Portrait of the week
ABritish Troops on East Falkland, rein- forced by Gurkha and Guards regiments to around 9,000 men with 20,000 tons of equipment, prepared for the final assault on Stanley, Israel invaded Lebanon, taking the Palestinian headquarters of Sidon and advancing to within a few miles of Beirut airport. Israeli planes bombing Palestinian positions in Beirut were thought to have shot down six Syrian fighters. An all-out war with Syria seemed possible. About 200 civilian casualties were reported in the first four days of fighting. This action was said to be in reprisal for the shooting of Israel's ambassador in London, who was taken to hospital with serious head injuries, but the Palestinians denied responsibility for this. Three people arrested for the shooting were rumoured to be connected with Black September, an entirely indepen- dent organisation of terrorists.
In the Falklands, 60 Argentinians were reported killed in skirmishes around Stanley and renewed Argentianian air attacks damaged three British ships at the usual high cost in Argentinian planes. The British commander appealed to his Argentinian opposite number to surrender without fur- ther bloodshed, but it seemed likely that Argentinian orders were to defend the town. There were reports of Argentina buy- ing planes and rockets everywhere to replace those lost or expended, and Senor Costa Mendez, the Argentinian Foreign Secretary, was rapturously received by Fidel Castro at a conference of non-aligned nations in Havana.
The United States joined Britain in veto- ing a Spanish cease-fire motion at the United Nations, then changed its mind and said it wished it had abstained. This cast rather a blight on President Reagan's ar- rival to stay at Windsor Castle after the Versailles summit. Medals were handed out to those involved in the defence and recap- ture of South Georgia. As the Pope prepared to set off for Buenos Aires, the junta freed 128 political prisoners.
In Britain, Mr Hattersley accused the Conservatives of cashing in on the Falklands at the Mitcham by-election, where Tories gained the seat putting Labour in third place. A MORI poll show- ed that Conservative support in the country was soaring, and there were distinct reverberations of a Foot-must-go move- ment in the Labour Party. Buster Mottram, the tennis player, announced his conversion to the Conservative Party from previous support for the National Front, and said he hoped to become a Member of Parliament. Mr Willie Hamilton married his childhood sweetheart, Mrs Mary Cogle, at the
Newcastle Civic Centre, paying £15.30 for the ceremony, which he compared favour- ably with the cost of the Royal Wedding.
In Spain two soldiers held responsible for an unsuccessful coup attempt, Colonel Te- jero and General del Bosch, were sentenced to 30 years, but in Turkey the former Prime Minister Mr Ecevit was released from prison after 54 days when a Norwegian journalist admitting inventing an interview with him. Heavy fighting was reported in Afghanistan and an election was called in Namibia.
In London 115,000 CND supporters in Hyde Park heard Arthur Scargill urge them to civil disobedience. A one-day strike in the National Health Service was sup- ported by 40,000 Yorkshire miners who walked out in sympathy and a number of Merseyside seamen who joined pickets. Ambulance men in Newcastle refused to answer emergency calls. Wandsworth dustmen gave up a strike after six weeks. A double florin of vaguely hebdagonal shape was introduced to general derision. Seven boys were expelled from Eton for using cannabis. Professor Robert Haszeldine, Principal of Manchester University's In- stitute of Science and Technology, resigned after (but not, he claimed, because of) criticism that he had spent £312,000 on his official residence.
Two British climbers were assumed dead after disappearing on an Everest expedition organised by Mr Christopher Bonington. The Dowager Lady Salisbury died aged 95 and Lady Robertson, 80-year-old widow of the former Chairman of British Transport, General Sir Brian Robertson, died after be- ing assaulted and robbed of £35 in Rutland Gate. Her assailant was described as being dark-skinned or heavily sun-tanned, with curly black hair. Over a thousand pieces of the carpet used by Pope John Paul for his mass in Cardiff were sold for £5 each with certificates of authenticity signed by four Roman Catholic bishops. AAW
'Why do the Israelis always have to have a bigger war than everyone else?'
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