News stories from Sunday November 9, 1980
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Iraq is engaged in an Islamic holy war with Iran, President Saddam Hussein said in an address marking the new Islamic year and the beginning of Islam's 15th century. Western and third world analysts in Baghdad said that his assertion that Iraq was waging a holy war was intended to legitimize the conflict and to portray Iraq as the true defender of Islam, thus challenging the authority of Ayatollah Khomeini, a Shiite, who has called for the overthrow of Iraq's President. [New York Times]
- Most of the thousands of illegal aliens who slip into the United States are bypassing the farms and ranches where they have usually found work for better jobs in the service, construction and manufacturing industries. The trend seems certain to intensify the debate over whether the aliens, who provide a pool of labor for jobs many Americans do not want, are an advantage economically or a threat to job-seeking Americans. [New York Times]
- A stronger Social Security System would possible if it were linked to the development of an investment-based economic growth policy, because a buoyant economy inevitably adds to retirement funds, the Joint Economic Committee of Congress said. Its staff report said that despite increases in the payroll tax the reserve levels of the old age and survivors' trust fund, which covers nine out of 10 employed Americans, could be entirely depleted by the end of 1981. [New York Times]
- The outcome of Puerto Rico's election for Governor apparently will not be known for weeks because of a breakdown of the new voting system on election night and a virtual tie between the incumbent, Gov. Carlos Romero Barcelo, and former Gov. Rafael Hernandez Colon. A recount by hand of about 1.6 million paper ballots is necessary. Voters dealt a serious setback to the Governor's plans to start moving Puerto Rico toward statehood. [New York Times]
- Saturn's multi-hued world emerged as the spacecraft Voyager 1 continued to take photographs of the planet. The pictures showed contrasting bands of pale yellow, golden brown and reddish brown running parallel to the planet's equator, as well as high-speed jet streams coursing through the hydrogen-helium atmosphere. Saturn's rings continue to surprise and puzzle scientists. [New York Times]
- Amtrak has set passenger records in the last 12 months despite the elimination of 5,000 miles of routes and six long-distance trains. One of the biggest traffic increases has occurred between Los Angeles and San Diego, where Amtrak provides seven trains each way daily. [New York Times]
- An appeal for Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, Iran's former Foreign Minister, was made by former Prime Minister Medhi Bazargan, who called on Ayatollah Khomeini to intervene in his behalf. Mr. Ghotbzadeh was arrested Friday for criticizing the Islamic Republican Party's management of the state-owned TV and radio system, which he directed after the revolution last year. There were also outbursts in Parliament between Mr. Ghotbzadeh's foes and friends. [New York Times]
- Efforts in Poland to avoid a break between the government and union leaders over a union charter failed to bring a compromise. At issue is a clause in the charter of the new union, Solidarity, affirming the "leading role" of Communist Party in the independent union movement, inserted by a lower court last month. The union leaders, who threaten a series of strikes beginning Wednesday, want the clause removed. The Supreme Court is to decide the issue on Monday. [New York Times]
- Members of Israel's Labor Party left Cairo saying that they were satisfied that they had established a "close relationship" with President Anwar Sadat and other Egyptian officials after three days of talks. Elections are scheduled in Israel next year, and opinion polls indicate that the Labor Party may win. The group visiting Egypt included Shimon Peres, Abba Eban and Chaim Bar-Lev, all former cabinet ministers. [New York Times]
- A meeting in Madrid to review the Helsinki accords is scheduled to begin formally Tuesday with the East and the West still divided over the agenda. An attempt by a member of the Swiss delegation to establish common ground between the two sides failed. [New York Times]