial dealings of the Shah, his family and associates are being investigated by the revolutionary government of Iran, which began to publicize some findings. An official said that records showed almost $800 million in loans by 12 banks in Iran, none apparently American-controlled, made to the Shah's two sisters and associates on unusually generous terms. [New York Times]
- Interest rates dropped sharply amid widening speculation that they have passed their peaks and are now headed downward. The Bankers Trust Company lowered its prime corporate lending rate to 15½ percent from a record 15¾ percent, marking the first break in a continuous upward trend in bank loan rates since early October. In response, stock prices soared. [New York Times]
- A veteran exposed to atomic tests became the first known former serviceman to win federal benefits in a case in which cancer was diagnosed after the victim left the military. The ruling by the Board of Veterans Appeals constitutes its first acknowledgement that cancer and exposure to radiation could be related. [New York Times]
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