NBC Nightly News - 1982-08-21

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:04] The gunfire in Beirut today wasn't an

[0:06] attack. It was PLO gerillas firing in

[0:09] celebration as they left Lebanon.

[0:16] Then quietly, 400 PLO fighters sailed

[0:20] for Cyprus.

[0:34] This is NBC Nightly News. Reporting from

[0:38] New York, Jessica Savage.

[0:40] >> Good evening. 11 weeks after the

[0:42] Israelis marched into Lebanon, the

[0:44] Palestine Liberation Organization began

[0:46] leaving Beirut. Some 400 PLO guerillas

[0:49] sailed to Cyprus today. Ultimate

[0:50] destination Jordan and Iraq. The

[0:53] complete evacuation of the PLO from

[0:54] Beirut is slated to take 14 days. That

[0:57] according to a US negotiated agreement.

[0:59] Now, Israel is calling the evacuation a

[1:01] military victory over the PLO and the

[1:03] PLO claims theirs is a political victory

[1:06] over Israel. Tonight, we have three

[1:08] reports on the evacuation, beginning

[1:09] with Vic Aken in Beirut.

[1:14] >> The French troop carrier DV escorted by

[1:16] an Israeli gunboat eased down the

[1:18] Lebanese coast just as dawn broke.

[1:22] At the port of Beirut, Foreign Legion

[1:24] paratroopers and infantry lined the

[1:26] rails as the ship birthed.

[1:30] >> This elite unit then disembarked,

[1:32] carrying their full field packs and

[1:34] weapons.

[1:39] >> Once off the ship, they got right down

[1:40] to business. The platoon moved into a

[1:42] pro-Syrian guerilla position in the old

[1:45] city next to the port. Their job to be a

[1:48] buffer between the Israelis and their

[1:49] allies and the Palestinians and their

[1:52] allies.

[1:53] The French also took over from Israeli

[1:55] troops who have held part of the port

[1:57] for more than a month. The Lebanese army

[1:59] sent in some officers to assist the

[2:01] changeover and at times there was just a

[2:04] little confusion.

[2:06] >> Our troops are not here.

[2:08] >> I am only making the coordination with

[2:12] the French army. That's all.

[2:16] But basically the whole operation went

[2:17] quickly and smoothly with Israeli

[2:19] armored units moving back into East

[2:21] Beirut proper.

[2:25] These French troops will be joined by

[2:27] 500 Italians and 800 US Marines next

[2:30] week when the major part of the

[2:32] evacuation of PLO fighters will take

[2:34] place. Vic Aken, NBC News, West Beirut.

[2:42] The first 450 Palestinians to leave

[2:44] gathered this morning at the municipal

[2:46] stadium.

[2:47] It was there that goodbyes were said

[2:53] and some tears were shed

[2:56] and as the trucks moved out, the

[2:58] celebration began.

[3:14] The Palestinians believe they have

[3:15] beaten the Israelis politically and

[3:17] perhaps militarily as well.

[3:23] To the noise of shooting in the air, the

[3:26] convoy moved for a half hour into the

[3:28] port area, and there the shooting only

[3:31] intensified.

[3:43] And then finally off into what is for

[3:45] them unknown territory, the port area

[3:48] controlled until this morning by the

[3:49] Israelis. From there, under the eyes of

[3:52] the French, aboard a ferry boat for

[3:53] Cyprus. That pattern of departures for

[3:56] the PLO should continue for the next

[3:58] several days along with the noise. Steve

[4:01] Delaney, NBC News, West Beirut.

[4:13] Off they were given,

[4:16] but there were no crowds of curious

[4:18] onlookers, just a few Israeli army

[4:20] officers. It was a moment many Israelis

[4:23] had been waiting for, and Defense

[4:25] Minister Ariel Chiron was in East

[4:27] Beirut, calling the evacuation a victory

[4:29] over terrorism. Chiron rejected

[4:31] criticism of Israel for the cost of that

[4:34] victory in terms of Lebanese civilian

[4:36] casualties.

[4:38] No one in the world can come to us and

[4:41] preach to us about

[4:47] humanity

[4:49] or about

[4:53] attitude

[4:55] toward human life. We can teach the rest

[5:00] of the world about that. In the square

[5:03] of the Christian martyrs in East Beirut,

[5:05] a group of women whose relatives were

[5:07] killed by the PLO or its allies held a

[5:10] demonstration to show they were glad the

[5:12] PLO is leaving. Other people on the east

[5:15] side say they are happy to see the PLO

[5:17] leave, but there were no celebrations

[5:19] today. People went about their normal

[5:21] business, paying no attention to the

[5:23] sound of gunfire on the other side.

[5:26] People here know they still face

[5:27] enormous problems after the PLO leaves.

[5:30] Their city must be rebuilt. their

[5:32] government strengthened and they must

[5:34] find a way to get the thousands of

[5:36] foreign troops out of their country.

[5:38] Paul Miller, NBC News, East Beirut.

[5:41] We will have more on the PLO evacuation

[5:43] of Beirut in a moment.

[5:52] >> Who needs Dr. Scholes airpillow insoles?

[5:54] >> You do if you work with your feet.

[5:56] >> I walk all day long. Without Dr. Scholes

[5:59] Pillow Insoles, I quit.

[6:02] I hardly take a step, but I couldn't do

[6:04] this without my air pillow insoles.

[6:07] >> Thin enough to slip comfortably into

[6:08] your shoes and heavenly soft to cushion

[6:11] every step all day long. Who needs Dr.

[6:14] Scholes airpillow insoles?

[6:16] >> Just about anybody who hasn't got them.

[6:26] This roomy, inexpensive Subaru station

[6:29] wagon not only goes far on a gallon of

[6:31] gas.

[6:34] It also goes almost anywhere on a gallon

[6:36] of gas. Thanks to frontwheel drive, but

[6:39] if you want more traction than our wagon

[6:41] with frontwheel drive, we suggest our

[6:43] wagon with ondemand four-wheel drive.

[6:46] Subaru, inexpensive

[6:49] and built to stay that way.

[6:52] Politan presents Martha Ray, comedian,

[6:56] denture wearer.

[6:57] >> Getting that big laugh takes something

[6:59] extra. And getting my denture sparkling

[7:02] clean takes something extra. Extra

[7:04] strength politent green. Watch. Tough

[7:06] lab stains. Now extra strength. It's

[7:10] fantastic. Gets tough stains clean even

[7:13] in between. So take it for a big mouth.

[7:17] Extra strength green gets tough stains

[7:19] clean.

[7:22] Israel's foreign minister Yetsak Shamir

[7:24] reacted to the PLO withdrawal today by

[7:26] calling it a great accomplishment for

[7:28] Israel and defense minister Ariel Chiron

[7:31] said the evacuation marked a great day

[7:32] in Israel's fight against terrorism.

[7:35] Martin Fletcher has a report from Tel

[7:36] Aviv on reaction of some citizens of

[7:39] Israel.

[7:42] Israel did come to a halt today, but

[7:44] only because it's the Sabbath, the day

[7:46] of rest, and there was no sign on Tel

[7:48] Aviv's beaches of the drama 150 mi north

[7:52] in Beirut, and no celebrations.

[7:55] Much of the opposition to the war in

[7:56] Israel was based on the slim chances of

[7:59] getting the PLO out of Beirut without a

[8:01] major invasion, killing yet more

[8:03] civilians. But the PLO is leaving and

[8:06] that's a major success for Prime

[8:08] Minister Bean and his defense minister

[8:10] Chiron. Nevertheless, an opinion poll

[8:13] this week shows 76% of Israelis do not

[8:16] believe the PLO leaving Beirut will end

[8:18] terrorism.

[8:20] Later, pictures on Israeli television of

[8:22] the PLO leaving Beirut did attract

[8:24] attention. Sales in this cafe stopped

[8:26] entirely for the news. One woman

[8:29] explained why Israelis are not elated.

[8:31] >> I think it's a pure victory. Um, and I

[8:35] don't think there are any winners in the

[8:36] situation.

[8:37] >> But many Israelis believe the war did

[8:39] accomplish a lot.

[8:40] >> I think it just will be quieter and more

[8:43] peaceful for Israel for many years.

[8:45] >> We need peace. We want peace.

[8:49] >> But Israelis fear some PLO fighters will

[8:51] stay in Beirut secretly. That could lead

[8:54] to future problems. And they're aware of

[8:56] the many other problems in Lebanon. The

[8:58] Syrians must leave. The PLO in other

[9:00] parts of Lebanon must leave. All this

[9:03] before Israel will bring its army home.

[9:06] Martin Fletcher, NBC News, Tel Aviv.

[9:08] >> Other reaction. The Soviet Union through

[9:10] task. Its official news agency said

[9:12] today the Palestinians have quote

[9:14] accomplished a heroic deed in their

[9:16] evacuation of West Beirut. Radio Moscow

[9:19] said the PLO left West Beirut for

[9:21] humanitarian reasons to save the lives

[9:23] of thousands of the city's inhabitants.

[9:26] And today, President Reagan left

[9:27] Phoenix, Arizona confident that the M

[9:29] East plan was progressing smoothly.

[9:31] White House correspondent Judy Woodruff

[9:33] has this report.

[9:36] >> Before the president came out of his

[9:38] mother-in-law's home in Phoenix this

[9:40] morning, national security assistant

[9:42] William Clark told reporters that

[9:44] everything is right on in Lebanon.

[9:46] Presidential spokesman Larry Speak said

[9:48] that cables from US negotiator Habib

[9:50] indicated he was satisfied with the

[9:52] situation. Mr. Reagan showed just how

[9:55] pleased he was when he boarded Air Force

[9:57] One for the flight to California. In the

[9:59] air, Clark gave him a detailed briefing

[10:02] on developments in West Beirut. But the

[10:04] president had nothing to say on landing.

[10:07] Instead, he headed for the helicopter

[10:09] that took him to his mountaintop ranch

[10:11] near Santa Barbara for two weeks of what

[10:13] his aids say will be almost totally

[10:15] vacation time. Vacation or no vacation,

[10:19] National Security Assistant Clark will

[10:21] stay close by here to help Mr. Reagan

[10:23] monitor the PLO withdrawal on a daily

[10:25] basis. Administration officials have

[10:28] conceded that there is a risk involved

[10:30] for the 800 Marines being sent. And

[10:32] while public and congressional reaction

[10:34] up until now has been generally

[10:36] supportive, officials say they fully

[10:38] expect that to change if any Americans

[10:40] are hurt. We are holding our breath. As

[10:42] one of them put it, it's a very delicate

[10:44] situation. Judy Woodruff, NBC News, with

[10:47] the president near Santa Barbara. At the

[10:50] State Department, there's this feeling

[10:51] now that it's a time to press for an

[10:53] overall solution to the problems in the

[10:54] Middle East. Secretary of State Schulz

[10:57] said yesterday he intends to seize the

[10:58] opportunity of the rubble of Beirut to

[11:00] forge a comprehensive peace plan. From

[11:03] the State Department tonight, Fred

[11:04] Francis has this report.

[11:07] >> M East analysts at the State Department

[11:09] are optimistic that though the conflict

[11:11] in Lebanon is ongoing, the

[11:13] administration could add to what is

[11:15] being described here as a noteworthy

[11:17] list of diplomatic, political, and

[11:19] military gains. And while relations with

[11:22] Israel and the Arab states continue to

[11:24] be strained, the overall American

[11:27] prestige from this crisis is being

[11:29] evaluated here in a positive way.

[11:32] Foremost is the success of diplomacy

[11:34] embodied in the patience and stamina of

[11:36] Philip Habib. The message is that

[11:39] American diplomacy does work. A second

[11:41] gain for the administration is the

[11:43] decline of Soviet influence. Soviet

[11:46] client states such as Libya and Syria

[11:48] did little to help the PLO. Another yet

[11:51] undeveloped administration gain is the

[11:53] opportunity to move ahead on the West

[11:54] Bank problem. Israel no longer has the

[11:57] excuse that it must move slowly on

[11:59] autonomy because of the PLO threat on

[12:02] its northern border. One source said,

[12:04] "We have been telling the Saudis and the

[12:06] Egyptians for weeks now that the

[12:08] Israelis can be made to listen. Now we

[12:10] have to deliver." Well, delivering will

[12:13] not be easy. The evacuation of the PLO

[12:15] from Beirut is only stage one in this

[12:17] crisis. An Israeli advance against

[12:20] remaining Palestinians and Syrians could

[12:23] be stage two. Another possibility in the

[12:26] weeks ahead may be the radicalization of

[12:28] some elements of the PLO. In other

[12:31] words, a return to terrorist tactics.

[12:33] There are a number of other pitfalls

[12:35] which could spoil the administration's

[12:37] opportunity to put together a workable

[12:39] plan for peace in the Middle East. Fred

[12:42] Francis, NBC News at the State

[12:44] Department. The PLO and the Israelis

[12:47] leave behind them a Beirut devastated

[12:49] structurally and economically. So far as

[12:52] of this day, only the United States has

[12:53] pledged money to rebuild, but the offer

[12:56] of $19 million has been dismissed as

[12:58] being far short of the billions needed.

[13:01] No offers from Arab countries either.

[13:02] We're on our own, said one Lebanese

[13:04] official today. You have heard of the

[13:05] Lebanese miracle. Maybe just give us a

[13:07] little security and a little bit of

[13:09] time. Coming up, the PLO journey to

[13:12] Cypress. That and more next.

[13:20] >> We asked Elellanar Bailey if she thought

[13:22] her denture cleanser could clean away

[13:24] cherry stain.

[13:24] >> I would imagine so.

[13:26] >> What about a stain of cherry and tea?

[13:28] >> I don't think so.

[13:29] >> Or a triple stain of cherry tea and

[13:31] tobacco?

[13:32] >> I would be very skeptical.

[13:33] >> Then watch Extra Strength Effort go to

[13:35] work on a triple stain of cherry tea and

[13:38] tobacco with Ephford's powerful blue

[13:40] action formula. Effortent clean the

[13:42] triple stain in between. I'm going home

[13:44] and use effent.

[13:46] >> Extra strength. Ephoddent removes even

[13:48] stubborn stains between teeth. Only a

[13:51] few copers in the world can

[13:52] automatically make crisp, clear,

[13:54] readable copies from these originals.

[13:56] That includes the 3M plain paper copiers

[13:59] because they're the only copiers with

[14:02] Sensetron, a remarkable 3M automatic

[14:05] exposure system that instantly

[14:07] fine-tunes itself. So you'll get crisp,

[14:10] clear, readable copies time after time.

[14:13] It's a difference in quality you can

[14:15] see. Because with Sensorron, what you

[14:17] see is what you get.

[14:21] Open a bottle of MSAN Light and you'll

[14:23] find one thing missing. The calories.

[14:26] Presenting the delicious taste of new

[14:28] Misan Light Rosé. A wine that's true to

[14:31] its proud heritage, but with a third

[14:33] fewer calories. Smooth and delicious. We

[14:36] capture the grapes rich flavor, but left

[14:38] a third of its calories behind. Taste

[14:40] New Massan Light Rosé or Light Shabi.

[14:43] Misan Light, a wine whose time has come.

[14:46] Paul Mason will sell no wine before its

[14:48] time.

[14:50] The plan for dispersing thousands of PLO

[14:53] troops among eight countries is the

[14:54] diplomatic coup, if only for its

[14:56] complexity. Tomorrow, PLO troops head

[14:59] for Iraq and Jordan. On Monday, the PLO

[15:02] troops to Tunisia. On Tuesday, Yman and

[15:04] South Yemen. On Wednesday, Syria. And on

[15:08] September 2nd and 3rd, Algeria and the

[15:11] Sudan.

[15:14] Cypress is a staging point for some of

[15:16] the PLO on route to their new homes. In

[15:18] Cypress, preparations are underway, but

[15:20] as Stan Bernard reports, there are few

[15:22] precautions being taken.

[15:26] >> If you came to learn Cyprus today, you

[15:28] never would have known the PLO was using

[15:30] this place as a stop on its historic

[15:32] retreat from Beirut. The dock they are

[15:35] most likely to tie up to was deserted.

[15:38] Tourists at this resort island have not

[15:40] stirred except to even out a tan.

[15:43] Everyone knows hundreds of PLO gorillas

[15:45] are coming through here, but the

[15:47] preparations are minimal. Ambulance

[15:49] drivers at the hospital have been given

[15:51] no special instructions if some wounded

[15:53] are on the first boat, so they listen

[15:55] for news.

[15:59] >> And the small Lanarcha hospital has its

[16:00] usual 15 vacant beds ready for any

[16:03] emergency.

[16:05] 10 minutes from the seapport, the

[16:06] airport, and no special preparations

[16:09] here except the expectation that there

[16:10] will be a request for landings and

[16:12] takeoffs by some unscheduled commercial

[16:14] planes from Arab countries. Security

[16:18] normal. Airport officials underscored

[16:21] the fact that Cypress was only being

[16:23] used as a transit point. They said the

[16:25] PLO contingent would be moved through

[16:27] this airport with absolutely no delays.

[16:29] Stan Bernard, NBC News, at Larnica

[16:32] Airport, Cyprus.

[16:34] The PLO gorillas are not strangers to

[16:36] two of the countries which have agreed

[16:37] to take them in. Both Syria and Jordan

[16:39] are familiar with the Palestinians. We

[16:41] have two reports beginning with Keith

[16:43] Miller in Damascus, Syria.

[16:47] >> In Damascus, the Palestinian guerrillas

[16:49] will be housed in temporary campsites

[16:51] similar to those now used by Palestinian

[16:53] refugees. Nearly 3,000 men will travel

[16:57] overland in bus convoys, arriving here

[16:59] by the middle of next week. There are

[17:02] already a quarter of a million

[17:03] Palestinians living in refugee camps in

[17:06] Syria. Some of the fighters are expected

[17:08] to join their families now living here.

[17:11] The Syrian government is not talking

[17:13] about the arrival of the Palestinian

[17:14] guerrillas, but sources in the

[17:16] government say many will move to

[17:18] military bases under the supervision of

[17:20] the Syrian army. Abu Ali Mustafa, second

[17:24] in command of the radical popular front

[17:26] for the liberation of Palestine, says

[17:28] his guerillas will continue to fight.

[17:31] He says they have lost a battle but not

[17:34] the war.

[17:36] >> According to a PLO spokesman, Damascus

[17:38] will also be the home at least for a few

[17:40] days of PLO leader Yaser Arafat. Sources

[17:43] in the PLO say Arafat will proceed to

[17:46] Tunisia where he will set up new

[17:48] headquarters. Keith Miller, NBC News,

[17:51] Damascus.

[17:55] In and around Aman Jordan, there are 12

[17:57] Palestinian refugee camps. They're

[17:59] bricks the same color as the surrounding

[18:02] sands. But there is a brightness of

[18:04] spirit at least in the camps today

[18:06] because sons, brothers, and fathers will

[18:10] soon be home from Beirut. For Musa

[18:13] Ibrahim, it will be two nephews.

[18:15] >> I am very eager, very, very, very eager

[18:18] to see them.

[18:20] >> But 12 years ago, King Hussein was eager

[18:22] for the PLO to leave his country. His

[18:25] army forced the Palestinians out in a

[18:27] month now known as Black September.

[18:30] But this August, no one in the

[18:32] government is talking about that. The

[18:34] king has said that no returning member

[18:35] of the PLO will be allowed to have a gun

[18:37] here, but other than that, there will be

[18:39] no restrictions. The first evacuees are

[18:42] due to arrive in Aman tomorrow morning.

[18:45] >> So tomorrow afternoon, there may be two

[18:48] more men on Musa Ibrahim's porch.

[18:51] Eric Burns, NBC News. Aman

[18:55] >> NBC News will broadcast a special report

[18:57] tonight called the PLO Leaves Beirut at

[19:00] 11:30 Eastern, 10:30 Central Time. Next

[19:03] up, a Paris bombing, a Soviet space

[19:05] reunion, and the rest of the day's news

[19:08] when we return.

[19:15] We're afraid to go out at night. The

[19:18] streets just aren't safe anymore. If the

[19:20] cars and trucks don't get us, the fleas

[19:22] and ticks will. But now there's the

[19:24] heart's twoin- one plus nighttime safety

[19:27] reflecting collar. The first flea and

[19:29] tick killing collar that reflects

[19:31] oncoming car headlights. Nighttime

[19:33] safety plus it kills fleas and ticks

[19:36] round the clock for 5 months. The hearts

[19:38] twoin one plus reflecting collar. Now

[19:41] the famous hearts flee and tick killer

[19:43] can be a lifesaver, too.

[19:46] >> The Hilton's right across the street.

[19:47] >> Let's meet back at the Hilton at 8. meet

[19:49] you at the Hilton half. I'm over at the

[19:50] Hilton. Come over. 5 minutes to get to

[19:52] the Hilton.

[19:52] >> I'm at the Hilton.

[19:53] >> Let's walk over to the Hilton. I'll meet

[19:55] you later at the Hilton. You know the

[19:55] Hilton's got the best steak in town. See

[19:57] you at the Hilton.

[19:58] >> And you can reach me at the Hilton. Just

[20:01] call me at the Hilton and we'll get down

[20:03] to your business right away.

[20:08] >> When American business hits the road,

[20:10] American business stops at Hilton,

[20:12] America's business address.

[20:16] >> Hi, I'm Paul Rivere. I've been on the

[20:19] road all night racing around gulping

[20:21] coffee and chicken pot pie for dinner

[20:24] sitting here like a rock. Dog ripped my

[20:27] pants. And you know I still don't think

[20:29] half of them believe me. It's enough to

[20:31] give a patriot an upset

[20:35] stomach.

[20:36] >> Upset stomach. Pepto-Bismol. It coats,

[20:40] soothes, relieves.

[20:41] >> I guess I'm just not a night person.

[20:45] In Paris today, French police said they

[20:47] believe a powerful bomb that exploded

[20:49] was meant for a US diplomat. The bomb

[20:52] was planted under the car of Rodri

[20:53] Grant, a commercial counselor at the

[20:55] American Embassy. When experts attempted

[20:57] to dismantle the bomb, it exploded,

[20:59] killing a bomb disposal expert and

[21:01] injuring one police officer. John

[21:03] Cochran has a report on all of this from

[21:05] Paris.

[21:06] Terrorist

[21:08] attacks have been commonplace in Paris

[21:11] over the past month, but today is the

[21:13] first time this summer that police

[21:15] believe the intended victim was an

[21:17] American. A bomb inside a parcel

[21:20] exploded near the home of Roderick

[21:21] Grant, the commercial counselor at the

[21:24] American embassy. The bomb had been

[21:26] placed under the American's car,

[21:28] according to informed sources. But Grant

[21:31] drove off in his car before the

[21:33] explosion, not knowing the bomb was

[21:35] there. When the parcel finally was

[21:37] spotted, French police called in bomb

[21:39] disposal experts. While they were

[21:41] examining it, the bomb exploded, killing

[21:44] one policeman, critically wounding

[21:46] another.

[21:54] Both French and Lebanese terrorist

[21:56] groups have claimed responsibility.

[21:59] The police don't know who planted the

[22:00] bomb. The police do know they are under

[22:03] intense pressure from politicians and

[22:05] the public to crack down on all

[22:07] terrorists.

[22:08] John Cochran, NBC News, Paris.

[22:13] >> Soviet cosminauts Lana Savitzka was

[22:15] welcomed aboard the Salute 7 orbiting

[22:17] space station by two male cosminauts

[22:19] today. The scene was aired on national

[22:22] television, but Lana is the second

[22:24] Soviet female cosmonaut and the first in

[22:27] 19 years to join other cosminauts in

[22:30] space.

[22:31] Coming up, a possible pension problem

[22:33] for former Braniff workers. That and

[22:35] more when we return.

[22:44] >> Now more people take Unisome than any

[22:47] other sleep aid. Millions have

[22:49] discovered that UNISOM works. They fall

[22:51] asleep faster. Only UNISOM has docamine.

[22:55] And in medical tests, Unisome helped

[22:57] people feel drowsy. So they fell asleep

[23:00] faster, significantly faster than they

[23:02] did without Unisome and slept better all

[23:05] night. For occasional sleeplessness,

[23:08] more people trust Unisome. Take Unisome

[23:11] and fall asleep faster.

[23:13] >> Impossible, Miss Marorrow. Cotton

[23:15] comfort and trio smoothness in one bra.

[23:18] >> Say the magic words crossed your heart.

[23:20] Tada! Plex cotton trio bra. Inside 100%

[23:26] cotton, so comfortable. Outside

[23:28] clingfree trio and it lifts and

[23:30] separates for a better figure.

[23:32] >> It is magic. My trick your treat.

[23:36] >> Try Plex Cross Your Heart cotton trio

[23:39] bra.

[23:39] >> Now save 20%.

[23:41] >> 20%. That's some sale.

[23:43] >> What made Chevy the bestselling small

[23:45] car in America last year?

[23:47] >> All the standard features. Reclining

[23:49] front seats, AM radio, shift console,

[23:51] white stripe tires, fold down rear seat,

[23:54] and lots of other things. Is it Chevet's

[23:56] great gas mileage? A big 30 EPA

[23:59] estimated miles per gallon, 42 estimated

[24:01] highway.

[24:02] >> Could it be Chevet's low price? It's

[24:03] still one of the lowest price Ford

[24:05] hatchbacks sold in America, foreign or

[24:07] domestic.

[24:07] >> During Chevy's factory authorized

[24:09] clearance, special allowances to dealers

[24:11] make possible savings of hundreds of

[24:12] dollars.

[24:14] >> Braniff Airways is seeking to terminate

[24:16] its pension plan covering 9,300 former

[24:18] employees. Braniff would shut down

[24:20] operations in May, admitted its pension

[24:22] fund is nearly a million and a half

[24:24] dollars short of what employees are

[24:26] entitled to in benefits. Several weeks

[24:28] ago, Braniff confirmed that it had paid

[24:30] more than $4 million to its lawyers and

[24:32] its ad agency the day before it filed

[24:34] for protection from its creditors.

[24:37] AFL CIO President Lane Kirkland today

[24:40] spoke out against President Reagan's tax

[24:42] program, and he did his speaking

[24:43] worldwide on a Voice of America

[24:45] broadcast. Kirkland said the

[24:47] administration's overall economic

[24:48] program has quote a perverse order of

[24:51] priorities that helps the rich instead

[24:53] of the needy. And while Kirkland and

[24:55] other Democrats criticize the $98

[24:57] billion tax hike, saying it's too much,

[24:59] people at the White House are now

[25:00] assessing the battle to gain passage of

[25:02] the bill. White House correspondent

[25:04] Andrea Mitchell has this report.

[25:09] >> Uh

[25:11] to lose

[25:13] >> No, not yet. He can do a hell of a while

[25:16] to get some.

[25:17] >> Political operative Lynn Knoffser can

[25:19] take off his shoes again. After helping

[25:21] out on the tax bill, he's out of the

[25:23] White House, but still thanking people

[25:25] for their votes. Conservatives like

[25:27] Richard Vigory have talked to top Reagan

[25:29] aids about making up. I uh expect that

[25:33] uh everybody will come together and and

[25:36] pull uh hard to uh help elect uh the

[25:41] most number of conservatives in this uh

[25:43] November election.

[25:44] >> The president's lobbyist said the

[25:46] conservatives will be back for the next

[25:47] fight to get more spending cuts.

[25:50] >> I wouldn't be surprised some would come

[25:51] down here. Um, and the president

[25:53] certainly has demonstrated he can reach

[25:55] out and build a coalition in the House,

[25:58] but the fundamental coalition of Ronald

[26:00] Reagans is one of Republicans and

[26:02] conservative Democrats.

[26:03] >> The president may forgive, but when it

[26:05] comes time to campaign, Knicker said he

[26:08] won't forget.

[26:09] >> It's going to be difficult for the

[26:10] president personally to campaign for for

[26:13] people who voted against him because uh

[26:17] you're so far down the road toward the

[26:19] election. And NSER said the president

[26:21] doesn't owe Tip O'Neal anything.

[26:23] >> I think Tip needed him as much as as as

[26:26] he needed Tip. Remember this, this is

[26:28] the first one that Tip has has won also.

[26:32] So So we kind of restored a little bit

[26:34] of Tip's leadership. I thought it's a

[26:36] two-way street. I don't think the

[26:37] president's beholden to Tip O'Neal.

[26:39] >> The president plans to campaign against

[26:41] Tip O'Neal and the Democrats as big

[26:43] spenders anyway, despite their help on

[26:46] the tax bill. It may appear ungrateful,

[26:48] but that's politics. Andrea Mitchell,

[26:51] NBC News, at the White House. And

[26:54] finally tonight, a Milwaukee TV

[26:55] meteorologist got a jolt of lightning

[26:57] for ignoring some of his own advice.

[26:59] 38-year-old Joe Witty was talking on the

[27:01] phone to his news director during an

[27:03] electrical storm last night when an

[27:05] electrical shock went through his right

[27:07] arm and down in his ear. Witty says he's

[27:10] okay because it was not a direct hit of

[27:12] lightning. Otherwise, he said, quote, I

[27:14] probably wouldn't be around. giving more

[27:16] advice about electrical storms. That's

[27:19] our report tonight. Bob Kerr will be

[27:20] here tomorrow. I'm Jessica Savage from

[27:22] New York. Thank you and good night from

[27:24] all of us at NBC News.

[27:32] Tomorrow on Meet the Press, Secretary of

[27:34] State George Schulz gives his first

[27:36] television interview. Meet the Press at

[27:38] a special time, 12 noon Eastern

[27:40] Daylight.

[27:56] over

[28:04] here.

[28:09] Heat.

[28:26] NBC reports the PLO leaves Beirut.

[28:37] What's next for the PLO? How long will

[28:40] peace last? When will US involvement

[28:42] end? NBC reports tonight.

[28:50] >> Coming up in just a minute on the scene

[28:52] at 6, a deep split continues to plague

[28:54] unity efforts for the GOP in Tennessee.

[28:57] Flood ravaged communities in the state

[28:58] will know tomorrow whether or not

[29:00] they're eligible for federal disaster

[29:02] relief. And any attempt to operate a

[29:04] farm for downtown Dereliks in Nashville

[29:06] will not work. According to the director

[29:08] of Nashville's Union Mission,

[29:12] >> these stories and more news coming up on

[29:14] the scene at 6.

[29:18] Tennessee State University's weekend

[29:20] college is for anyone wanting classes

[29:22] Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Over 50

[29:25] college courses available this fall.

[29:27] Register now at 3203398.