One in this series of nightly news programs. The second of four installments about the way an American president and his senior advisors act in a crisis situation. The roles of the president and his staff are played by the following people, all of whom have real-life experience in this field: Edmund Muskie, secretary of state under President Jimmy Carter; William Hyland, deputy national security advisor to President Gerald R. Ford; Winston Lord, currently president of the Council on Foreign Relations; James Schlesinger, secretary of defense and CIA director during the Nixon administration; Antonia Chayes, undersecretary of the Air Force during the Carter administration; General Edward Meyer, former chief of staff of the U.S. Army; Hodding Carter, assistant secretary of state during the Carter administration; Richard Pipes, senior National Security Council advisor on the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe during the Reagan administration; Richard Holbrooke, assistant secretary of state during the Carter administration; and Clark Clifford, secretary of defense during the Johnson administration and advisor to Presidents Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy. As the program begins, correspondent Rick Inderfurth reviews the events that occurred during the first twenty-four hours of the game, and explains that this crisis group meeting is taking place two weeks later. U.S. troops have arrived in Iran and the Soviet government has had time to reconsider the decision to invade Iran. John Mason, who acts as military analyst, briefs the crisis group on the progression of Soviet troops in the Middle East; Christopher Makins, who acts as diplomatic analyst, briefs them on the political unrest in Europe; and Barry Blechman, who acts as diplomatic analyst, relates recent events at the United Nations. In addition, the crisis group learns the number of Soviet troops deployed into Iran. On day sixteen, former ambassador Arnold Horelick explains that the presence of U.S. forces in Iran is considered a threat to the Soviets and is unacceptable to the Soviet leadership, after which the group discusses the situation. Then, Koppel speaks with the New York Times national security correspondent Leslie Gelb about the channels of communication between the two superpowers. The group debates what their response will be to the illegal destruction of a U.S. aircraft by Soviet forces, after which Gelb and Koppel discuss the crisis group’s restraint. After the president leaves to attend to other duties, the group re-examines the nuclear option and considers whether they can protect their interests with conventional weapons if Soviet forces continue to push south toward the Persian Gulf. Then, Koppel asks Gelb why the crisis group continually speaks in euphemisms when referring to the use of nuclear weapons. When the president returns, the crisis group continues to discuss nuclear weapons, but the president halts the conversation and says he does not wish to discuss nuclear options at the present time. Koppel questions Gelb about the fact that the U.S. never completely rules out nuclear options as an option, after which the crisis group discusses the option of declaring war and the concept of horizontal escalation. As the program concludes, Gelb summarizes the recent discussion. Continues with T84:0276.

Cataloging of this program was made possible by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, 1997.