European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 1, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Pages the stars and stripes thursday. January 1, 1987 1986 the year in review challenger leads list of top stories by the associated i Rev following arc the top 10 stories of 1986, As selected by associated press member editors and broadcasters in the United states 1. Save shuttle challenger explodes seven die. 2. White House embroiled in Sale of arms f j Iran and siphoning profits to Nicaragua Contra rebels. 3. The Accident at the chernobyl nuclear reactor in the soviet Union. 4. . Air strikes against Libya. 5. Corazon Aquino s peaceful ouster of president Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines 6. Congress votes major amendments to the Federal tax code. 7. The Summit in Iceland. 8. Global terrorism. 9. New efforts to combat drug Addic Tion. 10. The . Economy. Here in summary Are the top 10 Sto Ries Oft 986 challenger explosion or the frigid morning or Jan 28, the nation s schoo. Hildren and their parents watched in horror Ashe space shuttle challenger blew apart 73 seconds after liftoff at Cape canaveral Fla. The worst space Accident in history which follow 24 successful shuttle missions in five years killed All seven Crew members including Christa Mcauliffe a 37-Ycar-Ord Concord n.h., Soctt studies teacher chos Enas the Al Rel Ordinary citizen in space. A presidential commission traced inc Accident to faulty design of inc space shuttle s of rings the solid rocket Booster joints. It also criticized 8 decision by Nasa and contractor Morton Thi Okol to treat the design flaw As an acceptable flight risk. Studies showed inc risk to be virtually non Sis leplat temperatures of 50 degrees but concluded that colder weather could cause the of rings to leak. The night before the Mission the temperature at the launch site dipped below freezing Tor 10 hours. It was 36 degree sat launch time. A recommendation by several Morton Thi Okol Engi neers that the Mission be postponed went unheeded due the commission said to pressure to meet an Over challenger blow apart shortly after liftoff Jan. 28. Ambitious flip Chi schedule. The resulting tragedy jarred americans As few recent events had it also had a profound effect on the nation s space program prompting a management shake up at Nasa and the grounding of future shuttle mis Sions until at least february 1988, the iranian arms Deal the very idea stretched credulity Here was an administration publicly committed to the principle of no deals with terrorists shipping arms to Iran allegedly to Marcos fled the Philippines after Aquino became president. Try to free american hostages in arms shipments there were and funds from the sales were diverted via a Swiss bunk to the Nicaragua contras and All that without a whisper to Congress. As inc Story unfolded in november it became Clear jul president Reagan s National Security adviser. Vice adm. John poin Duxler was deeply involved As was Marine it. Col. Oliver North who was attached to the National Security Council staff. North had accompanied former National Security adviser Robert Mcfarlane to Iran earlier in the year escorting a plan Load of military equipment. And is Rael had been pan of the arms Supply initiative in other deliveries attorney general Edwin a desc Iii Given custody of the initial investigation said the president did not know of the arms deliveries. But questions remained. Did the Chain of authority higher than North and Poindexter in congressional testimony behind closed doors Mcnese Donald Regan the while House chief of Salt and George Schuliz and Caspar Weinberg or secretaries of stale and defense All said Thoy had known nothing a bout the diversion of funds. North was tired and resigned. Both took the fifth amendment before congressional commit tees. A special counsel has been appointed to pursue an Independent investigation while special House and Senate committees will likewise investigate the Langley Ait air. At year s end president Reagan s personal pop Uli Irisy held in inc polls but the Iann polls showed a serious slippage in his credibility. Accident at chernobyl in inc Early hours of saturday april 26, Fie Cherno Byl no. 4 reactor near Prip Yat to Miles North of Kevin the Ukraine caught fire and blew up spreading a Luud of Hiil circled the Globe. For no girly 72 Imus. Inc Kremlin kept silent. Finally on april 28, in lie Fate of my online evidence from so Man Ivian scientists whose monitoring do a Sci a Imd det Ned the increased radiation the soviets Acari Siuk Jude the Amdi fit Iii imn Plant workers Liu had been conducting Una Lori de experiments. The result a disaster. In a Iiguel j soviet report mid Thi eve Lusion Cmillett continued on Page 9
