Peter Nardelli: The audio network of United Press International presents a documentary in sound, the major news events of the year. You all hear history in the making and voices of those who made the headlines on 1982 in review.
Nick Charles: 1982 was the year that saw economic problems both at home and abroad. A change in the soviet leadership, following the death of President Leonid Brezhnev.
Unknown Speaker: “The head of the Soviet Communist Party is Yuri Andropov, who stepped down as Chief of the KGB, only a few months ago. His election was announced after the meeting of the central committee, where he was nominated by his rival Konstantin Chernenko and drop off, he is said to be a technocrat, enjoys the support of the army and important policy establishment, which see him as a pro-proponent to the Reagan Administration.”
Nick Charles: A tough stand by President Reagan as his administration prepared to deal with the new soviet hierarchy.
Reagan: “It's going to require some action, not just words. For 10 years their talk was based on words from them and not any deeds to back those words up and we need some action, that they, it takes two to tango, that they want a tango also.
Nick Charles: There was more turmoil in the middle east, with the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the massacre of two Palestinian refuge camps in Beirut.
Unknown Speaker: “It was the scene that was truly horrible. There were just dozens and dozens of bodies lying about and the wreckage of their home, men, women and children piled up on top of one another. Some of them were already covered by dirt and chunks of concrete. Bulldozers had through when they tried to push the wreckage of people's home on top of the bodies, possibly to hide them from prying eyes, but there too many bodies and there was no way to hide all of that.”
Patrice Secora: 1982 also saw the introduction of Marshal Law in Poland and hostilities over a tiny group of islands in the South Atlantic.
Unknown Speaker: “Britain and Argentina moved suddenly from being distant friends with a long standing disagreement over the Falkland Islands, which they had never been able to settle to adversaries teetering on the brink of all out war.”
Nick Charles: I am Nick Charles.
Patrice Secora: And I am Patrice Secora.
Nick Charles: A look at the year end retrospect on 1982 In Review.
