News stories from Saturday April 7, 1979
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- A fight between the oil lobby and President Carter was shaping up over the President's proposed "windfall profits tax" on the oil companies. Mr. Carter said in a speech written for delivery tomorrow night at a Democratic fund raiser in Richmond, that he was prepared to fight the oil lobby in Congress to insure that the decontrol of domestic oil prices does not become "an excuse for a rip-off." [New York Times]
- The Trident-missile submarine "Ohio" was launched in Groton, Conn., the lead ship of a group that might be depended on most by the United States in its build-up of strategic power. But the ceremony became the occasion for a speech from Senator John Glenn, questioning the United States' ability to monitor a strategic arms agreement with the Soviet Union, a speech that was toned down at the request of President Carter, who was concerned about intelligence information.
Protesting the Trident submarine launching, an estimated 3,000 anti-nuclear demonstrators rallied in Groton, Conn. More than 200 were arrested for trying to block shipyard entrances. Participants in the peaceful rally came from all over the East.
[New York Times] - President Carter responded to a new effort in the Senate to permit "voluntary prayer" in public schools with the comment, "I think the government ought to stay out of the prayer business." He declined to say at a meeting of editors at the White House whether he felt that the prayer amendment sponsored by Senator Jesse Helms was unconstitutional. [New York Times]
- Amir Abbas Hoveyda was executed by a firing squad at Qasr Prison in Teheran. The execution of Iran's former Prime Minister, who became the Shah's Minister of Court, took place about 15 minutes after he had been sentenced to death by an Islamic revolutionary court. The Iran regime still holds in custody about 1,300 political and military figures associated with the Shah. [New York Times]
- The transfer of the Arab League from Cairo to Tunis in retaliation for Egypt's treaty with Israel will be obstructed by Egypt. "Neither the Arab League headquarters nor any of its affiliated bodies will be transferred from Egypt," Foreign Minister Mustafa Khalil said in the People's Assembly. Egypt, he said, insists on Arab solidarity. In a first step to prevent the removal, Egypt's Central Bank ordered local banks not to release the League's funds or those of its affiliates. [New York Times]
- Normalizing relations with Rhodesia probably would be an aim of Margaret Thatcher if her Conservative Party wins the British general elections May 3, making her Prime Minister, and if Rhodesian elections beginning April 17 go well, her associates said. [New York Times]
- Libya took its troops from Uganda, depriving President Idi Amin of the means of his final defense against Tanzanian and Ugandan exile invaders. Diplomatic sources said the Libyans, believed to number 1,000 to 2,000, had been airlifted to Tripoli. [New York Times]