i7k NN n' tj -rw n"- Approved For Release 2000/08108: CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 f -THYVASHINGTONTOST CPYRGHT 111tkiiiNo, irroin AL put Higgins on triai,before "a tribu- .... xk"`~ 7- :'... tAtement' nal of the oppressed" on spying is "nonsense ~s 's "nonsens" ...to "kry" their ch, arges. d captor efforts lled, captor e ictiiris 11 grolesqdeirid 4A-peoer, The Organization of the Op- ictims .4grot 8 universal con- pressed on Earth, believed made up n 9( civiliged aq on ~~ civili4ec [iepi 3~ofI~~tjece ept~6fjustjc~e?~,, be`niioi~u-nicling - what of Shiite Moslems loyal to Iran, had charged that Higgim,used his UX it called the' "cynical attempt' to exploit the plight of Higgins during Christmas. seaspri, the State De- fpartment-called'40i his immediate and iiii~~nditionai I relea'se. lAdministration sources said U.S. officials have been unable to deter- mine the validity 'of the announce- ruent or any of the previous claims ,-by ~ Higgins~--:~ captors, Washington Post staff writer Molly Moore re- ported. "There is a great feeling of helplessness," said one administra- tion offic-ial.], Higgins, 43 .of IDa Inville, Ky., was head of a.,76-man observer gro ,up ittached to'the U.N. peace-keeping force in southern Lebanon when he was kidnaped near the southern t~6f*fcity of Tyre on Feb. 17. The new picture of Higgins, the second in '10 moath§, resembled a Aotograph released by the kidnap- ers April 21, That photo showed the baldiiig~ Higgin%, stoop-shoul- dered with his eyes cast down, not looking at ,, the. camera.,. He -had gray. stubble On his; cheeks and Was wear- ing a dark fielliacket. The statern ;elhi'accomoanvine the 1"'. iw ti ~~3111*4p, W llko, Uli S, 't JIT uniform as a cover for espionage,,,,,.-,:,. In 'today's Aatement, the Voup said, "It has been proven by clear- cut evidence that [Higginsl and bis American team of observers ire guilty of providing WILLI ICIIA111) HIGOJ~$&- the Zionist i6n- emy with accurate and "re"nge for blood detailed mil- of rnart~&' itary and security information about our resistance fighters, their posi- Per6z"de-'Cuellar, made a special tions, movements, supplyappeal for Higgins' routes release when lie and the quaritity and accepted%the Nobel quality of their Peace Prize in " weaponry. the 10,00O.U.N. ' Oslo on- behalf of. 6Ver to , "The spy has been turnedpeitce-keepi~g forces.. those responsible for Tonight, a U.N. spokeswoman executing this just and revolutionarysaid, ~'the secretary verdict," the general urgently statement said. No calls on those holding specific execu- Col. Higgins tion date was mentioned,not to carry out tbeir,threat but to There have been three release him immediatelv other And un- communications front harmed. The se Icfetary the group general also.,. since Higgins! abduction-twurges all those who'may be in a po,_ statements listing demands for hi sition to help to do all that th ey cqn release and.a videotapeto assist in securing in. 'whic the release. " ~ Y ' 1 . ii$ sin s . ftq,q foreigners fliggins,repeated.thieare p,,, ' dei14 The demarids-K6ii~~ . jhle` qqpt " i e'r and presumqd-Whaped W ' n - lease of Palestinian They are"nine, An'"Ier a d Lehan, , tcans, t ree ih P. '... -t J one ItiWti ael Britons, on Irishman, prisoners held bbyy Isr art I -~ 'Swiss. The longest th held proxy militia, the and a Sou e o ~Js ..,., , . , Army. Israel rejected th iierican- Terry Anderson, 40, of ~ 0 4 On Saturday, the se The Associated Press,~ tar who was cre eral of the United ijapgd March I 6,1S_5_ N(ttions, Javi r ecute. Z V1'Jsrae"fi:~,RWdFHda1Y *atement. Hostage o7J7rs-i`T=bt- ;atloft, usiiifty insert'a picture with a ~s,t&'rhent'to pro ve its authenticity ' . In its statement, the group said the decision'to kill Higgins wits a attacks against "our -people, iq,0ccupieq Pal- estine"-7~_..th e,.Wea Bank and Gaza StrliO-aif' predo nan 4tl,yShiite southern Lebanon. It also said Higgins would die in - "revenge for the blood of the mar- tyrs of the latest Israeli raid" on Palestinian guerrilla base, nine mile S souih of Beirut. Nine guerrilla S -were killed.Friday in the Israeli at tack. An Isra 'eli officer also,died. [In Washington, the 'State De %-pq~ment issued a statement saying the . charge that Higgins was -a sp! See HIOGINS, A36, Col. I -Col. Williaih R.~Higgins said t6day they had decided to. ",executd' their hostage because lhcyj~eliev' he isa~ spy for Israef. "We haveisswd the irrevocable sentence to execute, this American spy," said a typewritten Arabic statement signed by the Organiza-,~ tion of the Oppressed on Earth and Aelivered to the independent Beirut newspaper An Nahar. A photocopy of a'picture purport- ing to show Higgins,,,the Tqst re- cent kidnap victitil'of -nine Ameri cans held ho*ak~ in~-.Lp Anon, Vas printed at the bofto'W"of1he,1J5-li11e C~YRGHT CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08: CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 CPYR "The World Is Fresh and Bri h 9 ,AM d Beaut After recuperating in Antigua, Terry Anderson talks about his chief captor (surprisingly pleasant) and the West's mistrust of Islam ByDAVIDAIKMAN NEWYORK ivere? A. We had oui- ~aiesses. Thev would always deny be- ing connected With the Hizballah [Party ot'God], but I don't think ~t s surprising that kidnappers should lie. We belic\ ~-d I lizballah was the unibrella organi- zation, althotiLh it's not a tinitary group but an as- scmhlaae of factions or family-connected groups. All had different nanies. It was vei-~ Mranae. There were Brian Keenan, John McCarth Frank Reed,Tom Sutherland and 1, all in the Beka'a Valley in one underground secret prison, all ofus beina held tinder different names. We wolild latilh ahoLi't it, wondering which hat they 11MI.- %I\) 11N,1992 he going to wear the Islamic Jihad hat and talk to Tom [Sutherland] and me? Orwas he going to wear the Islamic Dawn hat and talk to Frank Reed? Q. Didyou ever meet theperson who seemed to be in charge of all the hostages? 1* Is, Tl,,, was a gentleman called the la, who was the chief of our particular faction, and I guess one of the senior members of Hizballah. Ile was ac- tuallya verypleasant man. He was a rather stocky man. I never saw his face, of course, was not allowed to, but my biggest impression is ofhis hands. Ile has big, thick hands, and he's paunchy. Ile would come in, and he'd take my hand, and he'd say, "Assalamu alaykiim [Peace be with you I." I'd say, Wa alayktim essalam. Haj." He'd say, "I~ee( hatak [How arcyoul?" He was unquestionably in control. I nican, they Jumped when he came. Ile almost always spoke soft- ly, and he almost always seemed reasonable. Ile was not vicious to us, as some ofthe guards were, partic- tilarly when lie wasn't there. Q. ffhe caim, into thc room noiv, ii)hal wouldymi say to hila? A. Ooh, that's MUCII, much tOO diffiCUR. I 1IM-C 110 reason to like the maii. Ile was responsible for hav- ing me kidnapped and for chaining me to a %vall. I don't want tosee hint ever again, and I have i1o idea what I wotild say lo him. Q. Yoii ivere n,ilh 7~,ri ij l1loilefora lonq limr. What lol/ .... ....i......... CPYRr-,HT 571 Approved For QP1Z9'P-~!'ddTO/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 CPYRGHT Approvea For P*e*"qv9MWA0AdsGJA4Mpa&9GN9J personality. There were disagreements in the room. I have nothing bad to say about Mr. Waite. I think he's a very, very courageous man, and I ad- mire what he tried to do. About half the year we were together, lie had extreme asthma, to the point where I thought he was going to die on us. Ile would hyperventilate himself to unconsciousness. It's very difficult to live in a small room with a man who has got asthma, because you don't got any sleep. He's gasping all night long and having crises and attacks. Q. What were the disagreements about? "You can't lock five men in a room for 24 hours a day without fighting about something. Sometime-s ii would LC Soi~ off I- ar rnv 'T~ a ~*k ~_ ~ , like, thc. v;n you p~av A. You can't lock five men in a room for 24 hours a day without fightingabout something. Sometimes it would be something as small as "Stay off my cot, or my mattress," or "I don't like the way you play bridge," or something like that. Q. You were moved to different locations about 20 times. How did they move you? A. Usually in the trunk of a car or quite often in a se cret compartment built under the bed of the truck and bolted in. They would come in, and they'd take this wide plastic tape, shi - ing tape, and they'd tape ipp you up. Then they would wrap a to-wel around your head this way and over your eyes.- You'%vere just like a mummy. Q. How could you breathe? A. They left your nose out. A couple of times I had lights with them. I had to struggle and buck and go "Mmmmm!" because I had a cold. I had to make them understand that they couldn't completely cov- er my mouth, because I couldn't breathe. You'd get exhaust fumes underneath the truck. I was death] afraid during one move that I was going to vomit was very sick, and of course my mouth was taped up-and that I would choke to death on my vomit. When we went to South Lebanon, it was four or five hours underneath that thing. Once they dressed me in a chador [the head-to- toe veil of strictly religious Muslim women] and put those little round spot Band-Aids on my eyes, and then they put the sunglasses on. Well, the Band- Aids came loose, and with the prescription sun- glasses on, I could see perfectly well. So I was sitting in the back of the car with a guard sitting next to me, just kind of peering around. Q. What do pou think about the Iran-contra affair? A. It was a bad mistake. Those kinds of bargains are not the way to deal with kidnappers. They only encourage more kidnapping. I think it made it very difficult for Reagan to convince the kidnappers that lie was still a virgin, that he wasn't going to bargain with them, because be had already done it once. Q. During your years as a captive, you we7 e constant- ly exposed to the beliefs ofyour kidnappers about themselves and the rest of1he world. Whal were they saijinj( - I? A. They were radicals within the fundamentalist movement.The way they interpret their religion al- lows them to do things or to justify to themselves doing things that any normal reading of the Koran would find insane or evil. I've read the Koran; I'm ~0A~o640Mf4rly plain, and they're not all tha( different from Christianity at base. They are paranoid in the way they look at the world. They see America as the Great Satan that does everything wrong, and yet it is all-powerful, and therefore all American acts must be deliberate; they can't be the result of accident or misunder- standing, or simply stupid policy. Q. Do you think Westerners understand this mentalityP A. No, not at all. Even many of the hostages after some years of it could not understand it, could not grasp it. We need to understand these people, we've got to understand their motives, how their minds work. Q. What did they allow you to read in captivity? A. At various times we did have a lot of books. The book I got first was the Bible, and I kept that almost throughout my captivit)f,- though not the same copy. I read that over and over and over and over and over again and thought about it. That book was by far the most important to me and remains the most impor- tant to me. -- We got westerns, we got scielk-e- fiction, we got good books,_)ye g6trome exc,ellentb -aoks on political theory, college textbook stuff in paperback that was very interesting. Then when we moved to the Bekda Valley, the books ended for some reason. They got us TwE and Newsweek and the Economist and, for soin&_-nagou, FoRTUNE and-Business Week fairly regularly. Q. Didyourphilosophical outlook change whileyou were a captive? A. I was brought up a Catholic. I left the church and was an apostate for most of my life. I called myself an agnostic, which simply means I was too lazy to figure it out. I returned to the church, luckily enough, about six months before I was kidnapped. I believed in God, I believed in Jesus Christ, I believed in the things the Catholic Church believed in. Well, not all of them. I'm not sure the Pope would like me too much, but I am a Catholic, whether he likes it or not. And thinking seriously about my religion was providential, I guess, because I needed it very badly when I was kidnapped. Q. After being awayfrom the U.S. so long, wha t has struckyou on your return? A. I think it's a better world, in general. Despite the events of the past few days, I think America is also making progress. I think it is a better place than when I lefts I had worked through in my head a lot about my life before I was kidnapped that I didn't like. I thought of myself as not a good person. And pray- er, and I think God's touch, brought me back out of that, gave me a different way of looking at things. Q. Doyou have any bitterness toward thepeople who held you_fbr so long ? A. I don't have any time for it. I don't have any need for it. It is required ofmc as a Christian to put-that aside, to forgive them. I pray for them. I wish them no ill in their lives. My life is very, very busy- it is full ofjoy. The world is fresh and Jwight and beautiful. 58 18, (992 Approved For Release 2000/08/08: CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08: CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 CPYRGHT A42 Ftui)AYMAjtcj(16,1990 Ri Moslem Group Threatens *To Kill Three Hostages BEIRUT-A Moslem faction holding three American professors hostage threat- ened yesterday to kill them if the United States fails to meet its demands, which it did not specify. The group, the Islamic Jihad for the Lib- eration of Palestine, also threatened to at- tack airlines that carry Soviet Jewish im- migrants to Israel. The organization, believed made up of Shiite Moslems loyal to Iran, made the threats in a statement delivered to the newspaper An-Nahar, accompanied by a -photograph of Polhill, one of three American educators kidnapped in 1987. The others are Alann Steen and Jesse Turner. The statement denounced "media reports about humanitarian moves to free the hos- tages" and asked "the authors of these moves not to interfere in this matter be- cause we are holding agents and spies against our people, and they will be exe- cuted if the American administration fails to meet our demands." Mongolians Promised Vote a ULAN BATOR, Mongolia-Mongolia's new Communist Party leaders promised to hold the country's first free,elections after 169 years of communist dominance. CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 UPYRGHT 1-3 Now Vi'ct'i A N in Lebanon -OPYR Terrorists kidnap a U.S. officer serving with unprotected United Nations observers DIIPARTMENTO"~~ A glaring security breach: Higgins n the field -----------GPYRGHT he first reports were bad enough. A U.S. Marine Corps officer attached to a United Nations peacekeeping unit had been kidnapped in south- ern Lebanon, apparently by pro- Tranian gunmen. The victim, Lt. Col. Wil- liam R. Higgins, 43, instantly disappeared into Lebanon's terrorist underground, where eight other Americans have long been held prisoner. Then came word that made the nation's newest hostage drama look even more serious. It turned out that in his previous assignment, Higgins had worked in the office of Caspar Weinberger, who was secretary of defense at the time. Contrary to usual practice, Higgins went from his sensitive post at the Pentagon to a new job as an unarmed, unguarded U.N. observer in lawless Lebanon, with an American flag sewn on his shoulder. It wasn't clear what Washington could do to help Higgins. President Reagan off- handedly told reporters that "we'll try to get him located, and certainly we want to rescue him." Fearful of increasing the risk to Higgins, White House aides quickly said that they had no idea where he was being held -and insisted that no rescue mission ;trongest hope was that other Muslim mili- iamen would track Higgins down and take iim away from the rival Shiites who kid- iapped him-a perilous undertaking at )est. Meanwhile. Washington tried not to hink about the glaring security breach hat allowed Higgins to go to Lebanon in he first place. For more than 48 hours, the Pentagon nanaged to keep a lid on Higgins's back- ground. The Defense Department's new spokesman, Assistant Secretary Dan How- ard, easily persuaded Pentagon corre- spondents not to publicize the fact that "Rich" Higgins had spent two years as a relatively low-ranking aide to Weinberger. But that was hardly a secret; Higgins's as- signment was listed in recent editions of the Pentagon phone book, which is sold to the public. Two days after the kidnapping, a Beirut radio station revealed the Weinber- ger connection. With Higgins's cover blown, the Pentagon announced that he had served as "a junior military assistant" and was "one of`36 people who worked in the immediate office of the secretary," where bp "handled T)aT)-rwork and other adminis- Weinberger's top military assistant was C(k lin Powell, then an Army major general and now Reagan's national-security adviser. Higgins, who is married to a Marine ma- jorand hasateenage daughter, volunteered for duty with the United Nations in Leba- non. He was facing one of the toughest "cuts" in an officer's career, the jump from lieutenant colonel to full colonel, and there was a shortage of jobs in which he could stand out. "He wanted a field command," said one colleague, "and he wanted some- thing that was adventuresome, where he could be independent." The U.N. assign- ment would give him command of 75 truce observers and could open the door to other political-military slots in Washington. Pulling strings: He was well qualified for the job, having specialized in Middle East issues during a hitch on the Pentagon's International Security Affairs staff. Hig- gins pulled strings to get the U.N. assign- ment, which normally goes to an Army officer. Pentagon gossip had it that Wein- berger's influence won him the post; in any case, his position on the secretary's staff gave him what the military calls "juice." 32 NEWSWEEK : FEBRUARY 29, 1988 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 DRIWOU-GAMMA-LIAISON Self-defortse- A cuwdaeacekeepers on Patrol north of the Israeli border Approved For Release 0 net 0789ROO0400040001-3 ^r "__ h u n ts tv~, "N 0. S ut- - Marine'r".,-,~ colonel TYRE, Lebanon (AP) United Nations peacekeeping troops and Shiite Moslem militiamen sealed off 300 square miles of southern Leba non today, searching for a kidnapped U.S. Marine officer who heads a CPYRGHT U,N. observer team. Lt. Col. William R. Higgins, 43, was abducted yesterday by gunmen who blocked a highway and pulled him from his car. His abduction brought to nine the number of Amer- icans held hostage in Lebanon. U.N. troops and Justice Minister Nabih Berri's Shiite Moslem Amal. niilitia combed the region around tj,,~ ancient port of Tyre" as the search went into its second day. "We hope the kidnappers will have no chance of slipping out with their captive. That's why all exits have been blocked," an Amal spokes man said- _ oksel, spokesman Ifor the T U.N. lnot~IrGjm Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, said the search had U.N. '-peacekeepin,g troops operating in 6*ir zone and Amal militia active in othi~r,non-U.N. sectors. "fias vowed to car- ry on the search until Higgins is found." ' % i Official's said two gunmen in a brown Volvo car seized Higgins af- ter blocking the coastal highway three miles south of Tyre. Higgins was driving back to UNIFIL head- quarters in the border town of Naqoura after wieeting Amal offi- cials. Higgins, of Danville, Ky., has commanded the 76-member Observ- CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 CPYRGHT 7>. t',S. Mat', i"jute Otfficervn~jrs- Abducted in Lebanon Gunmen Seize Colonel Working With U.N. By Nora Boustany Special to The Washington Post BEIRUT, Feb. 17-A U.S. Ma- rine officer in charge of a U.N. ob- server group in Lebanon was kid- naped by unknown gunmen today as he drove in a two-car convoy near the southern port city of Tyre. The officer, identified by Penta- gon officials as Lt. Col. William Richard Higgins, 43, of Wood- bridge, Va., was seized after leaving a meeting in Tyre with Abdel Ma- jeed Saleh, a senior political official of the mainstream Shiite Moslery Amal group, Amal officials said. By late tonight there was n( claim of responsibility for the attact and no indication of who might hav( carried it out or of the motive. The kidnaping, which brings t( nine the number of Americans hel( captive in Lebanon, brought imme diate expressions of concern fron the White House and the Unite( Nations, whose peace-keepinj forces in southern Lebanoi mounted a wide search for the miss ing officer. "Most of [the U.N. peace-keepin, force] is involved in the search, ir cluding helicopters, and we are gel ting substantial help from Amal, Timor Goksel, spokesman for th U.N. peace-keeping force, said. The White House called for th prompt release of Higgins. Pres dent Reagan, asked about the ki( naping as he boarded Air Force On in California to return to Washin ton after a vacation, said, "We' still investigating, trying to lea more about it." U.N. Secretary General Javi Perez de Cuellar, traveling in A rica, expressed "profound concern n .I 0 a U.N. spokesman in New Yo r said, and Undersecretary Gene Marrack Goulding, who is traveli ic efforts to gain-Hiffins"rele4k .1 - , The kidna6ing'came just ,12 A,o after two .. Scandinavian officials the U.N. Relief and Works Agew which administers the Palestini refugee camps in the Middle Ea were kidnaped by unknown gunir in southern Lebanon, and it raiE new fears for the safety of the thi sands of foreigners working in v ious U.N. organizations in chac Lebanon. Higgins served with the U Truce Supervision Organization small unit that, since its format in 1948, has supervised armist agreements between Israel Unit Leader Had Sought Lebanon Duty By Molly Moore and Lynda Richardson Washington Post Staff Writers Marine Lt. Col. William Richard (Rich) Higgins, kid- naped by gunmen in Lebanon yesterday, "actively sought" the post with the U.N. obser- vation unit he heads in that country, according to Penta- gon officials. Higgins, 43, lived in Wood- bridge when he was assigned, last June to the Lebanon Ob- server Group, part of the U.N. Truce Supervision Or- ganization that operates throughout the Middle East, Pentagon officials said. Last month, he became chief of the 75-member Lebanon unit, which includes 16 U.S. mil- itary officers, officials said. Pentagon and State Depart- ment officials said yesterday that Higgins' kidnaping has not triggered discussions about removing the remaining U.S. team members from Lebanon. "These people are not as- signed as a national contin- gent," said State Department spokesman Charles E. Red- man. "There are U.S. officers assigned to this organization, and as such, they are under the authority and responsibil- ity of this [U.N.] organiza" 1 ;'131 101 tion." t", I., Some Pentagon offiMaf~ex_ presbud concern over the vul- the State Department has' recommended for the past several years that American civilians leave that country. But other military officials noted that the United States has participated in the UA unit since it was formed in 1948 and did not withdraw its members even after the 1983 bombing of the Beirut Marine barracks, in which 241 Ma- rines and other U.S. person- nel died. The Lebanon Observer See MARINE, A19, Col. 1 CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08: CIA-RD USA TODA'Y - THURSDAY, FEBRUAh, CPYRGHT The -other' eigmht held-- in Lebanon A k: A LT. COL. WILLIAM HIGGINS Pulled from car by gunmen Thomas Sutherland, ag culture dean at Arneric; University of Beirut, w seized June 9, 1985. ............ Frank Herbert Reed, direc- Robert Polhill, a business tor of Lebanese Interna- professor at Beirut Univer- tional School, was kid- sity College, was seized napped Sept. 9, 1986.. Jan.24,1987. Jost-ph Cicippf Alann Steen, a journalism tro;ter at Arnerlca~ Unimve pro ~r_ fessor at Beirut Univer- sity in Bei'r'ut, was kid- sity College, was kid- n,,rpcd Sept. 12,1986. napped Jan. 24,1987. X- PYR HT C G T71a Missing Americans erry Anderson, 40, chief Middle East corre- , r,-; 0 snondent of The Associated Press. Kidnapped .N"'irch 16,1985. Thomas Sutherland, 56, agriculture dean at the American University of Beirut. June 9, 1985,--": `~" Frank Reed, 55, director of the Lebanon Intema- tional School in Beirut. Sept. 9,1986. JOSePh ClCiPP10, 57, acting controller of the American University of Beirut. Sept. 12,1986' Edward Tracy, 57, author. Oct. 21, 1986,' Jesse Turner, 40, visiting professor of ma&- mutiesand computerscience at Beirut Unive'r.""! sitv Col!ege. Jan, 24, 1987. Fo~.ort Polhill, 53, assistant professor of bu- ness tit Beirut University College. Jan. 24,1987. -076- Alann Steen, 48, journalism professor at Beirut University College. Jan. 24,1987. arine Lt. Col. William Higgins, 43, head of a U.N, observer group attached to th6 U,N, 1nterftn::.k11- Force in Lebanon. Feb. 17, 1988., Don Approved For Release 2000/08/,08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Terry Anderson, cq"'e Edward Tracy, a writer spondent for Assocllate~ from Vermont who was liv- Press, was kidnapped. ing In Beirut, was abducted March 16,1985. Oct. 21,1986'. Approved For CPYRGHT K)04100040001 ma--- A111' CPYRGHT Hostade Escape Attempt "S lann Steen, one of nine A American hostages still held in Lebanon, tried to escape from his terrorist captors but was caught and beaten, U.S. in- telligence has learned. Fellow hostage Mithileshwar Singh, an Indian with U.S. resident status who was freed last month in Damascus, has told U.S. officials that Steen didn't make it far before neighbors in the Beirut suburb where he was held last year spotted him and turned him in. Several fillings were knocked out of Steen's teeth when he was beaten, Singh said. One of three teachers cap- tured with Steen from the Bei- rut University College campus in 1987, Singh told U.S. officials he was treated better than the Americans because he is Indi- an. The four men were kept in Beirut but moved frequently because their captors feared a U.S. rescue effort. Most of the time they were chained and sometimes blindfolded. Their captors never talked politics; critical of the United States, they also fantasized about a U.S. visit. All four hostages had expected to be released around Election Day or the presiden- tial Inaugural, Singh said. 110STAGLS The Taxmen Strike Again It was just the sort of heartless harassment that has made the Internal Revenue Service one of the most resented arms of the Federal Government. A while ago, the IRS sent a computerized notice to journalism professor Alarm Steen, telling him that if he did not cough up back taxes due on his 1984 return within 30 days, the tax collectors would take him to court. But there was a hitch. For the past 21 months, Steen has been one of the Americans held hostage by Islamic terrorists in Leba- non, As such, Steen, 49, seems to qualify for the unofficial IRS policy not to pursue hostages or prisoners of war. That exernp- tion expires once a hostage is freed. It may be enough to make captivity look just a little bit at)nealinp_ TIME, NOVI Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 AWAR--SYGMA Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Israel Says 5 Hezbollah Guerrillas Killed Associated Press CPYRGHT JERUSALEM, Aug. 24-Israeli troops ambushed and killed five guerrillas of the pro-Iranian Hez- bollah group in southern Lebanon today, the Army command said. Six of the soldiers were wounded. Guerrilla and Israel artillery bat- teries exchanged fire after the bat- tle, and the attacking soldiers moved back behind their lines, Is- rael television reported. Hezbollah, or Party of God, is an umbrella group for Shiite Moslem extremists believed to be holding American hostages in Lebanon. The clash was near the village of Kaou- kaba, north of Israel's security zone in southern Lebanon. The zone, up to 10 miles wide, is patrolled by about 1,000 Israeli sol- diers and more than 1,000 Soutli Lebanon Army militiamen trained and financed by Israel. The Army command said the Israeli force op- erafed in Lebanese territory on a search-and-destroy mission. The Army command said five of the soldiers were treated on the spot and a sixth was slightly wound- ed and hospitalized. Israeli troops were last known to operate outside the security zone in May, when they attacked two Hez- bollah strongholds, killing more than 40 guerrillas. Three soldiers died in those attacks. In Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli soldiers shot and wounded up to 15 Palestinians today. Troops fired on Palestinians who hurled stones and burned tires in the central market, the Army said. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 200 8A4.lA-RJDP_ 6-00789R000400040001-3 TON POST ~9y r JACK ANDERSON and DALE VAN ATTA Why Khomeini's Designated Heir Quit CPYRGHT he fanatical followers of Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini tortured their own ambassador to the United Nations nearlv to T death '. That Was the last straw that drove Khomeini's designated successor to resign last month, according to a highly sensitive Central Intelligence Agency report. The report details the secret struggle between Khomeini and Ay~~tollah Hussein Ali Montazeri, 'Who was designated in 1985 as Khomeini's heir. According to the CIA, Montazeri was furious over the arrest of Mohammed Mahallati, Iran's ambassa.dor'to.,th6-tj~i~4,~.d-Na-tions-.-The Pasdaran, Khomeipi's Revolutibnary Guard Corps, claimed that~A4~halia'ti~w''a's-fi6t,faithful.to the revolution. They arrested him in Tehran and tortured him until he had a heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital in cKiticatcondition. u,ch for Montazeri, who had long it was, too i~ been disgusted with Khomeini's abuse of civil rights in his country. The resignation doesn't inake Montazeri a saiht. Even at his most charitable, he is by no means.a nice guy. It was Montazeri who called for attacking 'Americans anywhere in the world after the USS. Vincennes shot down an Iranian airliner mistaken for a bomber last summer. For years, Montaz6ri has supported terrorism Montazeri's faction leaked the story of the U.S. arms-foi-hostages deal to a Lebanese magazine in November 1986. Montazeri had hoped that the exposure would cripple the chief backer of the deal, Iranian Speaker of the Parliament Hashemi Rafsanjani. Instead of being mad at Rafsanjani, Khomeini turned on Montazeri and had at least 200 of Montazeri's followers arrested, including his son, son-in-law and brother-in-law. The brother-in-law, Mehdi Hashemi, was tried for various "crimes" and executed in September 1987. Montazeri wisely kept a low profile after that episode, but would occasionally object to Khomeini's repressive domestic policies. Last summer, when Khomeini's regime hit rock bottom and had to accept a cease-fire in its long and bloody war with Iraq, Montazeri was emboldened. He wrote-at leAst.two secret leiters~:ofprotest to Khomeini about-the t6rtUrd,-ir d executions of political opponents. Thousands of dissidents, many of them members of the anti-Khomeini People's Mojahedin, haver been imprisoned without trial and tortured to rnak&them admit the error of their ways 'or cough tip th'e names of their compatriots. Khomeini ordered wholesale executions of his opponents after the cease-fire. He feared that without the distraction of a war, his internal enemies could foment iebellion. Montazeri's objections festered for months. Khomeini became increasingly angry with the man who was once his student, whom he called "ithe.,, light of my fife.~t i'-41 the t6tttwe of the U.N. ambassador, Khomeini demanded his resignation. Khomeini said it.was clear Montazeri didn't have the stuff to succeed him to this "Very grave responsibility that requires endurance more than your capacity." Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2.0 6~1~A-96-00789RO00400040001-3 - APRIL 17,19~89 A17, ~m D 4 Y, CPYRGHT j0 PAGE Can Nominee Illuminate Hostage Deal?. State Dept.'s Bartholomew Was on Scene of First Arms Shipment CPYRGH'T By Walter Pincus Washington Post Staff Writer Reginald Bartholomew, whose confirmation hearing as President Bush's choice for undersecretary of state for security affairs, science and technology takes place today before the Senate Foreign Rela- tions Committee, was on the scene for the first, and one of the more mysterious, arms-for-hostages ship- ments in the Iran-con 'tra affair. . He was the U.S. ambassador in Beirut when Israeli shipments to Iran of 508 American-made TOW antitank missiles led to the release on Sept. 14, 1985, of the Rev. Ben- jamin Weir, one olf six Americans then held by Islamic Jihad, a group of pro-Iranian extremists. The background of that first arms-for-hostages shipment, and particularly the involvement and knowledge of it by then-President Reagan and his top Cabinet advis- ers, has never been publicly ex- plored, although it formed the foun- dation of the Iran-contra scandal. In their first statements, shortly after reports appeared in November 1986 about the arms sales to Iran, Reagan and others said they had not known about the September 1985 shipments and their relationship to Weir's release. The president and his aides have always said the operation was run solely by the Israelis. , Materials released by the White HOUse-authorized Tower Review Board, by the congressional Iran- contra, panels, at the trial of Oliver L. North and in. interviews with par- ticipants show that U.S. involve- ment in ine z)eptemt)er j_vzso events was greater than publicly disclosed. North testified at his trial last week that there.was ongoing intel- ligence: monitoring of the: planning by the Iranians and Israelis for the September shipment and U.S. re- sponses. "We were aware when Rev. Weir was going to be re- leased," North said. "We didn't know which hostage it was or how many there would be. We had to position people in places where he could be safely recovered and brought back to the United States." Government sources have de- scribed how a U.S. aircraft carrier was moved near the Lebanese coast and Delta Force commandos were put aboard to be ready to attempt to free any hostages not released in response to the arms shipment. Under the plan, a counterterror- ist team would be sent into Beirut in hopes it could track the hostage release operation. If all six Amer- icans were not freed, the plan called for trying to follow the hostag& holders back to their headquarters and mounting a rescue operation after the location of remaining pris- oners was determined. Weir was released'Sept. 14, but his freedom was kept secret. He was flown to the U.S. carrier and interrogated by the head of the Del- ta Force, then transferred to Nor- folk and questioned again. On Sept. 18, when it became apparent no more hostages would be freed and the counterterrorist teams had failed to locate the others, Weir's release was announced. At his trial last week, North said triat --at tne airection or tne pres- ident" he met with Weir, carrying a letter from Reagan "in an effort to assure Rev. Weir that his cooper- ation was necessary for us to be able to help rescue the other-or recover the other hostages." Bartholomew, who has been in- formally interviewed, but never called as a witness in any of the' in- vestigations, was identified by Sec- retary of State George P. Shultz in his 1986 appearance before the Tower board as having informed him on Sept. 4 that "North was han- dling an operation that would lead to the release of all seven hos- tages," according to the board. 'JA U.S.] team had- been deployed to Beirut, we were told," the report quotes Shultz as saying. "Ambassa- dor Bartholomew had been'alert~d directly by the [National Security Council] and would assist." The record on this first arms4or- hostage effort is far from clear, and Bartholomew's knowledge could help in reconstruction of those events. . Reagan has said he cannot re- member if his authorization of the Israeli September arms transfer took place before or after the event. Then-national security adviser Robert C. McFarlane, who said it was authorized beforehand,' has been fuzzy in his recollections of how the shipments occurre,~_ Then-Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger, who/ / received copies of the electronic intercepts that North said moni ee0red events closely, has maintained he knew nothing about the arms shipment and its relationship.,to the hostages. I 1-MIJ Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 `RDP9/6-00789R0004000400 Approved For Release 20)0/08/08 : Cl~''-' 01~ CPYRGHT f t Approved For Release 2 Syria, Iran Imp"ose nn jiruCe in Lebanon By Nora Boustany Halt in Shiite War Seen Aiding The plan signedtoaay of long BEIRUT, Jan. 30-Syria and Iran, the chief supporters of two warring Lebanese Shiite Moslem factions, signed an 'agreement * today that h intended to impose a truce on the rival groups and allow the pro-Iran- ian Hezbollah forces to return tc southern Lebanon. Officials from all three countries expressed hope that the accord also will help gain the re- lease of foreign hostages. 1~ I Leaders of the pro-Syrian Amal movement and representatives! of Hezbollah, which is backed and fi- nanc6d by'Iran, grudgingly met tand embraced in Damascus after sigiiing a pact negotiated by Iran and ~Yria. Chaua attended the signing ceremo~ ny and told reporters later: "Any pos- itive step in Lebanoif like this wflI help gain the release of hostag~:s I n _hQrdga-M~~~ Ak~~~j expressed the same ~Wi_shes when prodded to comment on the issue. "Anyhow," he said, "we do hope that all hostages, despite their nationalities, will be freed very soon on humanitarian grounds." Amal l6ader Nabih. Berri asked about the fate of Lt. Col. William Higgins, abducted. by Hezbollah'on Feb. 17, 1988, said: that the. agreement did not specif- ically'deal with the hostages but he, too, sounded an optimistic note. "I can, say- I am surei this agree- ment will help the release of the hostages [as) quickly! as* possible, but I cannot say.or give a date for that," Berri said. Under today's agfeement, secu rity in Beirut's so4them suburbs,. where most-of the foreign hostages reportedly, are held, would.be.con siderid - a~ part of! Beirut'g,,overall .§6~r ty.; ~Whicit'-.'ini'th,eork,..'at..,)eAst, Auts,~ the 4nai nlY - ~hfite slums, under sla' I id last week that, -in - afir case, the,; intensity of Syrian and, Iranian . p4ace-making - efforts into focus. Hostages C was the outm over come talks the past week between Ch and Velayati as well as senior Za7and Hezboflah officials. The accord, worked out. to end bitter fighting , that has killed more than 150 people in the past three weeks, was a setback to efforts by Amal to shut Iran-inspired ex- tremists out of the embattled south. Amal fighters drove' Hezbollah rom southern -Lebanon last April with the aini of. policing and paci- fying that part of the.. country to protect it from Israeli reprisal raids provoked by ' ' guerrilla atti6 ks. The Agreer~efti, howe 6 calls for ver, a return to the situation before April 1988, but also provides that Amal will be in charge,-ofsecurity in south- U1101164 aft-d gallows b6th factions ern to.,carry out political' cultural and propaIganda activities 146re. A vague article proVide's"that Amal and Hezbollah will establish a joint military operations room in southern Lebanon to "coordinated and escalate resistance missi6ns .against Israel, with each Side retaining the right to carry out individual operations." An Amal spokesmen here said he was "not exactly happy. with the end result, but it seems this is the best they could come. up with," The agreenlent'6119 o'w both par-' ties to abide by a cease-fire that wai &clai, " las-i'Vedn" e-'s-day but has been largely.ignoked. The -only cle victory for the _qr more moderate Amal movement is a declaration thaLI&11_~sides should in K.-tro* in southern. Lebanon in 86P and Hezbollah has seen them afi~, obstacle t6,its mission& against got di In, Chri t1, 10. R,e mean- I 6r e,' a cat omb, ldlle&i~~people I wounded 15 as the motorcade of aliing6'..Vart~ ~ -Pre'side' George WAAJAOA - wasinot hurt, i his car was destroyed. GHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 ,NGTON POST JACK ANDEWWN and DALE VAN ATTA CPYRGFIT Swap of Spies, Hostages in the Work" merican traitor J6nat -han Jay Pollard and his wife may be released from,a U.S. prison and A sent to Israel in a three-w'ay trade that could mean freedom for one or more of the American hostages in Lebanon. U.S. intelligence sources tell us that the White House and. State Department are engineering the swap, which also may involve a top Soviet*spy who has been secretly imprisoned in Israel for five years. Here is how the complicated trade would work: The United States would send Pollard and his wife, Anne Henderson Pollard, to Israel. Israel would ,.release a captured Soviet spy to the Soviet Union. As the last link in the chain, the Soviet Union would lean on Syria and Iran to negotiate the release of one or more American hostages bein .g held by terrorists. Syria and the Soviet Union are allies, and Syria controls Lebanon. The Soviets are desperate enough for the release of -their spy, Marcus Klingberg, to consider pulling some strings for U.S. hostages. Klingberg is believed to have entered Israel as a Jewish "immigrant" and then penetrated Israeli military intelligence for the Soviet Union. His career as a spy ended in 1983 when he was arrested by Israeli counterintelligence. Klingberg's coup in penetrating the inner workings of Israeli intelligence and his arrest have been kept a secret from the Israeli people and the world. Pollard, an American citizen, is serving a life prison term in,the United States for spying on the United States for Israel from 1984 to 1985. His wife is serving a five-year term as an accessory. The Israeli government, embarrassed that it was caught spying on the United States, claimed thA Pollard was.part of a renegade operation.1srael. has consistently denied any interest in .having Pollard released. But our sourcessay Israeli officials have been woiking behind the scenes, t& g:et Pollard out. The Justice Department, which has jurisdiction. over Pollard, ha's r6fused to consider' a swap', so the Israelis turned to the State Department and White House to try to cut a deal. Two experts in the art of spy-swapping have been recruited to make the arrangements-East Berlin lawyer Wolfgang Vogel and an American rabbi in New York. Anne Pollard's father, public relations executive Bernard Henderson, has led the ptibiic campaign in the United States for the release of the Pollards , I and has made much of the fact that his daughter is suffering from a stomach. disorder. ~ If the thre.e-way swap is carried out, it is likely that only the Pollards' side of thetriangle 'Will be c a knowledged publicly. The United States could explain the release of Anne Pollard as a humanitarian gesture. The release of Jonathan Pollard would'be harder to finesse, It would be the first time a U.S.-born citizen and'trhitor Was turned over to another country. Pollard gave the Israelis more than 1,000 classified'documents, and more thAn 800 of those were top secret. His revelations included intelligence about Syrian and Iraqi'chemical weapons, Palestine Liberation Organization radar systems and Libyan air defenses. FRIDAY, DEC'EMBER 2, 19 .88 ES Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08: CIA-RDP96-00789RO00400040qeYFGHT THE WASHINGTON POST ... WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1988 A29L 3 Iram*an Mines Found* U.S. Ship Re By Molly Moore Washingtoo Post Staff Writer No more armed clashes between U.S. and Iranian naval forces were reported in the Persian Gulf yesterday, but internation- al minesweeping units found three addition- al Iranian mines in gulf shipping channels ~nd confusion erupted over reports that Iran had launched Silkworm missiles at American warships during Monday's bat- tles. President Reagan said yesterday the gulf activity was "quieting down and we hope it -stays that way" after U.S. warships at- tacked two Iranian oil platforms in retalia- tory action that set off a string of sea and air battles that the Pentagon said sank three Iranian vessels and crippled three others. The captain of the frigate USS Jack Wil- -liams reported that five Chinese-made Silk- worm missiles were launched against three American warships during missile ex changes between U.S. and Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz Monday. Defense Department officials said yes- terday they have no "positive proof' that the Iranian missiles were Silkworms, the most powerful in Tehran's arsenal. But the officials said that evidence of Silkworm at- tacks would add a new dimension to the gulJ conflicts and could prompt further retali. ation against Iran. Pentagon spokesman Dan Howard sai( that in the aftermath of Iran's renewec mine-laying activities and Monday's battles the United States is "reassessing" its force, in the gulf region. There are 30 Navy ship,, in the gulf and north Arabian Sea, including the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, officiah said. A Marine Cobra attack helicopter witl two crewmen aboard remained missing yes. terday as nine ships and numerous helicop ters; continued to search for it, but no othei ,American military personnel were reporte(. irts Silkworms rired Mondav- long hostilities, Defense Department offi- worm attack was supplied by a pool of U.S. cials said. reporters who were aboard the Williams, "Alk EM They identified the raissin Cobra crew- but Pentagon officials say they have no pos- men as Capt. Stephen C. slie, 30, and itive proof that any Silkworms were fired. Capt. Kenneth W. Hill, 3 assigned to The journalists' pool reported that five 3 Squadron HMLA-167 base at the New times the call went up on the.bridge of the e River, N.C., Marine Corps Station. Williams: "Silkworm incoming!" -after the A M Pentagon officials said th e were no re- ship's radar detected the missiles. Each ports of hostile fire in the ea where the time the frigate turned violently to put its Cobra was conducting patro Monday. The stern to the oncoming missile and fire metal 0 i, i, helicopter was reported mi ing after dark particles called chaff into the air to confuse when it was 40 minutes late eturning to its the missile's radar guidance system. base on the guided missi, cruiser USS "Everybody look astern!'Everybody look Wainwright. astern!" Lt. Augustino Ponturier, the officer Iranian officials re rt d at 15 of their of the deck, shouted. sailors were killed anr unded in Mon- None of the first four missiles were close d z day's clashes. enough to be observed visually from the A French minesweeper covered three Williams, according to reports. But the re additional mines yesterday, as an interna- ported fifth attack sent crewmen sprawling tional mine-hunting force &ntinued comb- flat on the deck as a missile. crossed astern ing the central gulf area V'here the U.S. of the ship and slammed into a nearby oil rig frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts hit a mine with an orange-yellow flash. Thursday, ripping a nine-fobt gash in its hull Adm. William J. Crowe Jr., chairman of .......... . ......... ea- and injuring 10 crewmen. the joint Chiefs of Staff, told President R ~,g Pentagon spokesman Howard said yes- gan.and Republican leaders during a White . . . . . . terday that American, Dutch and French House briefing yesterday that "we have no! vessels have found eight Iranian mines positive evidence to indicate that Silkworms used," Howard reported. since then, excluding the one struck by the were Roberts. He said the Williams and, the other ships . "All are new and recently laid," he said, in its group "were operating well within the Pentagon officials- speculated that in the adding that serial numbers have identified envelope [range] of the Silkworms. Any heat of battle the skipper and crew of the all of the mines as recently manufactured ship operating in such a circumstance that Williams may hava misidentified the mis Iranian weapons. He said it is unknown gets a track on, the scope has to assume a siles. The Chinesebuilt Silkworm is essen whether the additional mines have been worst-case scenario." tially the same wea pon as. the Soviet Styx sown since Friday. Pentagon sources said U.S. reconnais- .sile, which Inn has been known to Howard said Pentagon analysts are sift- sance aircraft patrolling over the Strait of m1s ing through reports that are pouring in from Hormuz detected no activity at known Silk- launch from surface ships. U.S. units involved in Menday's gulf battles. worm sites. Officials noted that Iran has Officials noted t4at half a dozen different from types of missiles zad other weapons were Many of the details reniain confusing and never before fired Silkworm missiles contradictory, officials said. its mobile launch sites along the Strait of fired by both sides in a sea-and-air melee The most controversial issue involves Hormuz, with the exception of one known that involved the Williams and two other reports from the officers of the Williams test-firing. It has launched several Silk- U.S.- ships, U.S. A) attack planes, and two that their radars tracke6 five Silkworm mis- worms from the Faw Peninsula at the of Iran's biggest varships, the sister frig siles fired from Iran at three U.S. warships northern tip of the gulf-one of which hit an ates Sabalan and Sahand. that had exchanged missile attacks with the American-flagged Kuwaiti tanker last Oc- Army Maj. Barrr Willey of the U.S. Cen- Iranian frigate SaA4VroNdtFeomPaWeofse28OO/P6MPtinCIAU:~DPft4O6YB9ROO4dU646DVlP-a,*d, 7ho was accompanying the gulf. on two oil platforms at the Rostam field a journlists aboard the Williams, described A drnmntir account cif thp reported Silk- few days later. the scene from tl-3 flying bridge atop the ship as "both spectacular and frightening', adding that contrails from missiles could be seen in all directions. The Pentagon reported that the SabalWi fired a surface-to-surface missile at the Will liams and antiaircraft missiles at A6s from' the USS Enterprise. The planes respondid by dropping laser-guided bombs that hit the Iranian ship, disabling it. The Sabalan was reported in port yester- day. Officials said it is believed to be seri-_ ously damaged. Meanwhile, the Sahand was struck,by laser-guided bombs and Harpoon antiship missiles from the A6s, anda Harpoon from the USS Strauss, a frigate. Left a smoking wreck, the Sahand "has disappeared" and is presumed sunk, Howard said. USS Wainwright takes part in search for helicopter that failed to return from a patrol Monday. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 on Feb 14 when he issued thE Iran Breaks Diplomatic Ties With BritaM decree*against Rushdie, whosE he declared - a blasphemy a Tehran Attacks British 'Treachery,'Cites Needto DefendjSlaM Jonathan C. Randal hinRton Post Forein Service LONDON, March 7-Iran se- vered diplomatic relations with Britain today at the expiration of Tehran's week-long grace period, during which the two countries failed to resolve their three-week dispute over British author Salman Rushdie's novel "The Satanic Verses." in fiery language that echoed of the religious fervor that powered Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, the nation's Foreign Ministry an- nounced the rupture in a statement that simultaneously accused Britain of treacheries dating back centuries and proclaimed Iran a global pro- tector of Islamic honor. "In the past two centuries Britain has been in the front line of plots and treachery against Islam and Moslems," the ministry statement said, reiterating a view of British manipulation in Iranian affairs that has been common in Iran since the late shah Mohamed Reza Pahlavi was ousted a decade ago. "The.Foreign Ministry considers itself not just the ekecutor" of. Iran-; ian, foreign policy, tht announwient added, "but in a larger scope the executor and protector of the for'~.' eign policy of the Islamic world against blasphemy and thus regards, defending Islam and its value& as a divine and legal'responsibility." A British Foreign Office spokes man said today the government-had not yet received formal notification of the Iranian action. That notifica- tion would likely come by way of the Swedish Embassy, which now, rep- resents British interests-in Tehran. The spokesman added that the For- eign Office would "make known its response in due course.". Britain withdrew its five-man staff from the Tehran embassy, which had, resumed normal opera- tions only last November, after the 12-nation European Community pulled out its top envoys from Iran 'to protest an order of death against Rushdie that was pronounced by Ay'at~lfah Ruhollah'. Khomeini, the Irahia"n'ipiritual leader. The British Foreign Office spokes- man sail.4'the present situation was entirely 6f, Iran's making," had been "vigorously condemned around the world" and "made it impossible to conduct normal business." Today's announcement seemed to confirm the Iranian Foreign Min- istry's political accedence to thq, hard-line policies of Islamic funda- mentalists in the governnment. The fundamentalists have used the Rushdie crisis to reinvigorate the lslamic:.`~revolutioii, which was drained by Iran's eight-year war with Ira4,.And have attempted to prevent an'~-~ diplomatic openings to the West:,; Khomeini first, invoked Iran's claims to pa'n-Islamic responsibilities Islam.' Last week, British Foreign retary,Geoffrey Howe, in an eff defuse'the'crisis, 1criticized the as "offensive" to Moslems, the ish government and many Br, Iran however, rejected the ge as insufficient to lift the death tence againstRuslidie, who ren in hiding under police protectic Britain.. The first' consequence of the lomatid,': break with Britain Iran's refusal to allow a prom consular visit today to 53-year busine " an. Roger Cooper, N ssm has been detained on spy charges in Iran for three years. % [Reuter reported that Jc aite, cousin of Church of EnglE envoy Terry Waite, who vanished Beirut in 1987 and is believed h( by pro-Iranian kidnapers, said sympathized with Moslems fended by the book. ["But no one could condone t1 order to kill Rushdie," Waite said.' don't see that the British govert ment could have acted in any othE ----CRYR(3H I CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 ~wreO -Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3, V~mce-Keeper Not Free to Celebrate By Richard Homan NV&Annglon Post Foreign Service While most of the 10,000 U.N. peace-keeping troops were cel- ebrating their Nobel Peace Prize yesterday, one of the forces' high- est ranking American members, M;rine Lt. Col. William R. Hig- gins, was in his'226th day of . cap- tivity in the Middle East. Higgirfs, of Woodbridge, Va., was kidnaped last Feb. 17 near Tyre, in southern Lebanon, where he was serving as head of a 76-member unit of the U.N. Truce Supervision Organization. .U.N._officials.and Higgins' fam- ily used the occasion of the an- nouncement yesterday to renew demands that his captors free him. Higgins' sister, Mary Fisher, told United Press International in Louisville, Ky., "I hope this proves to them that they are holding a man who was on a peace mission. We have been praying hard since my brother was abducted. We hope this Nobel prize will bring an answer to our prayers." Higgins' captors-thL ;Vi- ization- -9f,.. the Opp~_e~sed - on Zu4b-accused him of using his U.N. post as a cover for U.S. es- pionage, a charge U.S. and U.N. officials have strongly denied. Higgins, 43, was seized by gun- men who ambushed his U.N. ve- hicle after he left a meeting with a semo .r official of the Shiite Moslem Amal group, Amal officials said. The U.N. group in which Hig- gins served since June 1987 was formed in 1948 to supervise armi- stice agreements between Israel and Arab countries. Earlier Hig- gins served here and lived in CPYRGHT CPYRGHT' Le C.". 4 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 U.S. Cauti . us About 4 Signals I of ostacre e ease !TOA. :::~L FT we're always U'da' By Lo e nno n Washington Post Staff W ter ri The Reagan administration i exploring "inconclusive signals" tha some of the nine American hostage now held captive in Lebanon wi soon be freed, a knowledgeabl U.S. official, who asked not to b identified, said yesterday. But the administration is a~ proaching the issue gingerly bE cause of its sensitivity and becaus past reports of prospective hostag releases have not proved accurate. White House spokesman Marli: Fitzwater, commenting on a stor in The Wall Street Journal abou "fresh hopes" that some of the hoE tages may be released before th end of the year, said he knew of n change in -the situation. Fitzwate CPYRGHT also had those hopes dashed so of- ten that we're reluctant to read anything into those events." The events to which he referred include the recent release of a West German hostage, apparent political changes in Iran and a message last week from one of three Iranian- backed terrorist groups thought to be holding U.S. hostages. The group released a photograph of two hostages, Alann Steen and Jesse Turner, and issued a statement hinting that they might be freed if the United States supported Pales- tinian autonomy. Fitzwater said Reagan plans to raise the hostage issue next week when he meets with a number of the region's foreign ministers dur- ing a two-day U.N. visit. But an of- ficial who i)articioated in a olanning P. Shultz conducted for the trip said the issue would be brought up only "peripherally." Nonetheless, officials said they took seriously various signals that some U.S. hostages may be freed. "This is such a sensitive and emo- tional issue, it's best not to talk about it publicly at this time," one official said. On other issues yesterday Rea- gan signed a spending bill that al- locates $1.2 billion for the fight against acquired immune deficiency syndrome and prodded Congress to complete work on 13 appropriations bills before fiscal 1989 begins Oct. 1. Reagan also urged Congress to complete work on a $299.5 billion defense appropriations bill similar, in some of its features to a defense authorization bill he vetoed earlier. -" 0 A-1 tinue the policies of the last eight years-the policies that led the So- viets to the bargaining table and out of Afghanistan," Reagan said. "I want defense legislation that will advance national security, not sac- rifice it on the altar of congressional pork barrel." At the same time, Fitzwater praised Congress for making prog- ress on appropriations measures and said Defense Secretary Frank C. Carlucci was ready to negotiate. "We're trying to walk a fine line between praising the Congress and prodding it on these appropriations matters," said an official. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Y CPYRGHT U.S. Karate Expert Frees Himself, Bride From Captors Washington Post Foreign Service mer- BEIRUT, Sept. 12-An A, ican who had just been married to a CPYRGHT Lebanese woman used karate to escape, still wearing' his tuxedo, from men who tried to abduct him and his bride shortly after the wed ding yesterday, sources here and I Kenneth Wells, 25, who officiais- said works i-nFaRuXiMabia, and his wife, Sarnia, were seized as they left their wedding reception in Baal- bek, 50 miles east-of Bei Wells, who has a black belt in karate, according to his wife, over- powered his attackers and the cou- ple fled to a Syrian military post. They were taken to the U.S. Em- bassy in Damascus and released. In Washington, State Depart- ment spokesman Charles Redman expressed gratitude to Syrian au- L-44-2 Mishinaton said. .......... Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/' M:46P96-0~76, A, 0'- 0~:,& 0,0400 1 CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Tim WASHINGTi Gunmen in Leh HOSTAGES IN LEBANON Marin Ameripn Associated Press, I ,. Terry Anderson, chief Middle East correspondent of The r March 16,1985. LEBANON, From Al dean of agriculture at the Amer IIcan University of Thomas Sutherland , neighboring Arab countries. Beirut, June 9, 1985. The Frank Herbert Reed, director of the Lebanon International School in Beirut, organization's 75-man unit in Leb- Sept. 9, 1986. anon, %yhich Higgins headed, Joseph James Cicippio, actingcomptroller of the American University of Beirut, Sept. 12, 1986. worked closely with the much b 'ig- Edward Austin Tracy, author, Oct. 21, 1986.ger-, N. In- and better known-U. Jesse Turner, visiting professor of mathematicsterim Force in Lebanon, and computer science at the actual - Beirut University College, Jan. 24, 1987. keeping force. peace Robert Polhill, assistant professor of Higgins, according to business at Beirut University College, witnesses Jan. -4, 1987. and U.N. officials here, was return- Alann Steen, journalism profes.'sor at ing to the U.N. peace-keeping Beirut University College, Jan. 24, 1987. force's headquarters at Naqurah, Marine Lt. Col. William R. HIggIns, head 15 miles south of Tyre, of a 75-man observer group when he attached to the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, yesterday. was abducted it 2:15 p.m. local time (7:15 a.m. EST). He was driv- ing alone in a U.N. car flying the blue-and-white U.N. flig, they said, Alec Collett, March 25, 1985. -following another U.N. vehicle, John McCarthy, April 17, 1986. rmed with when three men Terry Waite, Jan. 20, 1987. a Kilashnikov assiult rifles inter- 7TT cepted his car as the first vehicle rounded a curve near Ras Ain, four Marcel Fontaine, March 22, 1985. miles south of Tyre. Marcel Carton, March 22, 1985. Witnesses said they saw the gun- Michel Seurat, May 22, 1985. men shove Higgins into the trunk of Jean-Paul Kauffmann, May 22, 1985 a red Mercedes and speed off with him along a dirt road forking off the main coastal highway. When the three U.N. officers in Rudolf Cordes, Jan. 17, 1987. the first vehicle realized Higgins Ralph Rudolf Schray, Jan. 27, 198& was no longer following them, Gok- set said, "they turned back and found Higgins' car empty." Mithileswar SIngh (Indlin), Jan. 24, 1987 The coastal stretch where the Brian Keenan (Irish), April 11, 1986. attack took place is contested by Alberto Mollnarl (Italian), Sept. 11, 1985the Arnal militia and the more rad- William Jorgensen (Norwegian), Feb. 5, ical, Iran-backed Hezbollah 1988. niove- Jan Stoning (Swedish), Feb. 5, 1988. which in 1986 launched rock- ment Two people of unknown nationality were , kidnaped Jan. 26, 1987. et attacks against soldiers of the NOTE, ln Match 1086 tstamic 1had clairred U.N. peace-keeping force. that Michel Souiat had been killed. PiL following rronth i~,o, P,-~,fijtlonarj OrEanjzat~on Anial chief Nabih Berri of Socialist Moslems said Alec Ccllolt went into had 1-on killed. a closed session with key military thin., eveninv. Hassan yous- advisers CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08-/08: ClAVWPI6_00789R00046&RMGbiT__ HOSTAGES The Lost L"Ife Of Terry Anderson The American journalist is beginning hisfifth year in captivity somewhere in the bowels ofBeirut, a coin for a cruel human barter that no one has been able to redeem CPYRGHT BY SCOTT MACLEOD magine it. You are chained to a radia- tor in a bare, dank room. You never see the sun. When your captors fear that a noise in the night is an impending rescue attempt, you are slammed up against the wall, the barrel of a gun pressed against your temple. Each day you have 15 minutes to shower, brush your teeth and wash your underwear in the bathroom sink. Your bed is a mat on the floor. One of your fellow hostages tries to escape, and the guards beat him sense- less. Another tries to commit suicide. One day you too reach the edge of your sanity. You begin furiously pounding your head against a wall. Blood oozes from your scalp and smears down your face. Life has been like that for Terry An- A hostage's never ending ordeal: a picture chronicle of Anderson's captivity. When it suits them, the kidnapers send Polarolds or videotapes of their hostage to a news agency in Beirut. The pictures accompany the kidnapers'repeated demands; in the videotapes, Anderson usually pleads for help to win his freedom. The final words in his last message: "One day soon, God willing, this will end." rner U.S. Marine is stunned and sobs con- stantly, frustrated, angry and afraid that the kidnapers intend to execute him. A guard bursts in and threatens him merely because lie creaked the bedsprings. "t am a friend of the Lebanese," Anderson had told his family. "They won't kidnap me. I tell their story to the world." Anderson is lost in the bowels of Bei- rut, but he is not alone. In the same 12-ft. by 15-ft. bedroom, also shackled hand and foot and crouching on the floor of a dirty clothes closet, Father Lawrence Martin Jenco of Catholic Relief Services (kidnaped Jan. 8, 1985) peers under his blindfold at the new arrival. A month lat- er, they are led down to the dungeon, a basement partitioned into cramped cells with thin plasterboard, and held prisoner with others: William Buckley, Beirut sta- Alrp PoYR34diFRe lease 2000/08/08 16[A~-'OBiy4g'~66789ROO0400040001-3 derson ever since March 16, 1985, when the chief Middle East correspondent for the Associated Press was kidnaped in West Beirut. The men who grabbed him. members of the Shi'ite Muslim funda- mentalist group called flizballah, were in- tent on swapping Western hostages for 17 comrades imprisoned in Kuwait for a ter- rorist spree. Four long years later, Ander- son is still held hostage. From accounts by his former fellow captives, TImL has pieced together a glimpse of the life he has led. The first day: Terry Anderson lies on a cot in a dingy apartment in Beirut's sprawling, bomb-ravaged Shiite slums. A blindfold is tightly wrapped around his head, and chains shackle a wrist and an- kle, biting into the flesh. He can hear the roar ofjets; Beirut airport is near. The for- 39 CPYRGHT Approved For Rele a se-2000108/08 : ClA-lWfflfi-00789R000400040001-3 tion chief of the CIA (kidnaped March 16, 1984), the Rev. Benjamin Weir, a Presby- terian missionary (kidnaped May 8, 1984), and eventually David Jacobsen, di- rector of American University Hospital (kidnaped May 28, 1985). The hostages are repeatedly threat- ened with death. Their meals Consist Of Arabic bread, foul-tasting cheese and tea. Buckley's treatment reveals the full cruel- ty of the kidnapers. lie catches a bad cold that develops into pneumonia, but the guards show him no mercy. "Mr. Buckley is dying," Father Jenco pleads one day. "He is sick. He has dry heaves. Give us liquids." Speaking to one another in whispers, the hostages listen to Buckley's moans as he grows weaker, and finally delirious. On June 3, Buckley squats on the tile floor e- lieving that he is sitting on a toilet sc~a t, and food fantasies fill his head. "I'd like some poached eggs on toast, please," he mumbles. "I'd like an order of pancakes." That night Buckley starts making strange grunts and the others realize they are hearing the rattle of death, and a guard comes and drags Buckley's body away. Anderson's first letter to his family con- tains his last will and testament. Out of the blue comes hope. At the end of June Anderson learns that TWA Flight 847 has been hijacked and 39 American passengers are being held. Hajj, the chief guard, arrives with word that a package deal is in the works. "You will be going home," he says. Nothing happens. The guards, how- ever, improve living conditions for An- derson and the others, apparently in fear they might fall sick and die like Buckley. "Christmas in July" brings dinner of Swiss steak, vegetables and fruit, medical checkups by a kidnaped Lebanese Jewish doctor, and the chance to start worshiping together. Anderson, once a lapsed Catho- lic whose faith now grows stronger by the day, wheedles permission from Haj to make his confession to Father Jenco. Lat- er, all the hostages are allowed to hold daily services in their "Church of tile Locked Door." They celebrate C011111ILl- nion with scraps of Arabic bread. Ander- son tells the guards to shut up When they mock (lie Christian service. After the first worship, Pastor Weir reaches out and grasps Anderson, and the two men hug, Perhaps worried that the frail minister might be slipping, Anderson urges him to be Stl'Ollg. "DOll't give Lip,- he tells him. -Keep going." Another new hostage has arrived, Thomas Sutherland, dean of agriculture at Arnerican University (kidnaped June 9, 1985). Eventually the captors permit their prisoners to be together all the tinle and to remove their blindfolds when the guards are out of the room. ne day in September, Hajj raises everybody's hopes again by an- 0 nouncing that a hostage will final- ly be released. Ile has them play a cruet game: they must choose for themselves who will go free. "Think it over," he com- mands as he walks away. The hostages drag their agonizing dis- cussion late into the night. Pastor Weir and Father Jenco make no effort to put themselves forward, and Sutherland is too much of a gentleman. But Anderson near- ly takes a swing at Jacobsen as the two men engage in a bitter contest to be cho- sen. Anderson wins the vote, but then is devastated when Haj refuses to abide by the decision. "Terry Anderson will not be the first to be released," he snaps. "Ile might be the last one." A few nights later. Hajj tells Pastor Weir he is going home. On Christmas Eve the hostages hear on the radio that Church of England envoy Terry Waite has failed to negotiate their freedom, and has returned to London. An- derson is crushed. Father Jenco tries to sing carols but is too depressed. Jacobsen draws a crude Christmas tree oil a piece of cardboard and sticks it oil the wall. Anderson fights back boredom and de- pression by throwing himself into habits and hobbies. Each morning he obsessively cleans the sleeping inats and takes spirited 40-millUte walks al-OLInd and around the room. When he fashions a chess set from scraps oftinfoil, the guards Lake the game away. Anderson takes French le~,sons from Sutherland, and stays up all night reading the Bible and novels by Charles Dickens that the guards provide. After solitary confinement. the cama- raderie is energizi ng. From memory SLIth- erland recites the poetry of his beloved Robert Burns, in tile brogue of his native Scotland (he once played professional football with the Glasgow Raillcers). Fa- ther Jenco takes the hostages oil an imagi- nary Lour of Rome and the Vatican. An- derson makes a deck of cards from paper scraps, and they all play cutthrcat games of hearts. Like sophists, Anderson the liberal Democrat and Jacobsen the Rea-an Re- publican constantly provoke ea,~`h other into arguments to keep their minds alive. More than the others, Anderson chal- lenges the guards. although for some rea- son he is beaten less frequently. He goes on a seven-day hunger strike vhen they suddenly ban the radio and the occasional copies of the Internaftonal Heiald Tri- bune. He does not know it. but the news blackout is imposed so he NA. ill not learn of the deaths of his father and brother back in the U.S. He does find out. hove~,er, that since his kidnaping his second daughter, Sulome, has been born. In July 1986 Father Jenco is fteed. Ja- cobsen goes home in Novembei-. but the public revelation of a secret U.S. arms- for-hostages deal with Iran torpedoes any further releases. Two months later, Waite the mediator is himself kidnaped Feeling increasingly abandoned by his government, Anderson spends much of 1987 in isolation. In December he gets a new roommate, French diplomat Mar- cel Fontaine (kidnaped March 22. 1985). Anderson is denied permission to send out a videotaped Christmas message to his family. The frustration becomes un- bearable, and one day he walks over to a Approved For Release 2000/08/08 ? ti'A~RbPM~.iYO189ROO0400040001-3 41 proved For Release 2000/0"k~fdATKJMgfdOO789ROO0400040001-3 wall and beats his head against it, Blood seeps from Anderson's scalp. "Terry!" Fontaine pleads. "Think of your family!" All the hostages find the cruelty too much to take. Sutherland, who had gone to Beirut passionately hoping to help Leb- anese farmers, is treated worse than the others. I le tries to kill himself by Putting a nylon sack over his head. A more recent kidnap victim, Frank Reed, director of the Lebanese International School (kid naped Sept. 9, 1986), attempts to escape but is caught. The guards beat him vi- ciously and break his spirit, leaving him prostrate on the floor. In 1988 Anderson and Fontaine find themselves in an apartment that has car- peting, heat and hot food. Are they being fattened up in preparation for their re- lease? Despite the constant disappoint- ments, Anderson is determined to think about his future. He ponders quitting jour- nalism to take up farming. At last on May 3, after he has spent more than three years as a hostage, his time appears to have come when a guard tells him to get ready. "You should do the same as I'm do- ing," Anderson says, trying to improve the Frenchman's chances. At midnight they come and take Anderson away. Two hours later, Fontaine learns that it is he who is being freed. Fontaine remembers a conversation with Anderson. Feeling ill and more de- pressed than usual, he had turned to An- derson and said, "Terry, I am not afraid to die. But I don't want to die here and have them throw my body into the sea like they did with Buckley." Anderson thought for a moment and replied, "I don't want to die anywhere." Five months ago, Anderson's most re- cent videotaped message was dropped off at a Western news agency in Beirut. Sign- ing off, he said to his family, "Kiss my daughters. Keep your spirits up, and I will try to do the same. One day soon, God willing, this will end." - witt, reporting by William Dowelf/Paris andEdwin M. ReingoldlLos Angeles TRANS )N ------ ---- n Mpg A I hni ah is also a prime suspect In the 1985 skyjacking of TWA Flight 847 C, R HT The Man Who Holds the Hostages t is no secret who holds Terry Anderson. Imad Mughniyah is his name. He is a 38- year-old Lebanese leader of the Shi'ite fundamentalist group Hi7ballah whose his- tory of terrorism is grislier than the record of Palestinian renegade Abu Nidal. Mugh- niyah's villainy, U.S. officials say, runs from bombings, like the suicide attacks on the U.S. embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut, to hijackings. He is a prime suspect in the U.S. for his alleged role in the 1985 skyjacking of TWA Flight 847 in which a Navy diver was murdered. And he has made a specialty of kidnaping: U.S. officials believe that Mughniyah. under the cloak of cover names like Islamic Jihad and the Revolutionary Justice Organization, has been involved in the kidnaping of at least 31 Westerners since 1984 and that he continues to bold most of the 13 still in captivity. The kidnapers specifically wanted Terry Anderson. Fatefully, perhaps, the re- porter advertised his availability the day before his capture, when he ventured into Beirut's southern suburbs to quiz Hizballah spiritual leader Sheik Mohammed Hus- sein Fadlallah. But Anderson's colleagues at the Associated Press believe he may have put himself on Hizballah's blacklist as farbackas 1983, whenhe traveled totheir stronghold in Baalbek to grilt Shi'ite leaders about the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks. The grandson of a Shi'ite mullah, Mughniyah trained with Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization. A high school dropout, he excelled at terrorism; his boldness and quick grasp of explosives and weaponry impressed his commanders. But he fell out with Fatah leaders and in 1982, when Israeli troops invaded Lebanon and occupied his village, Teir Debbe, Mughniyahjoined the newly formed and more radical Hizballah (Party ofGod). He took to wearing religious garb even as he recruited activists and professionals to the Shi'ite cause. He rose quickly to the top of the organization, and as security chief, Mughniyah is thought to be the group's most powerful figure. He Continues to hold the Westerners captive despite public pleas from Fadlallah that they be set free. His original motivation was to avenge the mistreatment of Shi'ites in Lebanon and to vent his hatred of the U.S. and Israel. But U.S. sources say he has become obsessed with trying to secure the freedom of his brother-in-law Mustafa Badreddin. and 16 other Shi'ites jailed in Kuwait after a 1983 bombing blitz. Mughniyah launched his subsequent kidnaping and hijacking spree to spring the 17 in a prison- ers-for-hostages swap. Among his victims: William Buckley, the CIA station chief, who died in captivity. Mughniyah reportedly gets his financing from Tehran, and is considered Iran's man in Lebanon; his closest mentors there include conservative leaders locked in rivalry withlran's would-be pragmatists. Even so, Mughniyah has been forced tofree numerous American, French and West German hostages when itserved Iran'sinter- ests, while his personal demands have never been met. Mughniyah seems content to bide his time until the U.S. breaks. But he has not tired of fi ing ways to press Hizballah's confrontation with the West. Britain's Guardj& .e:wspaper reported last month that he was busy organizing mass demon straLint- Lebanon. The cause: demanding Salman Rushdie's death for writing The rses. I IME, MARCH '0. 1989 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-60789ROO0400040001-3 Anderson in his most recent videotape Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Tuv WOMINUON POST nexpecte es p ir: am, an CPYRGHT CPYRGHT '.,By'Jdnithan C. Rindal Washington Pod ForeignSerike .,.LONDON, Feb. 7-Iranian For ei$n Minister Ali Akbar Velayati Arrived here unexpectedly today and conferred with his British _P(* terparcin'what'Vas sedfil ~jA"po-s'- sibIO:.indication of !hawing relations that could favorreleas6 of western hostages. held. in Lebanon by pro- 'frania:n groups. Diplomatic sources said that. Ve-. layati's visit ~ itself--4he first' here by an Iranian forei gn minister since the 'Islamic revolution in Tehran 10 years ago-otitweighed the impor- tanceof his brief remarks after con- ferring with Foreigrt,,,Secretary Geoffrey Howe -at the7oreign Of- fice. "All of us want to work for the release of the hostages no matter what their nationality," he said, re- iterating Iran's position on western hostages, most of them British or American, who are held by pro- Iranian groups in Lebanon, and on three Iranians who disappeared in Christian-held Lebanon in 1982. A Foreign Office spokesman de- scribed the 90-minute meeting as "useful." Nothing Velayati said pub- f or o", Ly'res's British or other hostages despite renewed speculation-that Ayatollah., Ruhollah 'Khomeini might make. such a gesture to mark his decade in power in Tehran. Velayati's sudden appearance here came, to light when a London- ditdin6d 'dispatch' k6in 11NA,' IrAW8-:'officjal.,news- agency, ;an- 'nounced that whi16 flyinj'froni Teh- ran to. Madrid, he "was forced by bad w~iitherto break hisjourney.!~' He was scheduled to confer with Spanish officials before 'attending U.N. discussions in New York about the stalled implementation of the Aug. 20 cease-fire -inthe Persian Gulf war.: The IRNA,dispatch did not say where the "bid -weather" occurred, but meteorologists 'i& ported clear weathers in both the British iind Spanish capitals.: - Sources here said Howe told his' visitor Britain was convinced -that the three Iranians who 'Te in- sists are still alive were IkWfflfllled n after their abduction. Howe expressed concern about the fate of journalist Roger Cooper, a longtime British resident of Iran detained in Tehran in 1986. Iran recently hasthreatened to put him on trial as a spy. Britain reor)ened its Tehran em- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1989 A35 on R6stage~ P Y R bassy in December after an eight- year break. But after Velayati met with William Wildegrave, Howe's Paris"last month, rela- deputy. in tions cooled because of the Thatch- er government's insistence that progress depended oq_jhe releW of Cooper and the' ihiee Britons held -in Lebanon, by the pro--.1ranian Hezbollah faction. They are Terry Waite, the Church of England enussary Seized two years ago; journalist John Mc- Carthy and teacher Brian Keenan. Velayati's visit also renewed speculation that Kuwait might now be willing to drop its refusal to re- lease any of the 16 men convicted of attacks iigain§t Kuwaiti oil instal- latiods and the U.S. and French em- bassies in December 1984. - Sources following the situation.of the western hostages suggested that Kuwait was considering such a gesture to thank the United States for protecting Kuwaiti off tankers during the final year of the Persian Gulf war. Some of the men held in Kuwait are related to prominent, pror-Iranian Lebanese believed to be -holding westerii hostages. Howe stopped in Kuwait during a gulf tour last month, and Walde- grave is expected there shortly. Iramah Clergy Asked to Defer to Professionals Deutsche Presse-Agentur TEHRAN, Feb. 7-Iran's spire itual heir-apparent, Ayatollah Hos- sein Ali Montazeri, today admitted shortcomings in the 10-year-old Islamic revolution and urged the ruling clergy to relinquish more of their decision-making prerogatives to qualified professionals. - In a 9tatement carried by the of- ficial Iranian news agency IRNA, Montazeri listed a number of inter- nal factors including "deficienci!vs in religious thinking regarding state administration" and "insufficient competence of the officials." "Of course the brave and revo- AlpfKW9d U ve .0 d- to Bril.aiift isit justitied in seeing tuat tnere is a oig gap between what they have gained and. what they were promised " he said in remarks coinciding wi~ the ,rdvolution's 10th anniversary cel- ebrations. "But instead of disillu- sionment and losing hope, one should discover the real reasons for lack of success and think what "should be done." He cited a long list of shortcom- ings that have "caused the most damage for the revolution," warning that unless' these are "redressed before it gets late, they can no long- er be compensated." The defects cited by Montazeri group inclinations, injustices, ignor- ing the people and the genuine val- ues of the revolution, and the lack of real power in the hands of the people." IRNA identified Montazeri as "Iran's designated future leader" and noted that this was his.first public statement since last July's U.N.-sponsored cease-fire with Iraq. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini pushed for Montazeri's designation as his successor in 1985. But Kho- meini's disciple is known to be fac- ing strong opposition from powerful t800*42n in Tehran. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 r 989 53 ed S *4ste factions 0 0 shoot it out South of Beirut CPYRGHT Approved For Re By Samar Kadi UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL BEIRUT, Lebanon - Rival mili- tias battling to dominate Lebanon's Shi'ite Moslem community ex- changed barrages of mortars, rock- ets and artillery fire south of Beirut yesterday, killing at least 53 persons and wounding 85, police and hospital officials said. The latest casualties in fighting between the pro-Syrian Amal militia and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which began Dec. 31, brought the toll to 77 killed and 146 wounded in the inter-Shi'ite power struggle cen- tered in Beirut's southern slums. Fighting with machine guns and rockets spilled over into Moslem day, -Ur- viest Nfrut For a Ord"c ian peacekeepink trobps intervened and no casualties were reported there. , House-to-house fighting was re- ported in Iklim Al Tafah, 28 miles south of Beirut, where Abou Ali Hammoud, a senior Amal militia of- ficial was killed with 10 relatives and bodyguards, police and militia sources said. An Amal spokesman accused Hezhollah of starting the clashes: hv launching an assaultpositions in Kfar on the militia's MilkL positions around "The atheists in Hezbollah the villages of Kfar Milki and Kfar Hetta.brought in fighters He said Hez- from the Bekaa bollah fighters usedValley through Israeli knives and axes lines, and in the assault. - slipped into Kfar Hetta and Kfar "It was a real massacre....Milki, carrying out They the ugliest of took the people by massacres, killing surprise' " the women, children spokesman said. "Thisand elderly people," will not go the Amal com- unpunished." munique said. Police and hospital In the Amal-controlled sources said port city 53 persons were killedof Tyre, farther south, and at least security S were woun d in sources said the militia the fierce fight- dispatched ing in the cluster 300 fighters to back of villages. Among up its forces in the wounded were Iklim Al lbfah. a policeman and three Lebanese Red Witnesses said Amal Cross - rescue cars toured workers. the city as militiamen speaking Witnesses said blackthrough loudspeakers smoke bil- urged the owed over Kfar Milki,population to donate Kfar Hetta, blood to help md Ain Bouswar wherewounded militia fighters. dozens of ieavily armed militiamen"Nothing W11 Sto e traded fighting; - - - I 21t ~ k6dke the two s ,N, mortars.and artilFe-ryides ir-F rrmin to fire. t6t t in a 0 i Security sources done with it until said the militias, there ls a loser and fighting for dominancea winer," the police of Lebanon's spokesman said. Shi'ite community, "Even if cease-fires stormed each are worked out, ther's positions the battles are bound with grenades and to renew in the ortars. absence of an all-out settlement:?,~ A source said HezbollahThe feud between Leban fighters 1wo ptured Amai bases main milita groups in Kfar Milki began laifApril d Kfar Hetta after when AmM Mci6d ke6billah four hours of -from a ated fighting, most 6f the -sduth but an Amal com- in fierde `Vgttles unique said the militiathat killed 6218ombatants'.'The fighters re- fun. overed Kfar Hetta d~mentalists have and launched a since voWed to re- ounferaftnek tn rp,-nniii-~61644-7 4v^;~ 1-- CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 MAGES PiAy 13E FREED CPYRGHT N* Iranian' -6fficials have MTV ranCIP.T.17 minister that some hostages in Lebanon W' freed soon, Kuwait7s'state-run news agencyrej Foreign Minister Roland Dumas was in Ki for a brief state visit after a two-day trip to Iran News Agency quoted diplomats The Kuwait eling with Dumas as saying. Dumas '.bobtail pr6n-dse from responsible Qfficials~ (in Tehraxi a number OfWestern hostages held in Lebano be released within a short period." unda Iran has influence over thef n" isi Hezbollah, which is considered.an i brella fijgr groups holding most of the 1,5 J ages. 3Americans. N t t Approved For Release 2000/08/08: CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 I* 1 1 i I I I 1 I dIA-kD D01-3 :S eas .Aw ~tAls~ Adm By Lou Cannon Washington Post Staff Writer CPYRGHT Kidnaped U.S. to Seek Release In -Official Channels said yesterday that U.S. efforts to secure the release of abducted Ma. rine Lt, Col. William R. Higgins will be undertaken through the United Nations and governments in the Middle East rather than by U.S. military forces. President Reagan raised the pos- sibility of a rescue attempt when he was asked at a White House photo- taking session if there was anything he "could do for Col. Higgins," kid- naped Wednesday in Lebanon by unknown gunmen. "I have to tell you we're doing everything we can," Reagan re. plied. "We're trying to find out a. 9 much as we can, and we'll try to get him located and certainly we want to rescue him." A White House official promptly discounted the idea that the admin- istration might be planning a rescue attempt, saying "the president was referring to ongoing efforts through the U.N. and goveraments.in the House Minority Leader Robert H. Michel (R-Ill.), present at the photo-taking session, dismissed Reagan's statement as "just an off- the-cuff remark of the president." White House officials acknowl- edged privately that the president had raised the idea of a U.S. mili- tary attempt to free Higgins by us- ing the word, "rescue" but said no such attempt is being planned. One official said that, despite intensive efforts to find Higgins, his where- abouts and that of his kidnapers are not known. State Department spokesman Charles E. Redman, who also dis- counted the idea of a U.S. military rescue, denied assertions by a group calling itself the Islamic Rev- olutionary Brigade, which said that it abducted Higgins and that he worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. Redman and ranking -Defense Department officials said they have never heard of the Islamic Rev0Iu- tionary Brigade and questioned its authenticity. Meanwhile, Higgins' father, Wil- liam, 72, of Louisville, Ky., died yesterday of cardiac arrest and kid- ney failure, according to doctors at Humana Heart Institute Interna- tionat. Doctors said he had been under- going treatment for a heart ailment at the Louisville hospital since Feb. 2. The doctors said be was coma- tose at the time his son was kid- naped and died unaware of the in- cident. Higgins, 43, was abducted near the southern port city of Tyre SIM Bib LEBANON, From A14 were no leads as to whereEiggi had been taken. Shiite Amal militiamen, in co( dination with U.N. troops, check cars and expanded a 24-hour hu for Higgins in rural villages. An fighters said they were , und .strict orders" to find Higgins a not to sleep before locating him. Amal officials said fog, rain a poor visibility had helped the k rapers and prevented effecti searches by U.N. helicopters. U.N. Undersecretary Gene Marrack Goulding cut short a visit Damascus and flew back to Beil today upon hearing of Higgins' ~ appearance. He met with Leban( President Amin Gemayel and Is, condemned the kidnaping. .. "Here is an American who cai to Lebanon to take part in an enti prise set up to assist the withdraN of Israeli troops from Lebanon, support Lebanese sovereignty a Lebanese state institutions," Go ding said. "When you hav .e. a situation H EIS. Alarine Offiuux where he was on duty as head of a 75-member U.N. observer team Su- that is part of the U.N. Truce pervisory Organization, a small group that has supervised armistice Arab states since 1948. He was alone and driving a car flying the blue-and-white U.N. flag when he was kidnaped, according to witnesses. Redman said the United States would continue to supply U.S. Sol dier8 for the U.N. truce force de spite t . incident. "We don't intend he Ae W%zte House diSCOUIlted the idea of a rescue attempt. to let terrorists determine our pol- icies, or deter us from fulfilling our duties," he said, Redman drew a distinction be- tween American civilians who have been ordered out of Lebanon and U,S. troops assigned to the peace- keeping force. Because of the wave of abduc- tions In Lebanon, the State Depart- ment has been warning Americans to stay away. Last year, after three, more Americans were kidnaped, use,of a U.S. passport for travel to Lebanon was banned. "In this particular case, the indi- vidual U.S. officer was under the responsibility, authority and control' of the United Nations in his role as a member of the United Nations supervisory organization," Redman: said. Staff writer MoUy Moore contributed to this report. Fi~a 'dnaped Ki Authorities Doubt Besponsibility Gaim TYRE, Lebanon, Feb. IS- Around-the-clock searches by U.N. peace-keeping troops and Shiite Moslem militiamen in the muddy countryside of southern Lebanon turned up no sign today of U.S. Ma- rine Lt. Col. William R. Higgins, the head of a U.N. observer group who was kidnaped by gunmen near here yesterday. An anonymous caller in Beirut claimed responsibility for the kid- naping on behalf of a previously un- known group called the Islamic Revolutionary Brigades, but author- ities were unsure of its authenticity and most suspicions pointed toward one of the area's many militant, pro-Iranian factions. The caller, in a telephone conver- sation with an international news agency in Beirut, accused Higgins oCflbAeings'o'ountheeorfnthLeebdairneocnto'rsHeof the said the "hostage will not be freed until after his trial," and said the captors would follow up with another state- ment accompanied by a picture of that they are holding a captive. Higgins, 43, who heads the 75- man Lebanon Group of the U.N. Truce Supervision Organization, was seized by gunmen and taken to an unknown destination yesterday as he was driving by himself, behind another U.N. car, enroute from Tyre to UX troop headquarters in Naqurah, near the Israeli border. Abdel Majeed Saleh, the political commander of the Shiite Amal movement in southern Lebanon, who had met here with Higgins and his aides for 11/2 hours just before ~e was intercepted, said the Amer- ican was probably "the captive of the same people holding other for- eign hostages in Lebanon.' Most are being held by pro-Iranian fac- tions. I Speaking at his home. here, four miles north of Ras Ain, where Hig- gins was ambushed, Saleh said,that there appeared to be a "determina- tion to destroy an international sphere of influence in Lebanon and its humanitarian organizations for the sake of swapping any foreigner within reach for prisoners abroad." Although he did not name the Iranian-sponsored Hezbollah, Saleh clearly was referring to their hos- tage-taking strategy in Lebanon. Hezbollah's clergy and followers appeared nervous and edgy in the Tyre area today and largely kept a low profile. Some were seen racing through U.N. checkpoints on the coastal road just north of Tyre, refusing to stop. Timor Goksel, spokesman for the U.N. peace-keeping force, said in a telephone interview that there See LEBANON, A16, CoL 4 U.S. arine which three international staff hive been taken hostage within two weeks, that is a very serious situ- ation," he added, referring to the abduction two weeks ago of two senior Scandinavian officials with the U.N. Relief and Works Agency in Sidon.' In New York, U.N. spokesman Mario Zamorano said that the pur- pose. of Goulding's visit to Gemayel was to "stress the need for this mat- ter to be resolved as speedily as possible." He said Goulding drew the Lebanese government's atten- tion "to the possible implications for United Nations activities in Leba- non of the fact that three United Nations officials have been kid- naped during the last two weeks"-a statement seen in New York and here as a warning that U.N. agencies may further cut back their activities here. I "We don't know who did it," Goul- ding said. "We do not know why they did it. But what I can say is that these incidents do obviously have an effect on the readiness of governments to.send their people By Nora Boustany special to The Washington Put whether as military or civilians to work in Lebanon." Aly Yassin, a fundamentalist Shi- ite religious leader in Tyre, spec- ulated, however, that Higgins had been singled out for kidnaping pri- marily because he was an Ameri- can, not because he was a member of a U.N.-affiliated organization. Goksel said Higgins had believed he was safe traveling in this area of southern Lebanon because he was the chief of his unit. Other Amer- icans in his group are largely con- fined to U.N. headquarters in Naqu- rah, near the Israeli border. Diplomatic sources in Beirut said Higgins was considered to be some- what of a "cowboy" and appeared overly confident in his venture to travel to the Tyre area. I Saleh said Higgins' visit here was his second in three months. Goksfel said there had been no previous threats or indications that Higgins was in any danger as a U.N. officer. He was wearing, his U.S. Marine Corps uniform along with the U.N. insignia and blue beret at the time of his abduction. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 LT. COL. WILLIAM HIGGINS ... seized Wednesday in Lebanon Approved For Release N00108108 GIA RDP9 -00789R000400040001-3 31Wnapers ,,Of Marine Are Arrested Viewed As,.'Gold Mine' By NoraBoustany Speckal to The Washington Pot BEIRUT, Feb. 23-Local seen- .rity officials and independent mil- -4tary- observers in southern Leba- said today that three men in- CPYRGHT ~bo' olved in the kidnaping of U.S. Ma iine: ~t. Col, William Higgins have ,~v be 4; ,W arrested, but gave no encour- agement that it might lead to the officer's release. Daoud Daoud, a commander of the Shiite Amal militia, confirmed that twos participants in the abduc- tion, as well'as a third man who was carrying a letter from Beirut to the 'kidnapers with orders to bring Hig- gins to the.'Lebanese capital, all were arrested by Amal last Wed- nesday, the same day the abduction took place hear the southern port city of Tyre6. The courier was not able to de- 4iver his message, Daoud added. The Amill commander said his militia knei~ the name of the mas- termind of the kidnaping, but had, been - unable to locate him, He, de- tnree men being new. Amal security sources said they suspected Higginsiva.sbeinj held im, the-,village,gif Jibsheet; -about .15 miles northeast of Tyre. Hezbollah gunmen have fanned out in a cordon around the village, where there is heavy Iranian influence and a fer- vently religious population. . The gunmen prevented Amal and reporters from approaching the small town, Last Friday, Amal mili- 'tiamen searched jibsheet and took in a few men for questioning. ~ j A security official in Tyre said t; day that "two of the kidnapers w: were in the front car and a t4ird person supposedly monitoring Higgins' movements were arrested, but the abduction was a very elab- orate and professional operation and involved five cars. "The kidnapers switched their hostage from a Volvo to a pickup tvck, then to a Mercedes 280, and t44n the trail is lost," he added, LJhe group that said it abducted Higons, the Organization for the 0 ressed on Earth, has accused k ~43-year-old Marine of being a C&itral Intelligence Agency oper- att under United Nations cover. Hi gins heads the U.N. Truce Su- peivision Organization in Lebanon. U.N. Undersecretary General Marrack Goulding has described theillegation as "nonsense." C6, tifirmation by the Pentagon of iepoits that Higgins had been an aide to former secretary of defense Casp~r W. Weinberger and press reports that the officer had a high security clearance have minimized chances for his release, according to UX sources. "This has been a very serious setback, especially if you under- stand how the minds of these kid- napers, work," said one official in- volved in the investigation. "They now think they have a gold mine, with a shortage of foreigners in Bei- rut and the stream of information on the man. The kidnapers probably !think they have the top man in,the CIA and they will try to get as much as they can for him from the highest ibidder," he added. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 US. Sa,%TQ. Iran Has.Responded to By Bill McAllister Washington Post Staff Writer Iran, in a step that White House officials hope could ultimately lead to the release of American hostages in'Lebanon, has responded to U.S. messages over the downing of an Iranian jumbo jet, the Reagan ad- ministration disclosed yesterday. Although President Reagan is known to be anxious to win release of the nine hostages before he leaves office in January, White House and State Department officials sought to play dowfi the message. I Presidential spokesman Marlin Fi ter would say only that the communication restated Iranian efforts to link improved relations or - release of the hostages to the free CPYRGHT ing of Iranian assets still held by United States "or some other quid- pro-quo kind of movement which we are not prepared to do." Neither White House nor State Department . spokesmen would- characterize the message, received last week through a third party, or the status of any communications between the two countries. "Let's put-it this Way: They are aware of our responso, but I really can't say exactly how," Fitzwater said. The White House spokesman said the two co'untries~"are not talking" and described them6ssage as "very similar to what we have heard for several years." In the past the administration has rejected suggestions voiced by Iran- THE WASHINGTON POST essa"'g-es.'Over and elsewhere, saying the com- ments were not addressed to the ing government and were not com from what the United States con- sidered "authoritative sources." Fitzwater said the Iranian re- sponse was "serious" and authori- tative. "I don't think there is anything new involved here. The situation remains the same. We're willing to talk to them if they would provide an authoritative source to do it," Fitzwater said. "I don't think we're willing to give it any special signif- icance at this point." The White House reluctance to discuss the messages and their im- plications may reflect continued administrative concerns in the af- CPYRGHT The president was harshly._~ cized then for appearing to be s.( to, the Iranian govelim ing arms in an effort to gain the releasi hostages held by Lebanese facti sympathetic to iran. Reagan has said: repeatedly his intentionswere to support Y he perceived to. be- moderates in Iranian government and that he ognizes now the offer was a mist . What remains unchanged, s, administration officials have saii the president's strong desire to the American hostages freed m he is in office. : ~, .' These concerns have complic; the administration's desire to spond to overtures from Iran followed the U.S. Navy's dow: et s Down1na the Persian Gulf Fitzwater:and 6the'r-'administra- ve tion spokesmew. consistently ha cut short any, Aiscussion -of negoti- ations with Iran over the hostages. "No deals,",..Fit0ater, said, when asked about comments by Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the speaker of Iran's parliament mii&head of the Irapian armed for*, that Iran would work for: th6 ~ hostages' re- lease if the United ~States would help free Iranian assets~.'. ""WOlive _wAthat the best _, f4c" ' *-_'-st~simply state they e)y odages:' AuGuST 2, 1988 At MARLIN FrawATER ... situation "remains the sime CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 App For RelEffn 20 0 0, D8/08 : CIA-RDP96- QA~0040 Over, Germans Say Zan cc ares irra of Hostage-Taking Bonn Officials Report Tehran Sincere in Efforts to R, estore Diplomatic Ties to the West Indian professor with permanent residence By Robert J. McCartney status-was a signal of the lraiiiarui' ew policy, ,N~,huw~~ P~t F.-p "w'v- they said. i ~ The West Germans believe e tliat~l Iran has BONN, Oct. 11-Iraman officials, apparently pa ~ shifted its position ' because it desives l to end its ~ t - ~ ' signaling a shift to a more conciliatory policy to- S"P y !.'Yp y isolation from the West, wnmn for both diplomatic o and f f i ci a l ward the West, have told West German officials in recent week's that "the time commercial reasons, of hostage-taking now that a dease-fire has is over," West German officials been achieved in the said this week. Iran-Iraq war. ~ 1~ The West Germans said their government,The officials discounted the possil-ility that the CPYRGHT which has pa insta kinglyIranians were sending cultivated good ties with these signals to try to in- Iran in recent years, is convincedfluence the U.S. presidential from recent cimpakgn. contacts that influential membersThe West Germans, without of the govern- malkO.ig specific ment there are willing to pursuerecomme ndat ions to a gradual im- Washington, emphasized pro%ernent in relations with that the United States the United States should take jidvantage of w(! ot)~er western countries. the current Iranian attitude, "The:. time is ripe ' !mnian leaders said such an improvements," a Bonn re- now to make an effort on both sidle juized a !engthy, mutual processofficial said. of building rust, but would include the releaseIn addition, Bonn wished of U,S. and to underline the will- ,,her hostages held by pro-Iranianingness of West German militants in Foreign Nlinister Hans. .ebanon, the West German officialsDietrich Genscher to said. use his contai-t3 with Iran " ~ie release in Beirut in the to work for the release last month of two of U.S. andlother hos- wstagcs-i West German businessmantages in Lebanon, the and an officials said. Genscher is I to make an official visit to Tehran in late Novem- ber. As evidence of Genscher's good relationship with Tehran, it was disclosed here that the [ran- ians tipped him off at least 24 hours in advance that hostage Mithileshwar Singh was to be re- leased in Beirut eight day-, ago. Genscher was informed either Oct. I or Oct. 2 that a "U.S. professor of foreign origin" was to be freed on Oct, 3 in Beirut, sources said here. Gen- scher immediately phoned Secretary of State George P. Shultz with the news. The West Germans had the impression "that Iran wanted to send a signal to the United States" by passing the word to Genscher, an of- ficial said. The Iranians "trusted Genscher to be a good messenger,' the source said. The Iraniami also gave Genscher nearly three weeks' advance notice of the release of West German liusinessmati Rudolf Cordes, according to the West German govern Imerit. Cordes was See IRAN, A26, Col.6 W Gertuans Say fran.Sincere III Efforts to Restore Relations''; ,1 IRAN, Froin A21 released by pro-Iranian Shiite Mos- leMs in Beirut on Sept. 12. The Iranian government does not have total control over the radical Shiite groups holding hostages in Lebanon, but it has considerable influence over them, West German officials said. West Germany, alone among leading western countries, has 1113intained full diplomatic relations %vith Iran throughout the turmoil in that nation that began with the 1979 1 cvolutioll, . West German diplomats, nurtur- ing the relationship, have consis- tently worked to craft language that took Iranian interests into account in drafting U.N. resolutions. The West Germans said they were not aware of any specific Iran- ian conditions for an improvement in relations with the United States or other western countries, The Iranians have spoken of .U.S. "atti- tudee rather than of specifics, an official said. It was clear, however, that Iran hoped that U.S. positions in the U.N. Security Council would not be hostile to Iran. It also was under- stood that Iran would welcome the ,strongest possible U.S. condemna- tion of Iraq's reported use of chem- ical weapons. The Bonn government has dis- cerned a direct link between the new approach by Iran and the rise of influence during the summer of top officials in Tehran who do not rule out a thaw in ties with the West. This group is understood to in- clude Speaker of the Iranian parlia- ment Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafpan- jani, President Ali Khamenei, and Foreign Minister Ali Akbar' Ve- layati. The group of officials, described here as "pragmatists," got the up- per hand with Iran's acceptance in July of U.N. Resolution 598. That set the groundwork for the cease- fire with Iraq, I "From then on, they Ithe Iran- ians] started to look for friends" in the West, an official said. Sometime in August, the Iranian Foreign Min- istry was given the authority in lease of the West German hostage, Cordes, officials said. Leading skeptics concerning my thaw in relations with the West are said to include Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi and Interior Min- ister Ali Akbar Mohtashemi. Ill the West German view, the "pragmatists" are eagcr to see Iran obtain western technology to help rebuild the nation's econonly, They al"O have seen froln thin success of Resolution 598-drafted with West Gernian as,,,iqtailce- that "it Pays to have friend,,, in tile United Nations," ;ill offici~tl Another official, explailling jran,s "new thinking," "id: "The war is over. They are in a very difficult Phase. They need to reconstruct their country." The West Germans played a role in bringing together the United States and Iran in the prolonged negotiations that led to the --elease In January 1981 of the 52 U.S. Em- bas8y personnel held hostage ih Tehran for 444 days. Genscher acted as host in arrang- ing talks in Bonn in September 1980 between Warren Christopher, thein deputy secretary of state, and Sadeq Tabatabai, a relative and aide 6f Aya- tollah Ruhollah Khomeini, CPYRGHT CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 CPYRGHT ,?I de er IT C owv~s 111ed Cross Aide Kidnairred in Lefirlui-an ly Reuter I-)IDON, Lebanon, Nov. IY- Gunmen kidnaped a Swiss Red Cross worker today, and Palestinian guerrillas, calling the abduction an attempt to discredit their indepen- dence declaration, firomised to "storm houses" to find him. Police said Peteir Winkler, 32, a member of the International Com_ mittee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was seized at gunpoint by three masked men who intercepted his car near Ain Ilelweh refugee camp on the outskrrts of Sidon, 25 miles south of Beirut~ No group claimed responsibility for Winkler's abduction, the first to involve a Swiss since kidnaping of foreiswers bej~an in earnest in 1985. Revolutionary Command, led by Abu Nidal, of kidnaping Winkler to em- birrass Palestine Liberation Organ- ization leader Yass~r Arafat follow- ing his acceptance, in a conference in Algiers Tuesday, of U.N. Resolution 242, which implicitly recognizes Is- rael. A spokesman for the Abu Nidal group denied the accusations and said his group opposes all acts of vi- olence against "workers for human- itarian organizations and members of friendly states." The ICRC appealed for Winkler's release, saying, "The ICRC in Leb- anon appeals to those holding Win- kler to release him immediately so he can resume his mission'of assist- ing victims of the conflict." abduction arid said the kidnapers wanted to undermine the political gains achieved by Pale~;tiriian lead- ers in declaring in independent state at their meeting in Algiers. Officials of several Palestinian guerrilla groups held an emergency meeting here and "agreed to take immediate measures to free [Win- kler], including storming house,; and a wide search operation," said Abu Nizar, of the radical Popular Fron t for the Liberation of Palestine. On Feb. 5, gunmen seized a Nor- wegian and a Swede who worked for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. Both were quickly released. U.S. Marine Lt. Col. William R. Iliggins, head of a U.N. truce unit, kidnapcd CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 CPYRGHT, U.S. Pulls Out, U.No X Cur 01 wtebanon: !i ...pa Wisks Considered Too'High--j-" j*..Marine`sKid_ 'A t napqig A ssociatedPress The R6agan adm .ifiistratio.n. :has withdrawn, Ar4eriqok military officers ~froni -patrol- duties, with the Unjted.Nqtiofis.p~a~&eeping unit in strife4orn. 'southern leban6ii~. officials said yes--, 11.,*ebrdered. iterday. 7 -The decision comes 91/2 months after the ab~' ductiog:,of Marine Lt. Col..Williarn R. Higgins .from & unit, which is known as the Observer .Group Lebanon ~of the U.N. Trace Supervision, k1m, .: Organization. (UNTSO). Higgins was kidnaped Feb. 17 while driving. between the 1.ebanesd city of Tyre and the bor- .1-1ber der towr~of. Naqoura,. site of a U.N. observer head arters. He became the ninth American to qu be sbiied as a hostage in Lebanon, all apparently by pro-Iranian Moslem, fundamentalists.- Administration officials, Who agreed to discuss ,the~qigti~jr,jqqly,g they,,were not identified, said 6 a over the si-, Ahe Amexidans, were~~' r' ered out pa week. no longer in:south~rn Lebanon. They've been withdrawn over the last seve.ra days," one source said. "It's too risky," anothei official. commented. "The risk, to,out, people i,, now.con'sidere too high and we don't want'then d 'iravding inside Lebanon." UNTSO has almost. 300 military: personne from 17 nations. The Vpited States provides 3( .1ment of whom 16 are:.~assigned to the ObsArVej Gioup Lebanon. 'Nei.the,r.,D&nse'D~partment nor,State'De. rtment-~f li would discuss the matter pub. pj yestftd;iy. Y Butsoprces-s~aid.theVnited States has told th( lzfed. Nations it hopes to resume participatior the,.Obserw in ~r Group Lebanon "when condi. tions in ~tou& '~' Leba' rn non permit." The admin- istratidn mad clear that it continues to supporl all other UX~-140rations in -the region the sources also.sai UNTSO was-organized to maintain the cease 6~ ifteu"'N.;Security Council in July 104"11o,wing Israel'i- creation and to supervise ifiei general arnlistic'e',agreements between Jor Oan',- Syria, Egypt, Lebanon band Israel. it serves as the focal ~point for all U.N. Middle East - peacekeeping --pperations and monitors cease-fire"violationsil6ngt ' he Israeli borders. Although the Uniie.a States. reduced, the num- of-Americans actually patrolling with the tmit insid 'U.N e Lebanon after Higgins~ kidnap- ing e..;idministrati6n~ had denied planning to wl -s t~dT ZI can' "Oldiers from the team en- tirely stressing the, need to demonstrate U.S. suPP~rt for the peacekeeping efforts. The State Department long agoordered all A' ric me an civilians out of Lebanon and trimmed the U.S. Embassy staff in Beirut to a few dozen "persons.. CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 01 '094,000ti3,- T, -ISCSM Iran Talks Iran Talk-s On Ties On Relations No Reply Received; Teh-ran's Acceptance Of Truce Welcomed By David B. Ottaway W,~~hmgt- P.t S10 %~t~, The United States sent a mes- sage last week welcoming Tran's acceptance of a cease-fire with Iraq and proposing talks on normaliza- tion of U.S.-Iranian relations, Dep- uty Secretary of State John C. Whitehead disclosed yesterday. "We have sent a message to them CPYRGHT [Ira.] since their acceptance of [U.N.] Resolution 598 indicating to them that we welcome that step of theirs, indicating our willingness to cooperate in the implementation of their decision," Whitehead said on ABC News' "This Week With David Brinkley." "They know that we are prepared for more contacts if we can be sure that we are dealing with responsible spokesmen of their government," he added. Whitehead said the Iranians had not replied yet. Reagan administration officials have been emphasizing publicly their strong interest in improving relat;ons with Tehran now that it has accepted a cease-fire. Many be- lieve that this is essential to any hope of gaining Iranian intervention with the Shiite captors of nine American hostages being held in Beirut. Yesterdn),, the leading Shiite re- ligious leader in Lebanon, Sheikh Mcharnmed Hussein Fadlallah, called on "all parfies" involved in the ho,~tage issue "to resolve this mat- ter objectively and bring it to a hap- py ending without media marlipu- lations." [Related story, Page A161 U.S. officials have said the adinin- istration is willing to talk to Hezbol- lah, the group holding the nine Americans, about release of the hostages but will make no "deals." Defense Secretary Frank C. Car lucci, appearing on NBC News' "Xlcet the Press," also made a new See POLICY, Ali), Col. 3 in FiAll!tlq ri,porred in, nidf war a.% "O;fmo. A 10 POLICY, rroni At bid for talks with Iran, saying, "We'd be prepared to meet with them, providing they'd designate S()111eb()dY OffiCiallY to talk' to US." Carlucci indicated that the Unit- ed States is ready to talk to Tebran about anything other than "getting more arms," a reference to the White House secret operation in 1985-86 during which the United States sent arms to Tehran in hopes of gaining the release of American hostages. White House spokesman Marlin 'Fitzwater, asked about Carlucci's comments, emphasized that no one would negotiate with Iran for re- lease of the hostages. "They don't need negotiations to release the hostages. We're willing to talk to anybody, any time, any place. But we are not willing to ne- gotiate. We are not willing to pay ransom. There is no need. They took them, they should release them," Fitzwater said aboard Air Force One returning from Califor- nia. Whitehead did not say how the U.S, message was relayed to Teh- ran, with which Washington has no diplomatic relations. U.S. officials have said, however, that the United States has sent a number of similar messages to the Iranians'glfl_~~ I.-te-\ last year through the ~wlss Embas- sy there. The Swiss represent American interests in Tehran. The Algerians represent Iranian interests here, Iran has also been making over- tures to Washington indirectly, through third nations pU.q ' , ind4id-, uals claiming to have c6dt*A#j-41t~_ one or anothei f_6p_1ran-ia~-Fea_de_r The last of these probes occurred in April. But so far, Tehran has rd- fus6d to open a direct, formal dia- logue. Because of its bitter experience in dealing with shadowy Iranian would-be intermediaries during the Iran-contra affair, the administra- tion has been insisting that Tehran name an official representative with specific government authority to talk to Washington. Diplomatic sources said initiating such a direct dialogue at the United Nations in New York has been un- der discussion through third par- ties, but that no decision has been reached. Since the accidental shooting down of an Iran Air jetliner wi,h 290 people aboard by the USS Vin- cennes in the Persian Gulf July 3, the administration has stepped up it-, efforts to engage Tehran in talks. President Reagan has said the United States will pay compensa- tion to familici of the deceased and expressed deep regret. Despite U.S. efforts to engage Iran in a direct dialogue, Whitehead emphasized repeatedly that a res- tor,ition of U.S.-Tranian diplomatic relations is not imminent. Ilo said that while relations may "It is sonic way away to v,,,!- ', any(hing lik,2 the restor.,tion of f1crm -I with CPYRGHT lip I* L, "nXA~avn_ tells.of U.S. message to Tefiraii Carlucci held out to Iran the, prospect of a reduction in the U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf, one of the Iranians' main ob- jectives since the buildup of U.S. warships there to escort Kuwaiti tankers reregistered under the U.S. flag. He said the United States will wait "some reasonable interval" to make sure the cease-fire is holding before it stops its escorts, but "there's no desire to keep 27 ships there any longer than possible." "We would certainly draw down a,i soon as feasible," he said at an- o:her point. Carlucci also defended the pres- ence inside the gulf of the Via- cennes and its sophisticated Aegis electronic firing system, denying it was "the wrong equipment" for use in "a lake" like the Persian Gulf. "It is the best ship to deal with the Silkworm missile and we had no real capability to cope with the Silk- worm missiles," he said of Iran's Chinese-inade shore-to-shiP weaP- out-, that he said repre-~cnted "a real threat" to U.S. warshivs. "So there was goo(l and sotuld~ re,~son for having thi! Vincennes if, t h, gulf at that tinie," he added. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 ...defends presence in Persian Gulf For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789Oo6o~C06b4/00bf-3 U.S. R ted 1-13 Pronosed Sale Of F 5s to Iran Vrokers Hinted Deal Alight Relp Hostages By David B. Ottaway _L-~ V-1 Soft %yrit'r ~ If 6;~ ~r_%OPYRGHT International arms merchants sought last spring to get the Rea- gan administration to approve the $170 million sale of 16 aging F5 fighter jets from Chile to Iran in a deal they miggcsted Illight lead to the release of American bostages it) U~banon, U.S, officials said yester- day. State Department spokesman Charles E. Redman said the admin- istration's answer "in no uncertain tcrnns" was "no." "We're not going to be a party, or arrange in any way, for arms to be tranSff'rF(~d to Iran," he said. R(-dwian cast the episode as a ~-,uccessful cx~allple of the admin- istration's carnpaign-formally known as "Operation Staunch"-to cut iff firms supplies to Iran. lie denied part of a report by ABC News, which broke the story Tuesday night, that a promise of Iranian cooperation to gain the re- lease of nine U.S. hostages figured prominently in the proposed deal. "The hostage element seems to hav,~ come up only l,ri(!fly and v(A y n( olill~~ly it) the 1;1(,t ;111d it ~cclns to 11;.vu bccli 1;1"'od by the !)rollcrs, riot by thc, Traniiins," Red- -,gain, when %v~is raised, the answer w:!I~ ju,t cis cl~,ar: no deal," he said. I1\111.lic floli-, spokesinan Marlin F i~zwater, ~~pca~ing to i-eporters Piesident Reagan's plane fl)ing between COILVIII)IIS and Toledo, Ohio, said it was "another example of a private individual try ~ng to get involved in tile hostage ~:tuation for private gain. It is not helpful to the hostages or our re lations in the Middle East." See KHO.MEINl, A17, Col. I CPYRGHT THE WWII! IT S. Re'rected Plan to Sel' Chilean F5s to i KHOMEINI, From A-1 Redman said the deal was pro posed by a group of arms dealers, which ABC News said included Iranians, Israelis, Argentines, Brit- ons and a Cuban-Arnerican, "who thought that Iran might be a pos- sible destination" for the Chilean air force F5s. He indicated that various middle- men tried to approach the admin- istration to gain approval for the transfer and were all emphatically told: "There's nothing going down of this kind. It's just riot liappening,." Redman said the queries cattle "in tile space of a few weeks" in late March and early April and involved, among others, an Argentine. ABC News identified the man as Jose An- PffiT The document indicates that. this assessment by Revolutionary Guard Commander Mohseri Reza'i was tile crLiCial argument used by Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollali Khomeini, to justify his decision it all vip'llt-hour ineeting of about 40 Lop Iranian religious, political and Militaryleaders; July 17, the day be- fore Iran announced its decision, The document, which appears to be a summary of the meeting, says Ahmed Khomeini, the ayatollah's son, read a message from his father to the group saying, "Now that our military officials, both army and Guards Corps, and all experts on war openly admit that the Artily of Islam will not achieve any victories whatsoever in-the near future ... I accept the cease-fire." Reza'i, who was reportedly one of the few Iranian officials willing to continue the war, had prepared an assessment of Iran's long-term mil- gel Mondino, and said he wrote a letter in June to National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Colin L. Powell pressing the issue. ABC also reported that Cuban- American Raymond Molina was contacted by arms merchants who thought he had close ties to the Central Intelligence Agency. Molina told ABC News lie refused a $5 rail- lion offer to act as a go-between, but passed on their proposal to the CIA. U.S. officials confirmed another part of the report that said the State Department askLd the Israeli govehiment to stop the involve- ment of the Israeli arms dealer. The Chilean government, which needs U.S. approval for any trans- fer of the U.S.-made warplanes, in- itary prospects and needs and ap- patently sent it to the ayatollah. According to the document, Reza'i said military offensive,,, could come by 1993 only if Iran had "250 brigades, 2,500 tinks, 3,000 arynored personnel carriers, :300 aircraft Ind :300 ht-licoptertt." Khomeini then commented, "This commander [Reza'i) believeg our ability to procure sufficient ond timely funds and resources to be the most important factor in gaining success and . . . he says we must keep on fighting. But this is, a 1101- low slogan." A U.S. official said the adminis- tration had not seen the document and could not comment on it. But he confirmed that a number of high-level meetings took place July 16-19 to inform the Iranian leadership of Khomeini's decision. The document tends to confirm some U.S. assessments of Irin's Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 formed the United States of the at- tempt and said it wouid not go ahead without Washington's agree- ment, Redman said. The latest report of Iran's des- perate attempts to obtain large wil- itary items such is aircraft ap- peared to lend credence to a secret Iranian government document ob- tained and being distributed here by the Iranian opposition group, the People's Mujaheddin of Iran. The document indicates that Iran decided to accept a cease-fire with Iraq in July after the hard-line com- mander of the Revollit iollary Guards Corps concluded that no military victories over superior Iraqi forces were possible before 1993 because of Iran's acute short- age of heavy weapons. T11URSDAY, OcrOBER 20, 1988 A17 weaknesses and reasons for accept- ing the cease-fire, but does not sub- stantiate others. For instance, it con- firms the low morale of Iran's front- line troops; the waning ardor of Iran- ians to fight; the army's poor logis- tics; infighting between the army and Revolutionary Guardi, and the gov- ernment's extreme financial straits. It also tends to substantiate U,S. claims that "Operation Staunch" was succeeding and was a factor in Iran's decision to stop fighting, despite the secret White House shipments of arms to Tehran in 1985-86 to try to gain the freedom of U.S. hostages, But the document makes no men- tion either of Iraq's repeated use of chemical weapons or devastating, long-range missile attacks on Teh- ran and other cities as factors in the collapse of Iranian morale. Staff writer Bill McAllister contributed to this repoyt. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 At Lebanese, Shiites Clash Over Search for Marine BEIRUT The pro-Iranian Shiite Moslem group that kidnaped a U.S. Marine officer Wednesday told the Shiite Arnal militia yes- terday to stop searching for him,'and other pro-Irania n militants fired CPYRGHT on inilitamen car- rying out the search. A statement released here and signed by the Organization of the Oppressed on Earth called on "our brothers in Amal to understand the dangerous spying role" of Lt. Col. William Higgins, who was kidnaped while in southern Lebanon as part Oda U.N. truce-monitoring . group. A pro-Iri 'an 'cleric said in Tyre that Higgins had been smuggled'out of southern Lebanon. "litants shot at Iranian-backed Hezbollih. ml Amal militiamen searching, fh'e southeastern m e village of Ain Tineh.. The A at fight rs fired back with rocket-propelled;grenades. Amal has detained dozens of pro-Iranian militants ps i part of the search, which i t says is theant to defend the role in s out.hern Lebanon of the . United Nations. Thai- llanf-'-~_ Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Ap ved For Release :OMRSIMTCIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Search For Higins Intensifies Iranian Militiamen Seized in Roundup By Nora Boustany U.N. Troops, Amal Intensify Search In Lebanon for Kidnaped American LEBANON, From A19 ' gins, the chief of the Lebanon unit of the U.N. Truce Observation Su- pervision Organization (UNTSO), abducted by gunmen south of Tyre. His abduction has been claimed by ~wo groups, the previously un- known Islamic Revolutionary Bri-? ades and the Organization of the 8ppressed on Earth, which also claimed responsibility for the June 1985 hijacking to Beirut of a TWA airliner. Using two helicopters and police dogs, dozens of troops of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) combed the countryside about eight miles southeast of Tyre. UNIFIL troops and Amal militia- men focused their search on a num- ber of rural towns in that area after receiving tips from local infor- mants. An Amal commander said the militia last night entered the southern village of Jibsheet, a Hez- bollah stronghold, and rounded up suspects after a standoff with some of its armed residents. Amal officials said a number of Iranian Revolutionary Guards hid also been taken in for questioning. Justice Minister Nabili Berri, who is the leader of Amal, ridiculed at- legations that Higgins was a CIA agent. In a television interview, he said Higgins "may be an intelligence agent [for the CIA) and he may not. But ... a lot of westerners kid- naped before were accused of being spies. Some of them, for example some Frenchmen, were later re- leased. Did they stop being spies? What kind of pretext is this?" A communique by the Organiza- tion of the Oppressed on Earth, de- livered yesterday to the offices of an international news agency, re- jected American peace efforts in the region and the dispatch of U.S. envoys here. Secretary of State George P. Shultz is expected in the region in the next 10 (lays. BEIRUT, Feb. 20-A clamp- down on Moslem fundamentalist groups backed by Iran spread from southern Lebanon to the western Bekaa Valley today as Shiite mili- tiamen pressed their. search for a kidnaped American officer attached to a U.N. observer f~Kce _'-1e_aa_e_r_s_7 -&-mainstrearn Shike Amal militia hinted that Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins, who was kid- naped Wednesday in southern Leb- anon, may have been seized in an effort by supporters of Iran to re- activate talks on an exchange of hostages for weapons needed by Iran. An official of the Palestine Lib- eration Organization said the PLO also had evidence to suggest Hig- gins was kidnaped for use in a po- tential deal with the United States. "We believe Iran wants to make a new deal with the Americans using Higgins," said PLO official Salah Khalaf in in interview with Reuters newsagency in Tunisia. In Beirut, a senior ryiernber of Amal's politburo, Mohammed Beidoun, said he suspected that "the basic aim behind Higgins' ab- duction was a pressure campaign . . . concerning hostages and weap- ons." As the search for Higgins re- sumed, Amal members stormed strongholds of pro-Iranian extrern- ists in southern Lebanon for the fourth straight day, Tension between the moderate Amal and radical Hezbollah (Party of God) mounted in the western Bekaa as the rival militias set up checkpoints near the town of Machghara, Shiite officials said to- ~re was still no trace of Hig- See LEBANON, A28, Col. 1 CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 CPYRGHT nn Ft(ye1NZJVV8JqqA_PTJf Jorrorism Li" Y_ Lebanese Man First to Stand Trial in U.S. for Hijacking Abroad -followers such as Yunis expected to Yunis' By Ed Bruske capture involved person- do as they are told. nel from the departments Wa3hiogton Post Staffof Justice, Writer ' a nd f t i b r 1987 St t d Def o th Y i S t arres em e a e n ense a r m. e un s n ep , U.S. laws aimed at the first under the long-arm anti- CIA, curbing iriter.. FBI and Dr~g Enforcement national terrorism terrorist statutes, was announced Administration, will undergo along with a critical their first major w1th great fanfare by then-Attorney assist test in federal from a Lebanese informant court here with the General Edwin Meese IIL But some and one-time opening today friend of Yunis, Jamal Of the trial of Fawazauthorities on terrorism have ar- ~Hamdan. Yunis, a 28- year-old Lebanese gued that Yunis was only a bit play- Hamdan, accused of tak- who had escaped from a ing part in the 1985 er and that the hijacking in which he Lebanese hijacking Of a prison. after -being con- ~oyal Jordanian Airlinesallegediy took part hardly ranked victed jet in 3ei- of -murdering his sister-in- rut. arnong the world's major terrorist law and who was suspectedof other Federal officials, incidents and nlostly involved inter- &imes,-,-was-.en'Iisted1o': relying on 1984 -lure.-Yunis FAWAZ YUNIS ' nd 1986 statutes givingnal Arab.bickering. A6'Cypr . U.S. au- q'son1he.preiext ottakifig V, ent~~C'e Aifaft4possible We -s thorities jurisdictionOn June 11, 19K five heavily A hil' drug , abroad in ter- deal and pa ab~6rd Pa ~ Ity rorist incidents involvingarmed men seized the Jordanian a luxury, Ameri- yacht. cans, hope to make airliner in BeiruL With about 70 The. yacht,d.ition'. to Epe an an example of Skunk Filo, had, been accurate state- Yunis to terrorists passengers aboard, including foot 16ased*by4the... enL worldwide. U.S. g6vernmefiti'afid - Yunis-a Shiite MoslemU.S. citizens, they commandeered FBI agentshad challenged the and posed as the aruj,,4ea1_* mal militiaman who, the aircraft for a 30-houi voyage to ers. ViS.- government's according to After motoring in a'dingh~ to right to seize ' 'ederal officials Cyprus, Tunisia and Sicily before the yacht-carefullyforeign suspects abroad, and court docu- positioned in but the ments, was lured intoreturning to Lebanon. international waters long-arm statutes were the custody of off Cyprus- upheld in 'BI agents in Cyprus The hijackers, who severely beat Yunis. c0 - , with the immediately was arrested. urt. )romise of a lucrativeseveral Jordanian sky marshals Agents threw:,-Cart6r has raised drug deal-is him to ihe 'deck, the issue of xpected to argue thataboard the plane, threatened to kill breakingwhether Yunis can be he was both his wrists. held respon- , erely a foot soldier . sible for the hijacking following or- the hostages one by one unless all I Hamdan,as an Amal who is not expected to ers in the factional Palestinian guerrillas were re- appear at. militia underling. wars ravaging the trial, and. several of Under the U.S. banon and cannot be moved from Lebanon. his family membeti hav military cod6,' soldiers held respon- e' since been accused of ;ible for laws brokenAfter the plane landed in Beirut, granted. breaking "the law while in the hijack- residency here under the following ng incident. a hijacker who called himself "Na- federal orders can be excused witness protection program. if the order The trial, which willzeeh" and was later identified as Yunis'journeyis not per se.:.unlawful be translated to Washington took or if the sol- nto Arabic, could Yunis held a news conference in four da dier believes he has last more than a . P no alternative. .ys ~ by sea ~ a d air, during nonth. Federal prosecutorswhich he threatened to deliver the which Carter has told the plan to FBI agents elicited from him court that he 11 more than 20 witnesses,corpses to an Arab League leader. a crucialintends to introduce includ- statement outlining the evidence that ng two American passengersAll -aboard the aircraft were re- hijackingYunis was acting on. of the and his alleged participa- orders from ' etliner and airline leased Ainal authorities Who personnel from before terrorists blew up the tion in it. directed the he Middle East and plane and escaped. Yunis' c6urtt-Appointed hijacking. Carter said Italy. attorney, he hopes to Yunis, who faces a Among those expected to testify Francis call an expert in Lebanese possible sen- D. Carter, former head of affairs to ence of life in prison,ere about the hijacking are Landry the D.C.testify that the Amal could try to Public Defender Service, is one of sev- urn the trial into . Slade, a professor at the Amer- is expected.eral groups that act a Lebanese civics to tell jurors that his as legitimate ~sson, arguing that can University of Beirut, and his client, ' the Amal and suffering seasickness tand ruling military. entities in the ab- ' other militant factionseen-age son, who were aboard the intense 4 are legiti- pain from his broken wrists sence of a cohesive central govern- i iate political organizations,ir iner. and without a lawyer, was in no ment. with con- CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000~*/-OIRGW-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 "J, approved W5 20&)G'/0 -:~lAf"RDP96-60789RM"110_040001-3 For Release THe WAsHiiNGTON POST Tffmm, JANuARY 26, 19.8R A211A~'_", Truce Between R ival Shiite Factions Coflapses SyTian-Iranian AgTeement Reflected Damascus'Efforts to Ma7intain Political Balance By Nora Boustany Wasjungt- P~t F,,e,g, S-ice BEIRUT, Jan. 25-A truce -orked out in long talks between yrian and Iranian officials to halt iter-Sh'ite warfare between rad- al Hez~ollah and moderate Amal ghters in southern Lebanon col- psed within hours of its announce- Lent in Damascus today. At least three persons were re- :)rted wounded in renewed fighting iat died down tonight, but left ten- ons high. Failure of the agreement reached the Damascus-hosted talks re- ected Syria's difficulties in main- iining a tenuous balance between )mmitment to its closest Lebanese Iv, Amal, and regional affiliation i~ indebtedness to Iran, the funder id sponsor of Hezbollah. Fifteen hours of arduous talks that cluded Foreign Ministers Farouk haraa of Syria and Ali Akbar Ve- yati of Iran as well as top leaders of mal and Hezbollah produced the iort-lived peace program. The current fighting between the val pro-Syrian and Iran-backed Shi- Moslem groups erupted Dec. 31 the southern slums of Beirut and )read to a cluster of hilltop villages ierlooking Israel's self-declared !curity zone in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah still controls the villages Loueizeh and Ain Bouswar and ost of now-deserted Jbaa, all adja- !nt to the northwestern limits of a border strip controlled by Israeli oops and their local ally, the South ~banon Army (SLA). The pro-Iranian group commands .a highest ridges of Jabal Amel, ~banon's southern mountain range. Hezbollah's routes to the north- ist and south are cut off by Anial, hich has made it difficult for Hez- supporters to move in sup- 044 ose directions. Syrian the supply leaders meet with officials in Damascus to discuss a truce in the fighting between Shiite factions in Lebanon. les from the Bekaa, however, and mal and Charaa have accused Hez- )Ilah of bribing some SLA elements smuggle in arms and materiel rough the security zone at the !ight of battles earlier this month. The SLA today deported 40 per- ns, including elderly residents A infants, from the village of She- ia, for allegedly aiding anti-Israeli dical Moslem factions. Asked why the SLA might coop- ate with Hezbollah guerrillas, a estem diplomat said: "Look at ritacts and possible links between 3n and Israel. There has been co- eration there before." He was ferring to Israel's role in the Iran- ntra affair. Despite Syria's discomfort with ving Iran-backed fundamentalists in the upper hand in southern ~banon, analysts said, it 'cannot Dve decisively against Hezbollah, i link to Iran. The Amal move- ant,-headed by_Na6ih.BerrL_,has en- locked in conflict with Hezbol- 1 since April. The Shiite war began last Feb- ary after the kidnaping of U.S. Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins, who was serving with the U.N. Truce Supervision Organization in southern Lebanon. Higgins was ab- ducted in Tyre by Hezbollah forces while visiting a senior Amal secu- rity official there. Amal drove Hezbollah from most of southern Lebanon last spring but failed to suppress the fundamental- ist group in Beirut's southern sub- urbs in later battles in May and No- vember. Amal is determined to block Hezbollah from reestablishing military bases in the southern vil- lages near the Israeli border and security zone in order to prevent provocations that could lead to re- prisal attacks by Israel. Iran's resolve to carve out for itself a stake in the Arab-Israeli conflict through Hezbollah bases in southern Lebanon is seen by ana- lysts as draining Amal's strength and distracting it from its struggle for greater political rights in Leb- anon's disputed governing system. Amal politburo member M6- hammed Beidoun said in an interview before going to Damascus this week that his organization would never allow the south to slip back into the anarchy that prevailed before.Israeli troops drove the PLO out in 1982. "Syria is caught between two al;', liances. Both are imperative-Amall. in Lebanon and Iran in the region. But these two allies are confronting one another in an explosive area of, red lines for Syria," Beidoun said in discussing Syria's predicament in southern Lebanon. The Amal official noted that feud- ing wings in the Tehran leadership, mainly dovish parliamentary speaker Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on one side and the more radical Ayatollah - HoWin.Ah Montazeri and Interior_ Minister Ali Akbar Mohtashemi oii~" the other, added to the complexity of 9 Iran's involvement in Lebanon. ~ -:!) "What ' Trad- failed to achieve'; through the abduction of nine! American hostages in Lebanon more spare parts for its western' supplied arsenal and the unfreezing, of assets in the United States-it" "' will try to obtain: through a new big hostage: southern Lebanon, BeidouP predicted. CPYRGHT CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 CPYRGHT Edward Tracy, a writer from Vermont who was liv- ing in Beirut was abducted Oct. 21, 1986. Terry Anderson, corre- spondent for Associated Press, was kidnapped March 16, 1985. 4z Thomas Suthedand, a9 culture dean at Ameria University of Beirut, w~ seized June 9,1985- Vil Aiann Steen, a journalism - pro'essor 103~ph Cicippio, at comp- Beirut Univer- trO3 sily -r at American College, Univer- was ' kid- t'r ' sity napped in Beirut Jan. , was kid- 24, s 1987. n ac cd pt 12, 1 C81 6. Jesse Turner, a math in- structor at Beirut University j College, was kidnapped Robert Polhill, a business professor at Beirut Uni,ver- sity Coliege,, sez;edl was Jan-24,1987. Jan.24,198 - ----- Approved For Release 2000108108 ClAA Fr-ank Herbert R,~ed, direc- tor of Lebanese Interna- tional School, was kid- napped Sept. 9, 1986, LT. Cot_ ~!,rl LLIAMj HIGG111,1S Pulled rr OM C-Ir ourimen P96-00789ROO0400040001-3 004000"- IUTuyW ... No. 77 pespite Kidnaping, U.S. to Stay With U.N. Unit, Reagan Says P TH (3 H T By Molly Moore Wamirigton Post Suff Writer Higgins, 43, of Woodbridge, was chief of the 75-member U.N. observer group, when kid- naped Wednesday, morning in southern Lebanon. Pentagon officials issued the statement about Higgins' previous Job, Howard said, because Ra- dio Free Lebanon had broadcast a report in Ara- bic quoting unnamed Amal Shiite Moslems as saying Higgins had an "association with Weinber- ger." Pentagon officials had asked news organiza- tions to play down Higgins' background out of concern the information could possibly jeopar- dize his return. Howard said, however, that U.S. officials do not believe the kidnaping is related to Higgins , past assignment with Weinberger. Howard also said Higgins would not have been barred from taking the U.N. assignment after leaving the defense secretary's office. "There was no restriction that was broken by his accepting this assignment," Howard said. Defense Secretary Frank C. Carlucci said yes- terday, "We are doing everything, possible" to locate Higgins. He added, "A lot of us in this building [the Pen- tagon], myself included, know Col. Higgins, and we certainly want to do everything possible to get him out," Carlucci said that although the search for Hig- gins is primarily a "U.N. responsbility, not a U.S. government responsibility... we are concerned about our people and we'll work with the UX on it." Carlucci also said the United Nations "has fanned its forces throughout the area looking for him." Higgins, a decorated veteran of, the Vietnam war as, an infantry officer, was serving a one-year, tour or, the Lebanon observer group.Named chief of the unit in January, he was to serve as' chief until his tour ended in June. Pentagon officials said Higgins' wife, Marine aj. Robin Higgins, who works for the Defense~ M' Department public information office, had re ceived no news of any search results yesterday. [In Delray Beach, Fla., Robin Higgins! par- ) ents, Norman and Rhoda Ross, expressed deep, pessimism about their son-in-law's situation, r1_1 ported the Fort Lauderdale News & Sun Senti- nel. ("It's been difficult to handle this," Norman Ross,said. "It's taken away peace of mind." Bit's very, very distressful," said Rhoda Ross, 50, a retired teacher. [Their daughter and Higgins met in officer training school in Quantico, and were married at a military wedding, the Rosses said. [When Higgins went to Lebanon last June, "It was the first time in a long time" they had been apart on separate assignments, Rhoda Ross said.] President Reagan said yesterday that the mted States will not withdraw military officers m the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon ro. r espite the kidnaping of Marine Lt. Col. William ichard Higgins and threats of terrorism. "We are going to meet our obligations to the nited Nations," Reagan said during a photo ses- on in the Oval Office as he greeted West Ger- Chancellor Helmut Kohl. "You know I'm not upposed to be taking questions here, but on this ~artIiIcular subject I feel that I must straighten it ~ut. The president continued, "Of course we worry :because we know terrorists throughout the world targeted us as one of their targets." The Pentagon acknowledged late yesterday 1hat Higgins was a junior military aide to then- Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinbergei Irom June 1985 until last June, when he was a, signed to the U.N. observer group in Lebanon, o job acquaintances said he aggressively sought. Pentagon spokesman Dan Howard said that a, iin aide to Weinberger, Higgins worked with z variety of classified documents but was only "on( ;f 36 individuals who worked in the immediati office of the secretary handling administrativ4 work." fraia-Linked Group LEBANON, From Al (Defense Department officials said they be ~eved the two identification cards were authe tic. [President Reagan also said Friday that th, Pnited States will not withdraw military officer i~om the U.N. peace-keeping force, despite Hig jins'abduction. (Related story, Page A18.)l f, Higgins, 43, who heads the 75-man Lebano 4~rqup of the United Nations Truce Supervisio 1 Prganization, was seized by gunmenWedne Tree miles south of the port city f yre as tas driving by himself, behind an er . . ca , en route from Tyre to U.N. troo eadquartei s Naqurah, near the Israeli border. (The remaining unarmed military observe herding with the group that Higgins headed ha Oeeg withdrawn from field operations and 00 ~nv It Seized Marine South of Tyre -,s fitted to their U.N. headquarters in Naqurah, U.N. spokesnian Mario Zamorano said in New York.1 U.S. officials have denied that Higgins has links with the CIA. U.N. Undersecretary General Mar- rack Goulding repeated the denial again today. "We don't recruit spies and we don't accept spies for this job," he told a group of journalists in Naqurah. Shiite religious and political leaders in south- ern Lebanon said yesterday that Higgins was kidnaped because he was an American and not because he was working as a U.N. observer. . He was wearing his U.S. Marine Corps uni- form along with the U.N. insignia and blue beret at the time of his abduction - The moderate Shiite Am.almilitia has launched full-scale hunt for Higgins' captors. A number 0 pro-Iranian fundamentalist activists have been rounded up for questioning and eyewitnesses interrogated, the sources said. Moslem security sources in southern Lebanon said 10 members of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah were detained ir a raid in rural villages. Hezbollah claimed in a statement reported on local radios that 150 of its supporters had been stopped by Amal militiamea- iii the countryside. Today's statement by the Organization of the Oppressed of the Earth warned the United States to stay out of Lebanon and the Middle East. "Our choice has made it imperative for cs to let out a deafening scream in America's filthy face and to tell the Americans,. get out of air country you criminal colonialists ... We dea't want your help or your peace," the statement said. The group has claimed it killed four Lebanese Jews since 1985, Today it paid special tribute to the fight of Lebanon's Shiite southerners against Israeli occupation. A pproved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO04000400 Group Says It Holds U.S. Marine Iran-Linked Group Accuses Hiaains Of Being CIA Spy By Nora BEIRUT, Feb. 19-An under- ground group believed to have links with fran claimed responsibility to- day for kidnaping a U.S, Marine colonel serving with U.N. peace- keeping forces in Lebanon and pro- vided photocopies of two identifi- -tion cards bearing his photograph as proof. The Organization for the Op. pressed of the Earth accused Lt. Col- William R- Higgins of being a spy for the Central Intelligence Agency who used the United Na- tions in southern Lebanon as a cov. er for his activities, fin Washington, the Pentagoll acknowledged that Higgins was a junior military assistant to former defense secretary Caspar W. Wein- berger from 1985 until he was as- signed to the U.N. observer group in Lebanon last June. [Pentagon officials said they re- leased the information became Ra- dio Free Lebanon had broadcast a story in Arabic quoting unnamed Amal Shiite Moslems as saying Hig- gins had an "association with Wein. berger."] A typewritten statement, deliv. ered to a Western news agency in West Beirut, said "William Hig- gins,an agent for America's Central Intelligence Agency, who is using the activities of United Nations ob- servers as a cover for his dangerous role of espionage, is now in the grip of our heroic strugglers," . AccOmPanYing the statement were photocopies of two identifica. tion,cards. One card tfiat showed fiis picture and signature was a pass for crossing the Israeli border as a liaison officer attached to the Unit. ed Nations. U.N. spokesman Timor Goksel said the number on one of the cards matched the number of a caid that had been issued to Hig. ' by the United Nations. K_-3 S" LEWON, A18, Col I CPYRGHT C-1C63L*96--WM9FM Th-ree Years in the Belly of Beirut A freed French hostage recounts the horrors ofhis captivity They were nonhuman." That was how French Journalist Jean-Paul Kauff- mann. quoting fellow hostage Michel Seu- rat, described the pro-Iranian Islamic Ji- had terrorists who held him hostage for three years. The wrenching account of his kidnaping, captivity and release appeared last week in L'Evinement du Jeudi, the French newsmaga- zine Kauffmann worked for when he and French Re- searcher Seurat were abduct- ed in May 1985. The two men became hos- tages by chance aft -r missing a Beirut airport bus and decid- ing to take a taxi. When a Mercedes pulled alongside and ordered them to stop, they expected a robbery. In- stead they were forced into the back of the gunmen's car. What followed was three years of intimidation and psy- chologicat torture. For more than a year, the hostages never saw daylight. Their only diversion was reading the handful of books provided by theirjailers; Kauffmann read War and Peace more than 20 times. At one point, he and Seurat listened while their Shi'ite captors spent eight days torturing an Arab suspected of being a spy. When it was over, Kauff- man ri's jailer joked, "I damaged him a lit- tle. He had two broken ribs. We broke both his legs. Finally he talked, and we set him free." Freedom, Kauffmann learned, was a euphemism for death. In one of the most bizarre episodes, lease. As his condition worsened, a Shi'i commander volunteered a transfusio "You are becoming a Shi'ite," joked captor after Seurat was given blood. fact, the researcher was dying. By th( French Hostages Marcel Carton at Nfarcet Fontaine had been added to t] group. "So I am going to die," Seurat te his friends. In March 1986, the Islamic Jihad a nounced that it had "executed" Seurat. seems likely, however, that he su cumbed, at 39, to his disease. But the ja CPYRGHT ers told the hostages he was alive and re covering in a hospital. Kauffmann later learned from a radio newscast that Hal lat, doomed by his captors' rabid anti Semitism, had been executed. KautT mann, Carton and Fontaine were continually moved from apartment to t apartment. At one point Kauffmann was wrapped in bandages like a mummy, seated in a metal box and bolted under the chassis of a truck. When he banged on the side, he ~xas told he would be shot. "Kill me," he snapped back. "It doesn't make - any difference At another point Kauff- mann and Fontaine were tied together and placed in a cof- fin. When they were let out for a moment, Fontaine peered under his blindfold and saw that they were near a cement factory. "They're go- ing to kill us here, put our bodies in cement and dump us in the sea," said Fontaine. Later Kauffmann and Fon- taine were put in a new cell and chained like animals to a spike in the floor. When Kauffmann, after diversion dozens of false hopes, was nally about to be released, a torture. guard approached and told him it was all over. "What does that mean?" he asked. "Liberty," said the guard. Given the double meaning of that word, Kauffmann's greatest fears and hopes ricocheted through his emotions un- ti-1 the lastsecond ofcaptivity. Driven to an empty field, Kauffmann was joined there by Carton and Fontaine. Arrivin,ga a few minutes later at a hotel in Beirut, Kauff- mann heard a French voice shout, "French intelligence services' Clear the way, for God's sake"' The ordc:il was final- ly over. --By Wifflain DowelllParls Shi ite Against ShNte n the killing ground that is Beirut, where savage death has become commonplace, the brawls between this faction and that stopped making headline news long ago. But last week's clashes between the pro-Iranian Hizballah and its more moderate Shi'ite rival, the pro-Syrian Amat, were hor- rific even by Lebanese standards. In six days of warfare, Hizballah militiamen drove Amat fighters out of large portions of Bei rut's southern suburbs. Using tanks, -til cry, mortars, rockets and at I the rubble combatants blasted buildings to and sent civilians scurrying for refuge V~ _40', carrying their belongings on their backs. Snipers fired at anything that moved, including ambulances. At some hospitals, fighters forced doctors at gunpoint to operate on wounded colleagues, and battles broke out in the hundreds more w( olence since Syria 1987. The hostilit fighters in control mi. district of cro 'ites. Fighting wa between Syrian P dent Ali Khameni tween Damascus corridors. By the time a trUte was declared - ------ Thursday, at least 188 were dead and Arrial fight6s defend their turf 30 CPYRGHT 1985 with his wife and daughters in Be rut, and then returned to the cell loadc down with sociology books. It was the la time he saw his family. A month later, f was deathly ill with hepatitis. A Lebane! Jewish doctor, Elie Hallat, who was also hostage, pleaded in vain for Seurat's n Kauffinann waves the copy of WarandPeacethat he read rig tale of -brutality, i-ntimidation andpsycholc A hill . . irided, making it the worst eruption of vi- troops moNed into West Beirut in early -s left the surprisingly strong Hizballah )f 70%. of the disputed territory, a 16-sq.- ded slums that is home to 250,000 Shi- suspended atter telephone consultations ~sident Rafez Assad and Iranian Presi- . But the next day, the fragile alliance be- rid Tehran was taxed as Hizballah fight- ers broke the truce, drawing Syrian troops into the conflict. The %ictory of Hi7ballah came after it had suffered a series of mili- tary setbacks in Shi'itc-dorninated Southern Lebanon, first at the hands of Amal, then Israel, which killed as s 40 Of its guerrillas in a raid many a two weeks ago. flizballah's new po%k- er will complicate effoits to free the 16 remaining foreign hostagc,., in Lebanon, most of whoni arc thou-1it to be he!d in the Beiiut SUhurhs'hy kidnapc,-s with ties to the militant Shi'itc CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000108108: CIA-RDP96-00789ROO04000400 INQUIRY USA I UDAY- I HUHSDAY, ~FBRUARY 18, 1988 - 7A Manhunt for USA's 9th hostage (A S ~PYRGHT- e FP_yRGHT-_h__PY__P(--.HT By Don Kirk USA TODAY Abducted Marine fmfly to 'always be proud' By Peter Friends say Johnson the trim, n 5-foot- as' and Robin Garr 8-inch Higgins jogged in a the rr USA TODAY snow before it was fashionable. They were surprised when When Williamhe lamed Higgins the Marines grad after H `ggm` d anted from graduating Southern from Miami Hig Urd- S 0 u h e H h g School in versify of Louisville,Ohio on Ky., h a Navy a c K h y wrote th ROTC scholarship. t his ambition w em b w as "for my "YOU think family of the Marines to always as to w a ; b y proud of me. eing macho-types, sy and he really wasn't," w said high Wednesday, school when word a w e h 0 d ' came that buddy Rudy the 43-year-oldFisch r. Ma- car ' a rine lieutenantEagle, 86, colonel said Higgins had was a e c h a d been kidnappedmore studious in Lebanon,than athletic in - pe_. shan his uncle a boy who said the "liked to USA should hunt and th Sh I SA d be Proud fish and of hirn, romp in too. the woods." roo ~ Higgins'wife, "He loves Robin, is his country,"a Ma- said caardry, sard Delbert rine major Eagle. at the Pentagon. "I don't He think e_1 do.,,think they could has a daughter, bring enoughChristine pres- Lynn, "rig enough P_ sure or 17, by a pain to previous cause him marriage. to be- him to_ ba tray his Higgins' country father was in any near way.,, 'ry in any way Outgoing, death Wednesday Higgins With heart was cho- ,iggars was ch" failure, n too ill e to understand seno ofthetoplOstudentsin c 'n. to - what had high 11001,happened played to his son. guard on playedd0. = tne Trojans football team and onthal, ad was senior 1~ The kidnapping, class vice 1 A, 7A president. preside., k-1,11muve =,y questions - and an- swers, - On United Nations peacekeeping activities in the Middle East and the Middle East peace process. What was Marine Lt. Col. William _3 d0kV When he Was Nbapped? He was acting as chief of the U.N Observer force in Leba- non" a 75-member group charged with keeping an eye on often conflicting groups - such as the Shiite Amal, Pales- tinian refugees and Israeli- Of backed Christian militia - and noting signs of trouble, How many U.N. obseryerS operate In the area? There are three different U.N. peacekeeping groups there: the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, with about 5,800 people; the U.N. Disengage- ment Force, with 1,330 people; and the U.N. Truce Supervi- Sion Organization, with 295 people. Higgins'group belongs to UNTSO. How many U.& swvicemen CPYRGHT CPYRGHT Defe- Dewmr,-t fiie phow_~_aupi EAST AMBUSH: Marine Lt Col. William Higgins is the first serviceman to be kidnapped in Lebanon. 'll are Involved and what do they do? The United States has 35 citi- zens serving in truce supervi- sion organization, none in the other forces. About half Spend most of their time at the group's headquarters in Jeru- salem while the others are in Lebarion. They do not carry arms and largely have been re- sPonsible for Haison-rype activ- ities. What also Is going an In the March for peM3 In the re- ing to revive the "peace p ~o cess" for ending violence be- tween Palestinians and Isrueli Soldie in the West Bank and r5srip, seized by Israel in Gaza the 1967 Middle East war. Is there any relationship be- tween these U.N. peacakeW 101. = a and the mirrailt 911 9111310MIC Of- fenslys? Enl3rgedarea N S. arine officer kWrq)ped By Marty Baurrann. USA 70DAY ed seriously that U.N. forces at- tempt to stop protests by Pales- tinians against Israeli rule in the occupied territories. The United Nattons' bXuu- man peace_keeping force in nesday mounted Lebanon Wed one of the largest operations in its 10-year history, hoping to find a kidnapped US. Marine- U.N. troops are scouring southern Lebanon for LL Col. William Higgins, the USA's ninth hostage in Lebanon, spokesman Timur Goksel says. "We are using helicopters, We have blocked off the roads, We have patrols, we are follow- ing up all the tips," Goksel tells USA TODAY. He says mean- bets of the nine-natiOn interim force are covering southern Lebanon in "battalions" The White House and Pears- gon are at a loss to explain the kidnapping. President Reagan Wednes- day said, "We're Still inveSfigat- mg~'; White House Spokesman Robert Hall said, "We will hold the kidnappers responsible for his safety. ns, 43, was yanked Higgi from his jeep - painted White with black U.N' lettering - af- ter failing behind another U.N. vehicle 10 miles north of the Is- raeli border. He had &cSumed command a trionth ago of a special 75-mernber, unarmed UX observer Force. Goksei says Higgins, a veter- an of two combat tours in Viet- nam and winner of a bro- star, had just left "a pleasant With the leader conversation of the Shiite Arnal militia in the Lebanese coastal city of Tyre, 45 miles south of Beirut The best lead: Two villagers saw two men push Higgins into a vehicle and speed away- e in Lebanon, 4A p- U.N.'s roll 1~ Profile of Higgins, 4A 1~ USA's hostages, 7A CPYRGHT Topic: TERROR IN LEBANON Robert KupperynaA 52, is a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and In- ternational Studies, a non- T, partisan think tank in Washington, D.C. He has written severaL books, iris eluding two on terrorism, and has served as an advis- er on counterterrorism to the National Security Count cil. Kupperman was interviewed by USA TO- DAY's Paul McMasters and Barbara Reynold& Robert Kupperman Kidnappers often plan for weeks in advance USA TODAY. Williamwith their Hig- captives' physics gins, the Marineisolation colonel kid- and their health, napped Wednesday in Leba- USA TODAY* So hostage non, is the are a liability first U.S. too. hostage ' t , taken in a year. Why haven there been more? KUPPERMAN: The hos KUppERMAN: Theretage-takers are - in a doubl( really two reasons.bind- If one is that they start to kill off th there are fewerhostages, American tar- we would go in milim gets. But the tartly, most important On the other hand, if our Ming is that intelligence after the Iran-con-sources learn thai brat matter, the hostages we really are are being living reascr, up to our anti-terrorisinably treated, policy. we're very unlike That is, no ly to do concessions much. The to ter- terrorist5 rarists, So will gain it hasn't been nothing. that profitable for USA TODAY: them. Then why USA TODAY., don't they What does just let the hoslagesl at mean? th o? KUPPERMAN: TheseKUPPERMAN: are There is a not inexpensivePride of matters. The ownership that they kidnappers havehave. I to take care don't think the hostages of people. Theywill be have to deal released very soon. Peacekwping; force Brian Urquharl,':N&Iarn a scholar4n~~ IEggias -w.! dence with spons[ble the Ford Fourulation,for d,-, -patra scribes hostagepeace, Lt COL Williamto bilk ft to eve gins as "courageous!andtween sap mggins' the factim a jDb'is "vital things to peace in quieL" Lebarion." I Urquiran,calls; Urquhart was it . 6d to the Unit- ed Nations force for 41 yeiirs.courageous. He swied as U.N. undersecretaryarmed. general for TWre 14 very years with do a responsibilityterrific for all UN., job, a peacekeeping proud forces. of iL It requ Urquhart says nerves~" the U.N. Trucehe spys. So- pervision Organization,Urquhart where Lt Col. ~fescnlx CPYRGHT USA TODAY: Who are these terrorists? KUPPERMAN: The Hezbol_ lah is a Shiite organization with close ties to Iran and some ties, by contrast, with Syria. They have been engaged in terror- ism - hostage-taking. for ex- ample. With that and their lights with I'aders of Lebanese factions led by Nabih Berri and Walid Jumblatt, they have ere- ated an atmosphere more characteristic of factionalism and terrorism than of any orga- nized military structure. USA TODAY: Are most of these groups tied to Iran? KUPPERMAN: I don't think there's any question about it. That doesn't mean they don't act somewhat independently, that they aren't semi-autono. mous. But they have tremen- dous allegiance to IrarL IUSA TODAY. Higgins was part of a U.N. peacekeeping force that presumably could have used soldiers from other countries. Did he really need to be there? KUPPERMAN: There are a ariety of military assign- nen% one of which involves a J.N.-like military post, that are 1.11ger. We undertake dan- erous missions from time to ime. Diplomats in Lebanon indertake severe risks, and )eople clearly associated With he CIA take more risks than USA TODAY: What do the M forces do there? Do they ve an impact? KUPPERMAN: They are )re symbolic than anything 'e- The are effective if one y he need forsomesym ernational influence. I of lint cally, it's potentially PI0= .1 effective in terrals of ability to actually engage in USA TOD Why would AYJ site Higgins be t Was he just a target of op unity? P M KUPPFR,. : That's al- 'e_ ways possib ut most of d these groups d lot of plan ning for weeks errorist inci dents are not ne purely in r isolation - not ly the politics atI involved bull. the groups t is that do this ha, got to engage 'a,g in tactical plan ng. It Col. Hig it gins' abduction follows in the an t. path of othe then he will U rv have been a rved for quite some time. I USA TODAY., There are those who say we should not have anyone In Lebanon What do you say to them? ' KUPPERMAN: I don't think the U.S. goveniment as a gov rd to cower. It ernment can afo needs to have some diplomatic and military presence in a country where we still have some need for a substantial re- lationship. And also in terrns of our ability to exercise some control over the region and fu- - ther the listerung posts for in Eelligence purposes. USA TODAY: Do other countries deal with hostages the same way the USA does? KUPPERMAN.MoS, of the policies are identical, but the question is: How much do they live up to those palielies? Irs clear that we had for the long- est time an and-terrorism poll- cy, and the strongest one Was here we irouldn't even talk W to the terrorists, when Henry Kis. singer was secretary of state, USA TODAY. What hap- to that? Pened I KUPPERMAN: it was re have one where laxed. Now we we will not grant any sulislan five or meaningful concessions time. What this at this point in says is that you can have a poli- cy, yet you can violat64t tire- olfj,~s . rovidlps "0, ignedjs' as a: mcjba~ti c 11trol. '1' to keep the to go be where , I was Zak W61, liggbis`~ try to keep have bei, a forcetip ifi6 Golini tween Syria 6aceliteping He s*lf me force remuvtsf,~,6, 6 are all,un ',Ybu*`&fld'hsv6 & two' bi&es People; ,mies in Via"~iled, "'Raa to qyeiax R~ hey~re very Both those,caamr~pi h0e it W a ~Sldip , 9~"S` eM, ~;",A very steady ' with the tWo'superpow Even if peacekeeping forcelt~ 'soiv~ the problem,' they, cont#,It;, In ping matically. In the case of the Iran-contra matter, clearly in the swap of hostages for weap- a we violated our own policy vns cry substantially. USA TODAY: Was the vio- lation worth 10 KUPPERMAN: We endured a lot of internal trauma and we came out behind. We washed our dirty linen before the whole world. There's no ques- bon it damaged our credibility with our allies. I think we've probably recovered from it be- cause the incident occurred long enough ago that people are now bored with it. USA TODAY, Do you think there's any chance that the USA might be Willing to trade arms for hostages? KUPPERMAN: I assume that there are lunatics, and anyone who would assume that would be a lunatic USA TODAY. How should we react to this kidnapping?. KUPPERMAN: I think reaction ought to be at two leur els., doing all we can by intelli- gence means, diplomatic means to try to save Col. Hig- gins from a very unpleasant time, at least - 1. learn what the de CIS are, to U der man n stand the politics of it and the individual grievances of the particular organization in- volved. But most importantly, I think, the US. government has to lay the law down in terms of telling the American public it's dangerous there, and that the US. is not going to give in to bandits. USA TODAY: Do you think that Col. Higgins might face a tougher time of it because he's a military man? KTJPPERMAN: its always possible. I just hope he's treat- ed well. re huge armies y's been killed Kirk The other eight held in Lebanon Terry Anderson, corre- spondend: for Associated Press, was kidnapped March 16,1985. T-, 0~ Thomas Sutherland, agn culture dean at American University of Beirut, was seized June 9,1985. Frank Herbert Reed, direc f Lebanese Intema for o tional School, was kid- napped Sept. 9,1986. Joseph Cicippio, comp troller at American Univer- sity in Beirut, was kid- napped Sept. 12,1986. Edward Tracy, a write,, from Vermont who was liv- in Beirut, was abducted 8&. 21, 1986. Jesse Turner, a math in- structor at Beirut University College, was kidnapped Jan.24,1987. Robert Polhill, a business professor at Beirut Univer- siry College, was seized Jan. 24,1987. Mann Steen, a jou ism Mal professor a+ Beirut Univer- ally College, was kid- napped Jan. 24,1987. -Don Kirk Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 t~n policy Vio- .Jured -.nd we washed -e the If qu es- 5ibility we've -i It be- ::urred people think Rt the trade :-sume 5. and ne diat should pirg? -ik our wo lev- intelli- imatic al. Hig -i what Pinder- ind the Df the :)n in- antly, I !nt has Wrils of :)Iic it's iat the a in to think fa -,a a !ciuse always treat- tile US A00&VEWFbiSFW6d9EP20M08/08: CIA-RD F1 nvT~a r Jt Terry Anderson, corre- spondent for Associated Press, was kidnapped March 16, 1985. F 71 A Thcmas Sutherland, culture dean at Ami University of Beirut, seized June 9, 1985. Jvs.-ph Cicippio com inz~:!~,, AW9 sity-in Beirut, was kid- n j4,- - S 12, 1 C"). 4 Jesse Turner, a math in- structor at Beirut University College, was kidnapped Jan.24,1987. t";IJ Robert Polhill, a business professor 'at Beirut Uhiver- sity College, was seized Jan.24,1987. Alann Steen. a iournalism sity College, was kid- napped Jan. 24, 1987. CPYRGHT ?96-00789R0 00040-001-3 LT. COL. %YILLIALI, Pulled from car by Ljvij,,ii,.~n 7% 16 F1 ~~7_ J~ LC_ L --L I L~jrq And-utSOn, 40, chief-IMiddle East,corre~ Z-L-r-", - , I I , ~-- S!~011 ent-:6. Th-e_AssaaaiA~d?~&~. a~ped Thomas Sutflerfland, 56, agriculture dean at the American Universitv of Beirut. June 9, 1985. rUnk Reed, 55, director of the Lebanon Interna- 1:onal School in Beirut. Sept. 9,1986. oseph c1cip'"fo, 57, acting controller of the American University of Beirut. Sept. 12,1986. 1-d-ward Tracy, 57, author. Oct. 21,1986. t'esse Turner, 40, visitin- professor of mathe- niat ics 2ind computer science at Beirut Univer- siLy Col!ege. Jan. 24,1987. rxb.-rl P01,11ill, 53, assistant professor of bu I si- nessat Beirut University College. Jan. 24,1987. AlBrIn Steen, 48, journalism professor at Beirut U niversity College. Jan. 24, 1987. U.-C01. WHEMBLU9414,43,--head-of a U-N. er group attached,IQ Z. 1 jEWUX biterim %:. Force in Lebanon. Feb;-N 001 -3 7896$VAD604 Edward Tracy, a writer from Vermont who was liv- ing in Beirut, was abducted Oct. 21, 1986. Frank Herbert Reed, direc- tor of Lebanese Interna- tional School, was kid- napped Sept. 9, 1986. REACTION, From Al on Iranian oil tankers and by Iranian warships and speedboats on neutral shipping. Fitzwater said that if the cease- fire actually occurs and oil tankers could travel safely through the gulf, the United States would be willing to withdraw its naval escorts and reduce its military forces. But he said the United States was not pre- pared to completely leave the gulf, as Iran has demanded, noting that U.S. forces have been present there since 1949. Asked whether the United States would move toward normalizing relations with Iran if the war ends, Fitzwater said the administration "has made it clear a number of times that we would be willing to establish a dialogue" but so far "we have not received a response from Iran that we consider valid, legit- imate or reasonable." Oakley said speculation about whether the United States would now reduce its military presence in the gulf or end its naval escort of Kuwaiti tankers was "premature." But she said that as "threats and conditions change," the administra- tion would be prepared to examine "how to meet that changed condi- tion in an appropriate manner" and that U.S. policy was under constant review. She also described as "pre- mature" speculation on a possible improvement in U.S.-Iranian rela- tions. A Pentagon spokesman also said it was "premature" to talk of any immediate change in the U.S. Navy's escort operation in the Per- sian Gulf for I I Kuwaiti oil and gas tankers. "We'll just have to see how the whole thing plays out," he said. There are 27 U.S. warships in the operation-17 inside the gulf or in the Strait of Hormuz and the rest nearby in the Gulf of Oman. U.S. and Iranian forces have clashed nu- merous times in the past year, and the cruiser USS Vincennes on July 3 mistakenly shot down an Iranian airliner, killing all 290 aboard. Oil prices leaped yesterday in reaction to news of a possible cease-fire. August contracts for West Texas Intermediate oil, the U.S. benchmark crude, rose 84 cents a barrel to $15.70, the big- gest one day rise since March 3, 1987, when it jumped 96 cents a barrel. -Traders seemed to anticipate that a cease-fire would reduce ten- sion between Iran and Saudi Arabia, enabling the Organization of Petro- leum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to reach an agreement to restrain production. They also seemed to believe that an end to hostilities would reduce the pressure on Iran and Iraq, as well as their allies, to produce oil at a fast clip in order to finance the war. But other analysts said an end to the war would allow Iran to rebuild its shattered production capabili- ties-the country once produced about three times what it can to- day-and Iraq to increase its al- ready high rate of production, Iraq, which produces about 2.7 million barrels a day, has been ex- porting all its oil via pipelines across Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Iran has an export quota of 2.37 million bar- rels-a-day, which is set by OPEC, but has been exporting less because of repeated Iraqi attacks on its tankers. Fitzwater said national security adviser Colin L. Powell had called the president, who is taking a week's vacation at his mountaintop ranch northwest of Santa Barbara, to inform him about the Iranian ac- tion. The importance the White House attached to the Iranian decision was emphasized by the on-camera brief- ing given by Fitzwater after a meet- ing with Powell and other officials. The White House has planned an unusually light public schedule for the week as part of an effort to keep a low presidential profile dur- ing the Democratic National Con- vention. Fitzwater said "it's very difficult to determine all the motives" be- hind Iran's.move. But he cited re- cent losses by Iran in the war, dip- lomatic efforts by a number of na- tions and U.S. resolve to continue its military presence in the gulf de- spite the downing of the airliner. Oakley said it was "premature" to talk about the reasons for Iran's action, and she doubted any one "determining factor" caused the move. But she said the administra- tion felt the U.S. military presence in the gulf had contributed to stop- ping the spread of the war and yes- terday's development in Tehran indicated "the success of that pol- icy." Privately, some officials sug- gested that President Reagan's of- fer of compensation to the families of victims of the airline disaster, while blaming Iran for sending the plane directly over a combat zone, may have played a role in Iran's decision. "In a weird way, something good may come out of this horrible trag- edy if it speeds an end to a war that has cost more than half a million lives," said an official who asked not to be identified and who also said that reversals on the battlefield may have "damaged Iranian mo- rale." Speaking of the downing of the airliner, he said that U.S. refus- al to back down from its role in the gulf after this incident may have made in impression upon Iran. Fazwater did not go that far. fie gave most of the credit for the Iran- ian about-face on the cease-fire res- olution to the diplomatic efforts of U.N. Secretary General Perez de Cuellar. The White House spokes- man said the United States was will- ing to help in the process of trans- fering that cease-fire into reality but didn't want to do anything that would get in the way of the U.N. efforts to end the war. "We don't want any- thing to hurt the process," Fitzwater said, ". . . The U.N. has the lead here, and I must say that we com- pliment Mr. de Cuellar for his role and urge him Godspeed." In a prepared statement Fitzwa- ter said he welcomed Iran's formal acceptance of U.N. Security Council Resolution 598, which calls for a cease-fire, verification of it by the United Nations and repatriation of prisoners of war. "As Vice President Bush empha- sized to the Security Council last week, the United States has long sought a just, negotiated settlement of this tragic conflict," Fitzwater said. "Intensive efforts have been undertaken by the administration over the the past year to further this objective. The United States will continue to do all it can, indi- vidually and in cooperation with like-minded governments and the United Nations, to hasten'a durable peace between Iraq and Iran, and to enhance the stability and security of the gulf region." [in Atlanta, Michael S. Dukakis, the prospective Democratic pres- idential nominee, welcomed the Iranian cease-fire announcement, wire services reported. V'With all Americans, I hope and pray- that this conflict can come to a rapid close. I urge both Iran and Iraq to support a swift and complete im- plementation of all aspects of U.N. Resolution 598," the Massachusetts governor said in a statemen -t.] Oakley said three main obstacles blocked improved U.S.-Iranian re- lations and the reestablishment of diplomatic ties severed during the 1980-81 crisis over Iran's occupa- tion of the U.S. embassy in Teh- ran-the continuation of the war, the Iranian role in the holding of American hostages in Lebanon and its continuing support for terrorism and violence. "Clearly, if the implementation can proceed of the [U.N.) resolu- tion, if the war can end, we'll all be in a situadun where I think we'll have to look at it [reestablishing re- lations]," she said. Arab World Pleased By Iranian Decision From News Services Iran's announcement that it is ac- cepting a U.N. call for a cease-fire in the Persian Gulf war was wel- comed yesterday by the Arab world, but Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres cautioned that an end to the fighting could pose a new threat to Israel. Peres, speaking to reporters in Jerusalem, said a cease-fire might change - military balances in the Middle East. He said fha7t he did not necessarily expect aggression against Israel but that Iran and Iraq would have to decide whether they would rebuild their countries or would "compete for prestige" by menacing Israel. In London, Massoud Rajavi, leader of the Iranian Mujaheddin-e-Khalq rebel group, said the the regime of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini "is ad- mitting to the complete defeat of its strategy" and is "on the verge of to- tal collapse," Reuter reported. Jordan and Egypt, which have strongly backed Iraq, commended Tehran, as did Saudi Arabia, which broke diplomatic relations with Iran in April. The official KUNA news agency in Kuwait, whose shipping has been drawn into the hostilities, noted the announcement came after "signs pointing to a division within the Iranian leadership" on whether to pursue the war. CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 ~JS,Carloer-,- Di 46mat P Aint Aan for PLO Knows Mideast By Patrick R Tyler W.hingtm Post F.~6g. S-i CAIRO, Dec. 15-Robert H. Pelletreau Jr., the U.S. diplomat 3tapped by the Reija*n admin- istration to open a dialogue witE the Palestine Liberation.'Organ, ization, is a veteran of both thE State and Defense departmeriV who has spent most of his ca reer in the Middle East. Described by associates as cautious professional with at intimate understanding of thE Arab-Israeli dispute and th( principal p6litical actors in,,,th( region, Pelletren is expectec to conduct the U.S.-PLO dia logue in constant consultatiol with Washington, His selection for this high profile diplomatic task comes al a time when Pelletream, 53, iE widely reported to be among those senior Foreign Servic( officials under consideration fol the post of assistant secretar3 of state for Middle Eastern af fairs in the Bush administration The post is currently held b3 Richard Murphy. Pelletreau, named ambassa dor to Tunisia in March 1987 spent most of his time in Wash ington during ~th the Reagar CPYRGHT -RDP96-00789 000400040001-3 C~11 ftom. TLO Obens Contaet,,W, ith clear, in Patrick E. Tyler ~to. P.t F-9. S-- ROBERT H. PELLETREAU JR. ... U.S. ambassador to Tunisia administration. He served as a deputy assistant , secretary of defense for Near Eastern and South Asian affairs t~vice and as deputy assistant secretary of state for the same area. He served as ambassador to Bahrain from 1979-80. During his Foreign Service career, which began in 1962, Pelletreau has served in U.S. embassies in Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Lebanon, Jordan And Syria. [Colleagues say he enjoys, telling about the time he was held hostage by Palestinian ter- rorists for several hours in 1970 as a junior Political officer in Amman, Jordan, and walking away from his captors, The As- sociated Press reported. As Pel- letreau has told the story to col- leagues, he was kidnaped on the streets of Amman' by Popular Front guerrillas and taken with other hostages to a news con- ference at a downtown hotel. Noting his captors' attention was,diverted, Pelletreau edg6d in among the journalists then slipped out and walked away, a U.S. diplomat said.] CPYRGHT CAIRO, Dec. 15-The U.S. am- bassador to Tunisia, Robert H. Pel- letreau Jr., today telephoned a sen- ior PLO official in the first official contact with Palestine Liberation Organization leaders in 13 yearls. Pelletreau reportedly asked to meet Saturday with two members of the PLO's 15-member executive committee, and the meeting was arranged with the assistance of the Tunisian government. PLO official Khalid Hassan said from Tunis in a telephone interview that he had no details on the agenda for the first meeting, but he added: "It's good. It's the opening." Hassan said the meeting had been requested by Pe'lletreau in a telephone call to PLO offices at midday in Tunis. A U.S. Embassy official in Tunis, Adnan Siddiqi~ con- firmed that Pelletreau had made telephone contact with the PLO but could not confirm that a time had been set for the first meeting. Pelletreau was desig .nated by Secretary of State George P. Shultz as the sole point of contact between the guerrilla organization and the U.S. government, which banned contacts with the PLO in 1975 al Israel's request. The ban was liftec Wednesday after PLO Chairmar Yasser Arafat used the most explic it language to date in renouncinj terrorism and in recognizing Is rael's right to exist. Hassan identified the PLO offi cials who. will attend th~ first meet ing as Abdullah Hourani and Yasse Abed Rabbo. The . meeting wa scheduled to take. place at Saad Palace, the Tunisian government' official guest house, in the presenc of Tunisian Foreign Ministry off cials. The PLO's ambassador to TL nisia and the deputy director of th PLO's political department wer also expected to attend the nice' ing, Hassan said. The first-U.S.-PLO contacts- i more than a decade took place ami strong expressions of relief and sa isfaction that the Reagan admini tration in its final days had r, sponded to urgent Arab pleas I support the apparent tren towai moderation in the'PLO. Tho deci-ion also has been m, CPYRGHT courageous a community and constructive way." Mubarak added, "Both King Hus in and I are happy with the U.S. pid he ecisi6n.,",-Mubarak_ who s onierredwith,kafat by telephone onight, said, "We all want to move rw4rd and convene an interna- ional Jp6acel conference, but [Is- aeli Prime Minister Yitzhak] Sha- nir does not want to go forward- out we must.. The PLO's Hassan said that the U.S.-PLO dialogue will embolden political constituencies inside Israel who want to negotiate with a non- threatening PLO leadership. "The people who have been speaking softly for peace now will speak loudly," Hassan said. The Soviet Union moved quickly to capitalize on the American de- cision, urging that an international peace conference be convened quickly, as did the U.N. General As- sembly still meeting in Geneva. The debate on Palestine was hastily moved there from New York after Shultz denied Afafat a visa to enter the United States. . "The Soviet Union stands for an immediate start of preparatory work within the United Nations Se- curity Council aiming at convening of the international conference,"' Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Petrovsky said in a statement is- sued in Gen6a. Petrovsky, in language obviously targeted at Israel, added, "We con- sider that the'procesg of normaliza- tion of relations [with Israel] should start the same day as the work for the international conference starts." Israel has been seeking a renewal of diplomatic relations with the So- viet, Union', broken after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, to facilitate the emigration of Soviet Jews to Israel. Arafat was in East Germany to- day, from where he conferred with Mubarak by telephone after a round of talks with'East German leader Erich Honecker. The joint state- ,merit., issued after their meeting echoed the Soviet call for prepara- tory work for a peace conference. "Given the support of the great majority of states for the convening of an international Middle East peace conference, it is now time to tackle concrete preparatory steps," East German news a ncy th.- two leaders ge as saving. CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 THE WASHINGTON POST Lebanese Shil*,te Leader'Calls fi rit Haos 111.ag Cs' Fadlallah Sees Rumanit6rian Gesture as Politically Beneficial to Iran's Leadership By Nora Boustany Speciai to The Washington Post: BEIRUT, July 24-Mohammed Hussein Fad- 'lallah, a spiritual guide of Lebanon's Shiite Mos- lem fundamentalists, made a plea today for the release of foreign hostages held here in a dis-, course on the merits of humanitarian politics. Urging Iran to capitalize on the political ben- ~ efit-, of a humanitarian approach to the hostages' plight, the Shiite cleric pressed for a "happy end- ing" to their ordeal. His plea came one week af- ter Iran's unconditional acceptance of a U.N. Security Council resolution to end the eight4 year-old Persian Gulf war. The religous leader made his appeal in a speech marking the beginning of F ,id.,.Adha, the feast of sacrifice marking the end of the pilgrimage season to Islam's holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. Fadlallah devoted much of his sermon to the for- eign captives, whose "pain in detention had been prolonged," he said, for political effect. In an interview before the sermon, Fadlallah said that the liberation of western and oih i ' e Cap- tives held by Iranian-linked groups in Lebanon had now become an "inevitable step that has to be activated, but how, when or where is the big question." He explained that the settlement of the hostagel issue would only be a "minor item and not a bigl CPYRGHT headline in the overall political climate between the United States and Iran in the wake of Tehran's decision to accept U.N. Resolution 598." Hassan Sabra, editor of the magazine Ash Shiraa, which broke the U.S. arms-for-hostages scandal in November 1986. said the freedom of foreign hostages, especially American ones, was a "foregone conclusion," because a much wider U.S.-Iranian understanding involving major re- gional interests was now in the making. Shiite specialists in Lebanon argued that, thouizh the time-had come for such a move, it mg-y~iiot happen unt-11"'a r the U.S. presidential election in I vL i~oviemb er, ~eliev mer-ica has complicated the issue of kidnap victims for its own political cal- culations, exploiting humanitarian slogans for political motives," Fadlallah charged today. "We feel pain in this feast for all those detained inno- cents, if they are innocent, because the matter has a humanitarian dimension." In comments on the future outline for ties be- tween the United States and Iran, Fadlallah, who is well-versed in Iranian politics, said in the inter- -would not view that the resumption of relations be a big problem." The cleric noted that if the United States agreed to settle pending bilateral questions with Iran, and if Washington could per- suade Tehran that it will not work against Iran's interests. a rapprochement would be natural. A western diplomat here close to American thinking said that "if Iran wanted to 15-ep-ragmat fic and capitalize on the mood of the world commu- nity, it would move things forward by taking *the initiative and releasing the hostages." While pointing out that Washington would make no deals to win freedom for the nine Arnericlill hostages in Lebanon, the Beirut-based diplornat said: "Iran can open a window toward the United States by freeing hostages in Lebanon as a gesture of good will and with no strings attached." The cleric, renowned as an Islamic scholar, prides himself'on the fact that his political convic- tions and judgment have always coincided Nvith those of Iranian parliament speaker Hojatoleslarn Ali Akbar Hashem-FR~-fsanjani_,the commander ir, chief of Iranian 'militar-Tf6rces who announced Tehran's acceptance of Resolution 598. Fadlallah praised Iran's decision to abide by the resolution as "wise, courageous and realistic." Hinting that perhaps the health of Iran's religious leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was failing, Fadlallah observed that the "the decision to accept the U.N. resolution was all the more stronger dur- ing the life of Khomeini than after it." Fadlailah said that if Iran's process of opening: up again to the international conirrurit,,, ",,,d been "delayed until after Khorneini's lifetinle, pressures and isolation would be grea-L," ~Fd there would be a potential for unrest ainong cl-,e Iranian people." CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release)~OO?Mj AW: CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 ~ ~ 7-71 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400 -3 0 e.hopes:j.l a- Wi 1UL4LLT2 'I ude in the Iran-Iraq e talks the release of and nine. ,,Americans r Western hostages., by Iran's surrogates CPYRGHT ~he hostageSL,were not nded in theUnited Na~- i,s resolution laying the undwork for the peace ff~'The U.N. chief has al- oi=-, e~ P4dy raised the ho§tag jssue with Iranian foreign =M~ ~-' kln,~ ~minister Ali Akbar Velyat' Do Cuellar ~~nd given the issue visibil- Hostage deals ity by meeting with the wife of captive U.S. Lt. Col. William Higgins. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 C I e r ic'' ~ H-*` " o fo'~r-_B fW iitish, -H 'a''' R ost- the United Nations in New York By Karen DeYoung Washington Post Foreign Service LONDON, Aug. 1- 1A.- leading Anglican cleric who held talks with Iranian officials in Tehran last month said today he~ was hopefu .I that three British hostages believed to be held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon could be free by the end o this year. Archbishop DaVid-Temnan, of Melbourne, Australia, said that the "relationship between the Iranian authorities and those holding the hostages is at best tenuous, but they may be influential in the end The Iranians "say they have in- fluence, and they are willing to use it, given certain preconditions and the availability. of those friends they are willing to work through." Penman's comments came amid increasing signs of a thaw between Iran and the West and negotiations CPYRGHT at for a cease-fire in the Iran-Iraq war. In Beirut, ,Lebanese Christian militia officials. declined comment ' on the case of 131ranian nationals they reportedly have detained 'since May and on any prospects for a swap of the 13 for Iwestern,~ hos- tages held in,Lebanon, Washington Post-correspondent No~ppdo*y, reported. The 13 Iranians: were~ seized -for interrogation at the Christian port of Jounieh as they were trying to travel to Cyprus without proper dom. ments, according to security sources quoted by Boustany. The Iranian Embassy in Beirut has remained tight-lipped about the 13 and has'not claimed them as missing. Britain and other nations with hostages in Lebanon, including the United States, hope that the appar- ent calming of tensions in the Per- sian Gulf region could lead to the release of at least 23 western cap- tives in Lebanon. ry,~ 1988' ease, i ~would check into the fate of the Ahree Iranians and their driver, but it is widely assumed in the diplo- matic -community in Beirut that ,they are dead, Boustany reported. Christian security sources in Beirut have reported their.deaths in 1984 985 at'the hands of the Leba- or 1 nese Forces when.they were com- manded by rebel Elie Hobeika, Bo.ustany ad .ded,_ but,. western . dip- lomats have said they cannot inde- pendently confirm this. Penman an Arabic speaker who worked for four years in BZirut, told reporters in Cambridge today that he was "encouraged" by indications from Prime ,-Minister Margaret Thatcher that "she sees.the climate changing" in Iran. "I think this is the best opportunity we've h ad for bears to deepen our links and to plan for a more positive and constructive future," Penman said. "I would not be surprised if Ter- ry Waite and . the others were. re- leased before the end of the year.7 Runcie,~.hii~ repeitteoly ap .1 1 pealed to Tehran for help in securing the re- lease-of Waite and-others. On sev~ eraLocpapipps, .Iran has ~espotided, with a i app6l.,to ~ kun6 e to - help: locate three Iranians and their Leb- anese driver who disappeared near the Christian Lebanese town of Ba.- troun in July 1982. In addition to Penman's visit to. Tehran, Runcie said today. that the Rt. Revjoh~ B~i6 w"'in,"bisho'p, in ~Cy- prus and the Persian Gulf, traveled to Beirut last week at his behest to h s. inquire about,t e missing Iranian Brown said here top - - o ight he was "pretty hopefur' of ah early break- through in the overall hostage sit- uation. Lebanese clerics told Brown they CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000108108 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROOO, 0 1-7z, '17 U.N. Team n TEHRAN-A small group of U.N. military observers left for the war front to prepare for the U.N. peace-keeping force that will monitor a cease-fire in the war between Iran and Iraq. Military and diplomatic sources in Iran re- fused to speculate on how the observers would react if Iraqi-backed People's Mujaheddin dis- sidents ignored the cease-fire. The Iranian dis- sidents, who said they would continue to wage war within Iran, have an army estimated at 30,000 based in Iraq. Meanwhile, a government-run newspaper "spare here said in.an e ~rjq,kh~ ,w CPYRGHT no effort" to Press for the freedom hostages held in Lebanon. Cr /V CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 OvIe Appr d For Release 2 f -Lt -RDP96-007"R00040WAW0,1s3 A New~,T diturials 13 metlojobittlarics/co.-,"ics C Biisii)css D Sports/Classified E St3,ierrcluvisiun Inside.-Ilcalth Deta i1cd i 11 d- 0 ~J Page A 2 Pricea May Vary in Areas Ou! side BUST 9,1988 Nforupolit an Washingt on (S(r Rox on A 4) 25~ lra"q to Cua A 'o 20 U.N. Secretary General Says Talks to Begin Five Days After Truce' By Patrick E. Tyler Wasfiington Po,t Foreign Scrvice UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 8- Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar, culminating two weeks of intense negotiations to end the 8- year-old Persian Gulf war, an- nounced today that Iran and Iraq have accepted a cease-fire to begin Aug. 20 and will open talks five -d-ay-s--later in Geneva to resolve terms of a final peace agreement. The ambassadors of the two bel- ligerent nations v ~re summoned to the horseshoe-shaped table of the Security Council, where they were called upon "to observe a cease-fire and to discontinue all military ac- tivities on land, at sea and in the air" as of dawn on Aug. 20. The announcement came one year and 19 days after the councH unanimously passed Resolution 598 to end the longest co;venti6nal w~ of this century-which has left a" death toll estimated at more than 1 million, some them the victims of the first chemical warfare since World War 1. The secretary general, who made the announcement in a meeting, pre- sided over by Security Council President Luye Li of China, told the representatives of Iran and Iraq that "the restoration of peace will bring far greater victory to the peo- ple of both countries than war." The cease-fire call was greeted by ap- plause from diplomats and U.N. staff assembled for the open session of the council. Iran's ambassador, Mohammed Jaafar Mahallati, an(T1_r_aq_`s`_Ts-mat -Kittani took seats 10 Teet a-part CPYRGHT lulil f, 5 12'f 111. i0 A 11 0 X UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAt U.N. Secretary General P .erez de Cuellar announces Persian Gulf war truce date. across the open gap of the lower end of the table just before 4 p.m. They never exchanged looks during the carefully scripted nine-minute ceremony. Mttani and Tran's foreign minis ter, Ali Akbar Velayati, said in statements later that their coun- tries would immediately cease hos- tilities. Asked when peace would begin, Mttani said, "It begins to- day." In a letter to Perez de Cuellar Velayati said, "I wish to inform you -that the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to re-- frain from all military actions on land, at sea, and in the air, starting today~" The secretary general said in a report to the council that he has assembled a 350-man observer- force from 24 nations to be dis- patched to the 730-nule frontier next week. Perez de Cuellar said he did not know how soon the tens of thou sands of prisoners of war held by both sides m ome See GULF, A16, Col. I CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 I LVgkE=JH 16,.1988 CPYR Appro,lx __ . - ------ ---- ) "o ay,, f Word Juggling roduced Formula ARAFAT, From Al The Swedish Foreign Mims d communicated to Washing ~'d he main points of what Arafat ded to say and had been told would suffice for a change in policy toward the PLO, he said V interview. i t Arafat's speech, written and it ered in Arabic, enunciated the CPYRGHT ts in a scattered manner and out using precisely the agreed- i language, Andersson said. Vhen we analyzed the text, Ae d everything the American ad- stration wanted was in the text, he had split it up and he had not I the same words," Andersson ained. "if the United States and den make an agreement, it is i important to follow every word, that is not the Arab way, and that hat caused the troubles." ~s a result, the State Depart- it immediately rejected Arafat's ech as insufficient, Tuesday ht. PLO officials raged, and the g-nurtured agreement appeared .denly to have fallen through. Chat disappointment was the be- ning of a frantic 24 hours for Jersson as well as Anders Bjur- . and Mathias Mossberg, two es assigned to work fulltime on Ymoting U.S.-PLO contacts. ey operated on the premise that afat was making a good-faith ef- t to meet U.S. demands, but they dized that more clarification was oessary to overcome mistrust in ishington, Andersson explained. "We traveled between despair d'hope all through the day," Bjur- r said as he looked back on the ggling. Andersson said ' the question ickly became whether it was pos- )Ie to save the agreement by hav- g. Ar3fat make his declarations ,ain, thi- time in language and for- ulas that would satisfy Washing- In. Foreign Minister rsmat Abdet- leguid of Egypt, working in tan- mi with Anderssoii, said he niet ith Arafat at 2 a.m. and again Wer i the morning to persuade the Pal- stinian leader to try again. A(ab,sources said Arafat resisted t first, expressing fear that he was einR asked to humiliate himself. Ac- kept open to Washington for fre- quent references back to the State Department. Proposed language went back and forth on telephone facsimile machines, Andersson said. "It was like a tarigo, one step for- ward, two back," Hjurner said. The Swedish foreign minister met twice with Arafat during the day for crucial decisions. Bjurner said he and Mostiberg niet through- out the day with top Arafat aides, including Bassani Abu Sharif, a spokesman and adviser; Abed Abdul Rahman, the senior PLO spokes- man; Mahnioud Darwish, a prom- inerit Palestinian poet, and Eugene Makhlotif, the PLO representative in Stockholm. Bjurner declined to say whom lie spoke with in the telephone conver- sations with Washington. But a Pal- estinian official told reporters that Assistant Secretary of State Rich~ ard Murphy conducted most of the negotiations at the Washington end, with Shultz's personal assistant, Charles Hill, coming on the line al one point. Andersson, ineanwhile, left thi bargaining to make what turned on to be a ~ev speech before the Gen eral Assembly. Andersson's ad dress, o-aeusibly Sweden's norma speech on the Palestinian question also contained a clear statemen that, in Sweden's view, Arafat h a met all of Washington's requi r ments for dialogue in his speech. "This can, in our view, not be mi understood, not even by the mo v suspicious," he declared in an ob ous allusion to the State Depar ment. Andersson said that, as he u derstood the words, Arafat's spee had made it clear that: a The PLO is prepared to negotia with Israel within the framework an international conference a co Ht of t prehensive peace ettleme t of t Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis U.N. resolutions 242 and 338. a The PLO undertakes to resp( the right of Israel to exist in pea within secure and recognized b( ders. III The PLO condemns terrorism all its fornis, including state terr is m. These were the main points I I ASSOCIATED "M PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat is welcomed by East German leader Erich Honecker as he arrives in East Berlin from United Nations session in Geneva. ington, finally proposed language that it hoped would be accepted by the United States and incorporated T- A -f,f i,,?~ hi, n,,,~~ rnoferenre. reading the statement on terrorism, in which he replaced the word "con- demn" with the word "renounce." Andersson said the shift of verb., and expansion of the terrorisn statement to make it more incfusiv( was an example of the changes thai helped persuade Washington. In his speech, Arafat said, "k con demn terrorism in all its forms." ii the news conference, he said, " repeat for the record that we total), and absolutely renounce all forms 0 terrorism, including individual group and state terrorism." Other shifts appeared similarl slight. Om recognition of Israel' right to exist, for example, t11 change seemed to be association i the word "right" more closely wil Israel's name rather than putting near the end of the same sentence Arafat said in his U.N. speech, the Eriglish-language version su plied by the PLO: "The PLO w seek a comprehensive settlenict among the parties concerned in tl Arab-Israeli conflict, including tl Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 ... Played key mediating role CP" 444,W in a marked U.N. car flying the pale blue U.N. flag. A I cad vehi- clecarrying twoother unarmed observers had just turned a corner when three men with Kalashnikov automatic rifles stopped Higgins and took him prisoner. There were no further sightings of the colonel last week. "It's like he disappeared off the face of the earth," said a State Department official. Among the terrorist groups claiming to have kidnapped Higgins, the most persuasive case was made by one calling itself the Organization of the Oppressed of the World, which circulated photocopies of his identity papers. The group, which appeared to be an off- shoot of the Iranian-supported Hizbullah movement, called Higgins an "agent of the Cen- tral Intelligence Agency" and demanded that Israel withdraw I . -- f- -,th- I..h- 311lub. .11 LZ i Ii .0(~t I u tnon and The Missing Americans ULZ tutil P1 U free all of its Lebanese tt and Palestinian prisoners. cumstances, securityEyes and ears: American special- officials insisted Terry Anderson, 40, chief Middleists might have that Higgins had nothing East corre- applied a little todo with the CIA. spondent of The Associated common sense to Hoping to detect some Press. Kidnapped Higgins's trace of him, the March 16,1985. case. But it is United States geared possible that up its photo-recon- Army security officialsnaissance satellites Thomas Sutherland weren't and electronic listen- agriculture dean at the 56 , fully aware of ing devices, which can , his background, intercept telephone American University of Beirut.while Marine watchdogsand radio traffic. A June 9, 1985. didn't small group of Delta Frank Reed, 55, director of want to prevent Force commandos was flown the Lebanon Interna- one of their own to the area. tional School in Beirut. Sept.from taking an But U.S. intelligence 9, 1986. Army billet. was chronically short 57 Higgins became of what it needed most: acting controller of the the 10th human agents on Joseph Cicippio , American officer the ground in Lebanon. , to command Because the Leba- American University of Beirut.the Lebanon detachmentnese government has no Sept. 12, 1986. of the real authority in Edward Tracy, 57, author. Oct.U.N. Truce Supervisionthe southern region, 21, 1986. Organ- the physical search for Jesse Turner, 40 ization (UNTSO), Higgins was carried out visiting professor of mathe- which was set by U.N. troops and , up in 1948 to monitormilitiamen of the Amal matics and computer science the cease- movement. Like at Beirut Univer- ' sity College. Jan. 24, 1987. fire between IsraelHizbullah, Amal represents and the Ar- members of abs. Of its295 the Shiitesectof Islam,butit men, 36 areAmer- is moremoder- Robert Polhill, 53, assistant icans; the Soviet ate and is notcontrolled professor of busi- Union is by Iran. ness atBeirut University College.another major supplierThe motive for Higgins's Jan. 24,1987. of per- kidnapping still Alann Steen, 48, journalism sonnel. A separatewas not clear. An Israeli professor at Beirut peacekeep- expert theorized University College. Jan. 24, ingcontingent in that Hizbullah might 1987. the region , the want to exchange the 5,800-man U.N. Marine for the Hamadei Interim Force brothers, two ac- Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins,in Lebanon (UNIFlL),cused terrorists now 43, head of a U.N. is autho- held in West Germa- observer group attached to rized to carry ny. Some Pentagon officials the U.N. Interim defensive weap- worried that Force in Lebanon. Feb. 17, ons, but the UNTSOthe abduction might have 1988. observers been commis- go unarmed, in sioned by a foreign intelligence keeping with service. "It " their role as mediatorssaid one administra- bet,,veen was a pretty slickjob, warring factions. tion source. "And the "It's very im- kidnappers clearly Higgins took over his new command)e unarmed if you'rekneNv who they were looking last portant to going to be for." Now that month-without undergoing all ~," says Sir Brianthe damage was done, of the the umpir Urquhart, the UNTSO pulled its counterterrorism training given~ tired U.N. undersecretary-gen-remaining observers back to officers recently r to the safety of who might become targets. eral-ge of peacekeepingtheir headquarters. Ronald in chl operations. Reagan insist- Pentagon regulations specify ch better oil' ed, however, that the that ofl'l- "You're maintaining your kidnapping would not ni t cers who have had abighsecurityerson who's above force American officers clearance status as the battle." to shrink from do- cannot serve in dangerous places.ures showing that ing their duty with the Ililagins Ile cites the armed United Nations in f 1 k 1l h h i h Th UN n t -M e t some crac s e systern. e IFIL roug I? I ISSELL W A TSON regulations do notdefine U.N. armed UNTSO men. IVIIII JOHN 13 A It assignments thanthe i~ Y and R I C 11 Ali 1) S A N as potentially hazardous duty.was abducted as 1) Z A III Washington In other cir- Higgin he drove and bureau wports lone CPYRGHT CPYRGHT NH"WSWEEK FNIHWARY 29, 1988 33 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 CPYRGHT -3PYRGH Beyond imagining: Three Palestin iam,~ no-,ze at 1`11UMS BYTANNENBAUM -SYGMA Letting George Do It Now Shultz faces heavy odds against a Mideast accord CPYRGHT o one can fault George Shultz for not trying. Late thisweek, following talks N in Moscow to prepare the ground for the next Reagan-Gorbachev summit, the secretary of state will fly to the Middle East on a mission of peace, Galvanized by the 11- week-old uprising in Israel's occupied terri- tories. Shultz has proposed an accelerated version of the old Camp David formula: limited Palestinian autonomy within the next few months, followed by negotiations late this year on the future of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It's a wonder that Shultz is even bothering. Israeli Prime MinisterYitzhak Shamir called parts of his peace plan "totAlly unacceptable," and Jor- dan's King Hussein arranged to be out of town when the secretary arrives. "We go into this with modest expectations," dead- panned one subordinate at the State Department. But something has to be done to end the violence. Palestinian stone throwers and Israeli troops are continuing their runii ing battles in the occupied territories. In one particularly shocking incident that came to light last week, Israeli soldiers oti the West Bank buried four young PaleStinians alive by dumping dirt on them with a bull- dozer. All four survived; local villagers dug them out after the Israelis had departed. The Israeli Army announced the arrest of' two soldiers allegedly involved intheatroc- ity and said more arrests were likely. But the damage to Israel's military hozior was already done. "Even in my worst dreams," said Gen. Amram Mitzna, the Israeli coin- mander on the West Bank, "I would never imagine such a thing." Outside Israel, the Palestine Lib~!Y-~ition Organization suffered a setback of its own. As a propaganda stunt, the PLO had planned to re-enact the 1947 voyage of the Jewish refugee ship Exodus, this time with a chartered ship carrying more than 100 deported Palestinians to Haifa. But before the exiles and members of the press could board the vessel, a mysterious underwater explosion blasted a six-foot hole in the an- cient ferry boat's starboard side. "Our ship has been damaged," a PLO spokesman told weeping would-be passengers, "but the re- turn will still take place in a few days." Few, however, believed that Israel would allow the PLO ship to set sail. When Shultz arrives in Israel, he is sure to encounter stiff resistance. Like the right-wing Likud Party he heads, Prime Minister Shamir wants ultimately to an- nex the West Bank-the Judea and Samar- The damage was done: Death ofayoung 34 NEWSWNEK : Ff',131MARY 29 ~ -~8 Approved For Release C ia of the Old Testament. He adamant13 rejects the territory-for-peace concept a the core of Shultz's peace initiative. Simui taneously, however, Israel is scheduled t( hold general elections for a new Knesset ii November. The contest for prime ministei is likely to pit Shamir against Foreign Min ister Shimon Peres. Peres supports the lat est Shultz initiative, and advocates SOME sort of international umbrella for peacc talks. Shamir' thus finds himself under pressure to at least appear to be concilia- tory. But he risks losing leadership of the Likud to the hawkish Ariel Sharon if he appears too soft on the occupied territories. Shamir says he favors a measure of Pales- tinian autonomy as prescribed by Camp David, but he offers only cosmetic conces- sions beyond that. "Shamir has already reached the limits of his flexibility, and he threatened on the right," a Shamir emis ry recently warned one of Shultz's top ieutenants. "Don't put him under more ~ic With Shamir apparently intractable, iultz may find that the two key Arab aders in the region-President Hosni ubarak of Egypt and Jordan's King Hus- in-are of only limited help. Mubarak )w maintains that the West Bank and )-za uprisings have made the Camp David ncept of Palestinian autonomy obsolete, id that an international peace conference the only route to an Arab-Israeli settle- ent. For his part, Hussein apparently ants to keep his distance from the Shultz itiative altogether. Reportedly, the Jor- mian monarch plans to be in London- tensibly for root-canal work-during the cretary of state's Mideast travels. That )uld force Shultz to make a detour to )ndon if he wishes to see the king. The weakness of the Shultz plan is that it ges on an agreement between Israel d Jordan over the West Bank. That goal ~ms as elusive as ever. Hussein, says a rdanian diplomat in Washington, "is t interested in anything that helps Sha- mir cool things down on the rator West Bank by giving people the impression of a revived peace process." Jordan's mon arch insists that Israel must agree to an international con ference in which it commits itself to yielding territory for peace. Under Shamir, at least, Israel is not prepared to go that far. For all his readi ness to take on a Middle East peace mission in the closing months of his career as secre tary of state, Shultz may find the principal players as dead ANG US D EM~N(. IfIlth M I L AN J. K u ii i (: ill Jerusalem. C I I it is'], o 1, 11 F, 1( 1) 1 C K I., Y ill CYPI 1j, " all ltom,.u I, W Cu~,1.1,-,N ill WmS111m:f0tl Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-068468~,,O~~ CPYRGHT JIDUL KARIM OBEID od to he talking to Israelis 2 Captured Soldiers Dead, Isra*el R By Jackson Diehl W h )g(.),1 Post F,,-p Seryic'. j ENUSALEM, Aug. Abdul Karim Obeid, the Shiite Moslem cleric held by Israel since last inonth. has told interrogators that two of the three soldiers for whom Israel hoped to exchange him are already (lead, informed sources said today. Military authorities are not con- vinced that Obeid is telling the truth and continue to wait for de- finitive evidence about the fate of the soldiers, who were captured by the Hezbollah movement in south- ern Lebanon more than three years ago, the sources said. However, the sheik's assertion Israelis Repoi Two Soldiers bargaining over hostages now un- der way. Last week, Hezbollah offered to free one of the eight U,S. hostages in Lebanon, Joseph Cicippio, in ex- change for Shiite and Palestinian prisoners in Israel but said the Is- raeli prisoners could not be freed. Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin replied that Israel would make no exchange that excluded its three soldiers and that Hezbollah must provide evidence to the Red Cross on the condition of both the West- ern and Israeli hostages as a first step in any negotiation. Israeli commentators said that if the two soldiers are considered dead, the government could face more pressure from the United States to agree to a bargain involv- ing only American or Western hos- tages. Such a bargain might have little to compensate Israelis for the re- lease of prisoners who have been involved in terrorist acts or the ongoing Arab uprising in the occu- pied territories. Senior military officials have said that following the disappear- ance of Fink and Sheikh while on patrol in southern Lebanon, Israel repeatedly tried and failed to find Lebanese contacta who could pro- vide reliable information oil their condition and bargain for their release. The seemingly dead end in intelligence and quiet diploma- ISRAEL, From Al - and reports from Lebanon that tend to back it up appear to have dealt a serious blow to Israel's hope of realizing what it says was its primary aim in capturing Obeid. The seizure of the cleric in a commando raid July 28 on his Leb- anese village touched off a crisis involving Western hostages in Leb- anon that has now involved the United States, Iran and Syria as well as Israel and Hezbollah. A Hezbollah-linked group claimed that it killed one American hos- tage, Marine Lt. Col. William Hig- gins, in retaliation for Obeid's de- tention. Nevertheless, senior Israeli of- ficials have said repeatedly that the Obeid operation was conceived and executed primarily as a way of set- ting up an exchange for two infail- trymen, Yossi Fink and Rahamin Sheikh, and airman Ron Arad, whose plane was shot down over Lebanon in October 1986. Since his capture, Israel has alleged that Obeid was the chief of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and oversaw the abduction of Fink and Sheikh in February 1986. Today, military spokesmen did not directly deny the report of the two soldiers' deaths but said that Israel would continue to consider its prisoners to be alive unless it m 11ope ebbs for hostage release; U.S. ansilre if [ran itufutts talks. Rage A 16 ~ Told Dead the more I drastic cy prompt step uring Obeid, of officials ca said. Neverthss, informed Israeli sources to , y confirmed that at least the two one soldiers was been to have know been wound- ' " ed e incident duringthat led to their ion. There abdu, has long been tion in specu official circles, they that only added.one of the soldiersains, alive. rej Obeid,sources tl~ said, i told his captorsboth soldiers ft died Of woundsrtly after sh their cap- ture. Howeveione source said that Israelnot publicly coul concede the ' deaths soldie:as long as proof not provided. was Other- wise, rce said, the the govern- s ment risk sealing woul: the fate of Sheikh Fink in the oi event they fill alive. were "Once say they A are dead, the terroristsill have ; no reason to keep the source them' said. The y Times Sun quoted rab sourcessaying a! that a photo- graph e two soldiers, of each k with ravenous an tube in it his arm, en published had in a Bei- [ i rut e days magaz after their dis- appearancbut that both men were y dead alre when the pic- ture taken. was The Israeli sourcesI they s. were unaware i of -v. the pict i The spaper ne also said - the parentsthe soldiers ol were in- formed~he military by that their Is Told receives documentary proof the are dead from an official son" such as the Red Cross. "We don't want to have a publi debate about this delicate issue, said army spokesman Efran i Lapide. Ile added: "From time t time there are stories and pieces c information concerning Israeli pris of W, r p oners a ublished in Arab me dia and Western media. We have t( see these pieces of information a part of the psychological warfar carried on nowadays." Israeli observers said reports,o the soldiers' deaths, which firs appeared today in the London Sun day Times, may undermine lsrael'~ position in the complex process o See ISRAEL, A16, Col, I 'Israeli soldiers Raharnin Sheikh, left, and Yossi Fink were on patrol in southern Lebanon in 1986 when captured by Shiite guerrillas of Hezbollab. sons were believed to be dead. However, both families told the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot today that they received no such report. Israel radio reported that army commanders bad called the fam- ilies and told them not to regard the public report of the deaths as definitive. The account by Obeid marks the second time that the cleric has been reported by Israeli sources as providing information that un- dermines the military's rationale in seizing him. Two weeks ago, Obeid was quoted by a senior Is- raeli official as saying that he be- lieved Higgins was alive at the time of the sheik's arrest. Israel maintains that Higgins was-not executed at the time claimed by bis captors btit mthei many months earlier. Senior Israeli officials have said that Obeid is being held in isola- tion and questioned by a team of interrogators. They said he has not been informed of develop- ments since his arrest and is un- aware of the dramatic announce- ment of Higgins's death and sub- sequent negotiations over the hostages. Israeli officials have maintained that Obeid has proved a highly valuable source of information and that his interrogation has shown him to be a key figure in Hezbol- lah and in its links with Iran. However, sources in the Arab world and some Israeli experts have discounted those claims, say- ing that Obeid was more a spir- itual figure than a military com- mander and that his importance diminished considerably following ill(! curtailivient of Hozbollah'q power ill southern Lebanon last year in battles with the rival Arnal militia. CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 THE WwjmTos PM TumiiY, FMUAHY 23,1988 A17 WORLD NEWS M-', admami "enti Marine Spoke Of Past Post, Sources Say Higgins May Have Drawn Attention -M.. Fliggais M- LL C& W t. - kdmped ast week by Shi, c estrmni~ in southern r,+-- .y have attracted attention to maelf by letting it be known wide- there that he had KWMSIY ,Iked forl-'secret-ft: we ,.- W. Wemberver. .dmg in Arab diplottat" and oth, annives close to the UK oper- _U._ The - said Chad Higgins id let it be known among his col- .g- on the U.N Truce, Super- sion Organization ~(UNTSO) and hers, with hom be - - - a in -thw,- Leb- tbat he al Served . art to Weriber. -;,iggims preseated IS a e of vy, as Cap Wein, ger.en rxer -'* "I' UNM b. -He mearicas-bit.f.coub.Y." Mh the Onist.- Radio _Lebanon in Beirut and Radio . rael have carried p- about iggins telling of his former .ti- with The for the op. Or= essed . Earth has -mil - onsibility, and called Higgins an ent for the Central Intelligence, Nory. T. Reagan adhnmitratax~ has ningly denied dus. e,t7 sed ~Y ?LHr, be. be. r adingii=da S. MARDK A18, C.L I CPYRGHT 0 North Korea's Isolation Seen Dangerous for Its Foes U.S. Officials Disru t Say 7hey Olympics Fear to p Jetliner's Sabotage May Not Be P qya s Las emp yo ng' It Att t fitical month. Its mifitsry the Koremi By Fred situtim advantage is Many War of Hiatt would in the West find 1950-53 be wry, it Pitaling, 'has Politic * eroding and my be not cided.- it gone. almost beyond ry de ri..ttd,belief. lint North he sud. Is its Last week the United U.S. officials Students Nations Kom would Said that ahro4 dank that sabotaging they fear North a n out has long condemned North Kom, the destruction ide theirbeen one Saying it civilian of Kmmm of the airliner could furtherAir flght . its . the tirid had masterminded the M last own cowurytird sabotage of I cautse.November North s Simi disbelief has may not Korese mosit closedbeen be stu- sociebes, Now deins civilian Koreari expressedNorth Kom's Would is in in the pasu~ when lad attempt always = il,"Its'North to dis, Stick than It to th- - thus [ .I- years, la 1. in 115 Konsain rupt the and in agesit, killed South ganues. that isola-Korean, r l 7 At 6 1. ki 'We dont dwy would_ led. Cabinet members,know. congregateinon UW to assas, but you many experts fear, bes, grma~ . gosupj . danger P-bara, 11 sinale Shouldn't xthesiars.for North Smith Korean presidents.assionve Evesungs;Kaosa's that whatever "d - da weekends commumist b.. sunk they South Kt-im fishing would boaft or gather . ' their n1im year North Kom'. ffmt to daroutorya the Stage . boys killed or embusymanat U.S, .115- Sit the to L~ X-N- Desidli. cott of the tarjaud to tic year Zcue. North said Kim =P Koream Chamg = radio S~ and study I in Seoul TIM thffikohy the politicalInef direct,Fth is that thought _ Y- But Pyf. ILS I-- wedmon of their 0, - resident of- com, ,1 forth Kom raguat have declined ficials Studies firrituna hens, who I.- -rk.* unist in woriced for . pro-Northlittle leader, Saaaa, to about Kim 11 in Sung. o ecent interview.attend the Olynq~ even in We Imm The Sey- newspaper the timingthey ft, 10 years six! hall. nmw they ne .oadd =T=b;= chellas and Albarna together M not Independent d" Kom :e ' =: talk to ot Now Pyongyang . lescia II m` a Th the ` be stm! ~~ Nortia K. Ueh-! ~= in mt-i-watch Is South Kras 0 . with - res was ,S b."1.d the airli. Sa nal with ~as laO for to re, F-th ' Kow- a thoificialsboast those SeptemberPura ficus I Cldneaehere and er business oil in s deatrurtkaa~ He executives ' Inch acft and K i waki L N p l d aasu tof Should or g big* om ==g wbu=vited ull- K- s r on = ea r = ers must l nerea o they Andy falian never beftor,gX thK-. No the External mickin K. d Trade has Wea Olympics d th far behindas a grave threat h ma to its national - h f ., propagan 7f any" rival to Many a an was Ion. the South astsclars e uninates, ierarc V y o in photographs-atid they ~ieadly, assal the = guess W hernia, gap tridens,.= fill in Stith -th by he added. that the hh-l, a ixmgaer~In his ~Iltmea on eatings bin Asked to Issue W on Using Force By Glems Frat" ~sww - RUSALEK Feb 22-laaek my General Yosef Harish, kt written gmkiih- prohibiting; kk- ihom using physical force, cept when dispersing riots or ;~ . big* unusual letter dated by his offite IZ:L=P..bka be had r~ ied complaints A treatment to the mhbibmw the terri in recent weeks d said he tfZZ the numbers in- ived - as high that Rabin's Sit that =r eds 20 X:= ality. Harish said Army rules -allow for use a fore, to disperse Protest- and to rarry tut the arrest a ipecta who mat arrest. But the of force, astrat be ithi. I - mble measure to reach the aun -hk~ it is used. I, - anicu - ~ readed-unth the dis- CPYRGHT dIg liumigh rubble at. &--wi apartnamt ho- that collapsed S, 9 in Rio's Deluge Rea We Sluins RhslIed Amy, Brazil's Loss to State of Flo de jaiwiro. Earlaer this maigr. Ry M. matrith, - devastated the DE JANEIR5:::~~ tamn town of P"ofia, firtas old Eltrt, CPYRGHT Nmas dIsd list 14 ware lanial allm tes 76 ns 263 Since Feb. 2 r.-=- P~~- gow us from all over the crty donated nk- W~. 0 10 *3SwW Some thmP are kaowu~ It sa w that Kim 11 Snag has estai~ had ? persamahty - in the World. 1%:`h. g:Z does tuning ovc, Pyongyang to 8. NORTH KOREA, Alt, OIL I U.S. Wa TO Control roll Or Risk 0 DURAL United Arab ~te~ Feb. 22-The U-& Navy. which ro~~Sut now PwZrh=~ fioncea in the Persiart tm- Cwl~ was, eipaclel to remind Baghn dad in Wks opening then today that U.S. warship commainders, havre the andhor" to about down I'S110 -.ft approaching U.S, - .1. A l0au~ Navy.tcamu led by the chiello(staff of the U.S, bliddle East Forces based in the gulf met with 114 mam official. amid what U. S. ufficials, owing ft- deacrbedt as g trinkin that Irsali to saffiete to nik. ='Xar. May's Irn massile attack on, the USS Stark, which killixt 37 Amera- SIR- The Navy delegation ~ dia, patcbd after haq T.16 bomber 'L t~~= U ,. Under nales worked out betweea, Washington and Baghdad last Spring. U.S.-manned ab- -- ang and control systein (AWACS) Iraq Them said a U.S. military, officiaL Rude is that if something Is 11 ~= be .61= .,it incident. If it does, Ua ders are, Avery, very ocia, he .4 that what the Sta - . it. largely ul '-Z' in the Persian 'the public outcry is going to be astrable,' the official Said, and L relatkits, with Inai, already amed by the Stark mcident, Will sermusly chanaged. Arab leaders 3 have sought U.S, assistants, to tect International sea laties and Vent 2 . fear si~uf the t w= ;ft, George B. Cris', or of the U.S. Central ch has overall - - Guff form -g' to 'g' " " inci, rces, and CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Neather i A6 raday: flazy, hot and humid. High J8, Low 78, Wind 6-12 mph. ;unday: Partly sunny, hot, possible hunderstorm' High 94. 'estorday: AQI: 95. Temperature ange: 73-96. Details on Page B2. 45, Z4 r 1~ hing I I ITH YUR ... No. 238 0 1988. Th. Whhtirt.. Pt C-py SATURDAY, JULY 30,1988 tt "Ptinusin Voiced on Gulf Talks Iraqi 'Brinkmanship" Way Cause Additional I Vissions, Official Says By Patrick E. Tyler W,,hi,gt,,, Post Foreign Service UNITED NATIONS, July 29- ~ego hations on a cease-fire to end he Ira n_ Iraq war reached a critical )oint tonight as senior U.N. officials voiced optimism they had crafted a )Ian that would be acceptable to )oth sides U.N. Secretary General Javier lerez de Cuellar said earlier in the lay he was "very, very pleasedr' vith the talks he held with the for- !ign ministers of the warring coun- xies and said negotiations were '!n?vin,z in the right direction" to ind a compromft on one of the nain stumbling blocks-Baghdad's lemand for early, face-to-face 'eace talks with Iran. But tonight, after the secretary general's final meeting of the day with Iraqi Foreign Unister Tariq 1criz, a Senior U.N. negotiator said Iraq was engaging in what he de- 3cribed is "brinkmanship,' and he tow expected the talks to carry wer into next week. Aziz made no .omment to reporters as he left the Jnited Nations tonight. Iran's foreign minister, Ali Akbar ielayati, said after a one-hour sea- ~jon with Perez de Cuellar that he iad been presented with a "new and inal proposal" on the cease-fire. Velayati said his reaction to the lat- ~st plan was generally positive and :hat he would consider it further )efore responding on Saturday. "I think we will reach our aim of aaving a cease-fire very soon," Se- curity Council President Paulo No- gueira-Batista told reporters this afternoon, discounting reports that the cease-fire talks being sponsored here had reached a deadlock. "Things are going well," Batista said, adding that, "one should not be alarmed by difficulties which may be faced at this stage of the negotia- tions," The secretary general also met this morning wit .h thbVife of UA Marine Lt. CoL.William R. Higgins, who was kidnaped while on; U.N. peace-keeping duty in southern Leb- anon last February. Robin Higgins, who is a Marine major, also ad- dressed the Security Council, thank- ing its members for passing a reso- ution today condemning the kidnap- ng and demanding Higgins' release. iggins is thought to be held by a ro-Iranian group in Lebanon. U.N. officials meanwhile . ex- )ressed optimism that Higgins~ re- case might be secured in thKear uture as a conciliatory gesture by ran to the United Nations for its -ole in bringing about an end to the ong-running war. Officials added ~Iaat Iran was motivated by the like- ihood that U.N. forces may be nec- ssary to monitor a future truce etween Iran and Iraq. But Perez de Cuellar said there See GULF, A20, Col. I CPYRGHT A20 SATUIWAY, JULY 30,1988 ... U.N. Off icials Optimistic On Gulf Cease-iv ire Plan GULF, From Al date when a cease-fire would com- - mence and soldiers would remain in was no credible confirmation of Hig- their own territory. gins' whereabouts or of the rumors Meanwhile, an Iranian rebel that Iran was working to free him. guerrilla group, trained and "I would be delighted if you are equipped by Iraq gave up its drive right" about reports of his release, to take the Iranian provincial capital he told one reporter. "But I have no of Bakhtaran after a three-day cam- reason, unfortunately, for thinking paign that reportedly took its Na- that he will be released soon." tional Liberation Army (NLA) StUl, U.N. offipials were looking forces nearly 100 miles into Iran, I~that the deepest penetration of the war. would cure thi release or Washington, Aladin Touran, a gins. Another eight Americans are representative of the National Lib- believed held captive by Hezbotlah eration Army's umbrella group the (Party of God), a radical Lebanese People's Mujaheddin of Iran, &ied' Shiite Moslem group that is fi- a report in The Washington Post on nanced by Iran. Friday that Iraqi forces had turned 'Iran wants a U.N. peace-keeping over captured Iranian weapons that force" as part of the cease-fire, one the group used to seize territory western diplomat: here said, "and near Bakhtaran, Washington Post Higgins was a member of a U.N. staff writer Chris Adams reported. peace-keeping force," [Iraq "played no role in this of- Robin Higgins wore civilian fensive," Touran told reporters. clothes to her meetings at the Unit- The Washington Post story "is not ed Nations today, a move that was at all true. I can say flatly, I interpreted by diplomats here as reject it."] stressing her husband's connection There were conflicting accounts to the United Nations and not to the of why the NLA drive had ended. U.S. Marines. Iranian rebel spokesmen said th.eir Today's cease-fire negotiations forces were making a planned with- turned on finding a way for Iran and drawal, and Iranian military author- Iraq to agree on the timing of the ities said they smashed the offen- cease-fire. The agreement must sive and were chasing the rebels satisfy Iran's demand that the back toward the Iraqi frontier. cease-fire be implemented without In Baghdad, where the Mujahed- preconditions while meeting Iraq's din is based, spokesman Ali Reza demand that direct peace talks be Jafaarzedeh told news agency re- conducted, porters that the withdrawal "is al- Velayati appeared to open the most complete, and no major fight- way for a compromise by signaling ing is taking place now." new flexibility this evening on hold- But a different accounting of the ing direct talks with Iraq. "We do offensive was given by Iran's par- hope that, after the acceptance of liament speaker, Ali Akbar Hasheini the D-Day and the establishing of a Rafsanjani, who led the Friday pray' cease-fire and the withdrawal of er service at Tehran University forces from, lt~th sides to the inter- today. national border and exchange of Rafsanjani acknowledged that the POWs, the face-to-face talks in an opposition forces got to within 22 acceptable level could be consid- miles of their objective at ered positively," he said. Bakhtaran, but he characterized D-Day is the term that Perez de Iran's response as laying a trap for Cuellar has used in describiniz the the Muiaheddin. CPYRGHT CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Robin Higgins, wife of kidnaped Marine Lt. Col. William R. Higgins, meets with Perez do Cuellar. U.N. Security Council yesterday condemned Higgins' abduction. 9ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/(,, fzxl Shiite Captors Release West German Hostage Link to Hammadi Brothers'Case Asserted By Nora Boustany wnhwz. PW Fvp S.M. BEIRUT, Sept. 12-West Ger man hostage Rudolf Cordes was released here tonight by his pro- Iranian Shiite Moslem abductors after 20 monthA in captivity, Leb- anese Interior Minister Abi!4110 Rassy announced. Cordes, 55, a businessman em- ployed by the Hoechst pharmaceu- ticals firm, was neatly dressed and clean-shaven and was reported in good health and spirits. He. was ta- ken to Damascus by Syrian military authorities to be turned over to West German officials on Tuesday. The group holding Cordes said in a message earlier today that it was freeing him "because of guarantees for a settlement" of the cases of two Lebanese brothers held by West Germany as terrorists, including Mohammed Ali Haminadi, now on trial in Frankfurt in the 1985 hijack- ing of a TWA jetliner and the mur- der of a U.S. serviceman. A note from Cordes before his release to- day also urged that West Germany 11 please do everything regarding Mohammed." West German officials questioned Shiite Capi HO TAGE, From A18 Syrian officials here and a seni figure in the pro-Iranian Hezboll movement professed surprise as series;of statements from the c2 tors, called1the Strugglers for Fr4E dom, announced the impending i lease today. Some analysts said they saw t development as an indication tfi Iran has assumed control over t fate of western hostages in Let non. At least 17 foreigners are sl believed to be held hostage hei including three Britons and m Americans. Abdel. Hadi Hammadi, the old brother of the Hammadis held Germany and a senior military ficial in the Hezbollah commai structure in Lebanon, reportec was surprised by the notificati today and went to SytiAn-controll Baalbek to consult with his orga ization's leadership, N senior Hezbollah aide sa Abdel Hadi Hamadei was "furiou and rushed there "in a buff to fij out what was going on." Hamma( who reportedly has led Iran's cai paign of abducting foreigners Lebanon, was said to be eager see his brothers out safely befo Cordes was released. Hezbollah sources said, howevc that the Strugglers for Freedo were operating "independently a] following orders directly from Te ran, disregarding the local scei here, including the Syrians." It was unclear why Rg5sy w chosen by Syria to play a key role dealing with Cordes after the a ductors released him. But obser ers noted that the interior minist, is the son-in-law of former prei dent Suleiman Franjieh, Syria's eh sen candidate in Lebanon's a proaching presidential electior House Speaker Hussein Hussei RUDOLFCORDES Aeld captive since January 1987 in Bonn, however, said they were unaware of any concessions having been made in the case and diplomatic sources there said they were coafi- dent there had been no promises of lenient treatment. High West Geri pun and Iranian officiials.have: held evetal rnee~gs in recentdays. See HOSTAGE, A23, Cot'l CPYRGHT CPYRGHT Ger*An S4~eized 20 Months Ago today set Sept. 22 for convening the parliament to elect a successor to President Amin Gemayel, whose term ends the next day. Rassy quoted Cordes as saying, "The kidnppers dropped me, in a street. I went to a house in the area J and told them, I am the hostage Rudolf Cordes,' and asked for help. The people of the house immediate- ly called the Lebanese police, who came for me." The captors had Issued three statements through news outlets today promising Cordes' release within hours and asking for the West German and Iranian arnbas- sadois and a representative of Syr- ian President Hafez Assad to gather to await him. The first message was accompl- nied by a note, handwritten In Ger- man and signed by Cordes, and, the third was accompanied. by a photo- graph of Cord~s. "I shall be freed on Monday (12.9.88)," the note'from Cordes said. "Please inform my family, but please do everythinj~ regarding Mo- hammed ~Afi Hammadil.. Please help the hos%gqs~several are ex- pecting somet[iing now, especially since I arn being released." The note was addressed to the "govern- ment of the Federal Republic of Germany." The f6l statement from the cap- tors said: "We do not wish to be hostile to the German government and out of respect for the sincere calls by [Syrian] President Hafez Assad and the Islamic Iranian gov- ernment, and because of guarantees for a settlement of the Hammadi brothers problem, we announce that the German Cordes will be re- leased within 12 hours." West Qp~rnap bilsinessman Ali fred Schmidt, also abducted by Iran- backed 'C~tr6jnf~ta.hgre !;) Jan=` 1987, was freqd, last September 16' what his captors called "a good-will gesture." Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 LIVING IN CAPTIVITY: FOREIGN HOSTAGES IN LE13ANON P,rry A. Anderson, chief Middle East correspondent for the Associated Te mess kidnaped March 16. 1985, in West Beirut. Anderson worked at e A bureau, in Tokyo and Johannesburg beforebeing assigned to Berut Islamic 3m.d asserted responsibility fo~ his kidnaping. Thomas Sutherland, acting dean of agriculture at the American University of Beirut, kidnaped June 9, 1985, Sutherland, a ~ Scottish-born American, worked in Beirut for'two years before his abduction. His wife also taught at the American University in Beirut. Islamic Jihad asserted responsibility for his kidnaping. Frank Herbert Reed, American director of the Lebanese International School, kidnaped Sept. 9, 1986. Before disappearing, Reed spent nine, years in Lebanon. He is A convert to Islam. His wife, a Syrian also ! taught at the International School. Arab Revolutionary Cels a~seded 1 responsibility for his kidnaping. - I '. . I. . II Joseph fames Cicippio, acting comptroller at t he American University of Beirut, kidnaped Sept. 12, 1986, outside of. his apartment building on'the West Beirut campus. Cicippio moved to Beirut in 1984 and converted to Isfam.in 1985. He is married to 9 Lebanese woman. Revolutionary Justice Organization asserted reipon~bility for his kidnaping. Edwin Austin Tracy, a writer, disappeared In October 1986, T acy spent most of his adult life traveling anclunciltle world, but was a ,esid.nt of West Beirut when kidnaped, The Revolutionary Justice O'liarl'I't- .-rt.d w.p.niiiUdity (or W. .1bull,ictiiii Oct~ 2 1. 1986. Robert Polhill, a certified public accountant and leclurier in accounting at Beirut University College, kidnaped from the campus jan, 24, 198 Polhill lectured at BUC for one year,before Ns disappearance. Alarm Steen, communications instructor at Beirut University College. I ~-dnaped Irorn the campus Jan. 24. 1987. A Boston native, Stern - mpleted his academic studies at Humboldt State University in California, His wfe was teaching fine arts at BUC at the time of Steen's abduction. I Nlihil,iih.., Singh was trend by carif.r. yesterday In Beirut, iris wife, Lola Mont Singh, Oln"s-arl"In"p,ho"I"o on right. Captors Free flostagein Lebanon HOSTAGE, Fro. At Stretch of wasteland on the fringes Beirut's Shiite Moslem southern of suburbs. Throughout the day, his captors had Americans and authorities in Beirut playing a guessing game abou which of the four hostages heldtby the group would be re- leased, The Islamic Jihad for the Liber- ~tion of Palestine also holds Amer. cans Robert Polhill, Alann Steen md Jesse Turner. The initial com- muniques, delivered to news organ- zations with pictures of the four, ~ad indicated only that one of them xmild be released yesterday. Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk 'haraa had told reporters at the lmitf,d Nations yes %merican hostage terday that an was expected to )e released last night and two U.S. e evision networks said the man e~eascd would be Steen. Previous communiques from the group holding Singh bad been ..gher, dermarding the liberation r is held in Israeli bails as a condition or the release of the four profes- or& U.S. officials said initial indica- ions that there had been a change n approach by the captors had onne from S):!~an authorities and :overnments; in tfii~Widdle East. hen a Series of statements by the ,roup to ,delivered news agency ollices in lielrut last month, Aimed to coincide with tfieb c mciNor U.S.-Syrian talks her, ln~fwee a. ;istant Secretary of State Richard `,lurphy and top Syrian officials, irlied Washington to take positive iction regarding the recognition of lalestinian rights. The Islamic Front for the Liber~ tion of Palestine-which apparent. ? is not linked to Islamic lihad, a etter known movement holding at bast two American hostages-has equently been described by ana- sts as pro-Iranian .But Iranian )urces in Beirut recently pro- sted that description. The urces, who have close ties to the mian Embassy, suggested that e kidwipers of the professors Ire linked tC another regional -er having interests in Lebanon. U.S. and Syrian sources said ear. todaY that Singh i sspending the ;ht at a government rest house I will be examined tb~ dcctcs er. Syria's minister of state for for- ;n affairs, Nasser Qaddour said sterday that Singh will be i~nded tr to U.S. Ambassador Edward ~rejian today, U.S. Embassy spokesmen here d Singh was being turned over to American diplomatic mission because he had expressed his rsonal desire t be a U.S. ines- nt when hi-applied for his green professor of mathematics and - Ed from the campus Jan, 24, 1987. A tTrIftfirt-ld.ho unwweiti~, i_ Marine Lt. Col. William R. Higgins, kidnaped Fee. 27~ 1P88. Higgins headed a 75-man observer group attached to the U.N. IntQrim Force in Lebandia when he was grabbed from his U.N.~car by three men near the town of Tyre. The pro-Iranian Organization Pf the Oppressed on Earth said April 21 that Higgins would be put,gn trial for spying. Alec Collett, a journalist, kidnaped P85.1k,.- John McCarthy,.a television groduc or, kidnaped April CiMBq.. Terry Waite, special envoy for the archbishop of &nterburjUast scerk Jan. 20, 1987. Waite was on a Special mission to negotiate for the hostages' release when he shed his bodyguards for a special meeting with ladnapers, then disappeared. Brian Keenan (Irish), kidnaped April 11, 1986. Alberto Molinari (Italian), kidnaped Sept, 11, 1985. William Jorgensen (Norwegian), kidnaped Feb, 5. 1988. Jan Sterling (Swedish), kidnaped Feb. 5, 1988. NOTE I- Aw9 1986. tw R~,A-y 0qw-tvn, *I S-0,1, lv~~ At,,, ce,, SOUnCE A-1.0 P,.,. ...r In Etc!rut, Singh's wife choked back tears as she told reporters: This is a happy day for me, but I St ill did not see him. I want to see him," The Associated Press Te. ported. Singh who was born in Varanasi, India, taught eight years at the Uni. versify of Agra and eight years at the University of Gorakhpur before moving to the United States in 1965 for graduate work at the Uni. versify of Oregon, the AP said. lie received a master's degree from Oregon in 1968 and a doctorate from Western Colorado, formerly in Grand Junction. Ile taught at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Milton College in Wisconsin au~ Western Colorado before going to Beint. lie and the three ~morioan. were kidnaped when a group of gunmen disguised as policemen set a trap by calling them to a meeting on the campus that Purportedly was to discuss security measures. The four professbrs were then taken away at gunpoint and'bundipd into cars and commandeered police vans that had been unwittingly allowed on to the campus * , The three Americans seized with Singh are among nine Americans still being held hostage in Lebanon. Two have been in captivity since 1985 and most of them are believed held by groups associated with the Iran-sponsored Hezbollah organi- zation. . . Hopes for the release of .three Britons among foreigners kidnaped in Lebanon were raised Friday when Britain and Iran agreed to resume fnIl )kDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 CPYRGHT 'Tehanzese Midnao ers e ease, Hostage U.S. Besident Indian Areed in Move to Gain American Go od Vill- esuri a nitle-knoin ra gr steadfast B oup that in our policy" ! of "making ~ vi ad kidnaped no deals, ~ him and threeno quid pro g Amer- quo.". . DAMASCUS -n ColleaguesState Department Syria at the Beirutspokeswoman Oct Uni- 4 , ersity CollegePhyllis Oakley . on Jan. 24, told reporters: , 1987. "We (Tuesday)-A ' U S resident of In- . The captors. join with , fit message$ Mr. Singh dian origin distrib,. s relatives held hostage in with three . . . . led before American releasing rejoicing professors Singh, said i in Lebanon n his release for and call for 20 months hey intended the urgent was releasedtheir so unconditional in Beirut ion. as a release of t " !an hostages in Lebanon last n ood-will gesture. ight and toward the Singh. who brought Unit. studied and here to d States and taught in be an effort t to d ain U S urne . he ever to the . United States American g for several am- pport for years bassador the Palestinian led uprising U S and S ay rian . before joining . the Israeli-occupiedthe Beirut . West Bank University , y College faculty officials in .1983 said. was taken Mithileshwarnd Gaza Strip., Singh, 60, into Protective' chair. custody by Syrian man of the In Washington,forces after business however, he was released administrationWhite near department louse spokesmanthe headquarters at the Univer-Marlin Fitzwa-of the VX ir Relief uld !f sity College,r, respondingand Works was r i to the ~Eaptors'Agency, on ea a sandy s by the Islamic Jilaadatentents, Sea HOSTA134A26, for the said that Cli Liberation 'we- remalry of CPYRGHT CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08: CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0400040001-3 CPYRGHT CPYRGHT ,u uun war Ern -dip 'c'"'It said the stifl- confidential ,rris call for commencement of i repatr ition by the End of this month oirin early Scptember. In lehran. Pircsiderit Ali Kha- doubt a!iout the prospect for impos- ing a buce, said the war "is appir- Cntly C(ming to 1 close." Neg(tiations that led to today's agreement followed Iran's surprise dam ]it ssern to compromise, ac- cord it] g'to knowledgeable sources and U.N. diplomats. Fahd reportedly telephoned re- .. gico-ia leaders including Saddam Hussein and sent his foreilqn IDin- 'ister, Saud at, to Baghdad and TuTarnbissaUor in Washington to New ork. These sources said Saudi Ambas sador Bandar bin Sulti met a num ber of times with representatives of r the five permanent Socqu *it Council 7te- annomement JulyFernlier states- 18 that it T was al' Britain FW (5hi id> c - China ready b drop ' its year-old ~Liet ~mn p c on , , ition fiat Iraq_ be branded ,._ the "ag- telp build a coalition of ance-;-to h ce~~t6 gressor' in sEEs riendly to the war before Iraq to assure the fight- a ing coud stop. cease-fire would Then Iracli be followed by Foreign a Ministe.- ark comprehensive Aziz. under peace process orders and from r-residentsettlement. Saddam Hugi n, __ _ The Saudi diplomats insistedThat reportedly Iran sit wn ac - e 10 for to-face negotiationsalso provided before any the channel for Perez cease-fi.-e de Cuellar to as a measure present to Saddam of "good faith." . I Hussein the last and best offer the With the arrivalsecretary Eeneral's in New York staff believed two weeks ago of they could craft Aziz and Vc!ya~to draw both Iraq sides and Irm set into a peace process. up rival cam ps on Man- hattan's East The sources said Side, ,here Fafid and Hus- both dip- lomatic missionssein spoke again are located by telephone near as U.N. Ittadquarters.the weekend began, Both sides with Hussein is- sued coitentiousagreeing to moderate statements, his position while in fighting continuedreturn for "Iraqi-Saudi along the border.closeness" Iran (omplainedafter the war of a new chem- and a pledge of "col- ical weapons lective" Arab attack that support should it said in- the jured riore peace talks break than 2,000 down. civilians. U.N. oflicials The deadlock broke railed against with Saddam Iraq's refusal lb enterHussein's surprise into any "substan-announcement tive" talts Saturday night with them untilthat he was willing Iran sub- mitted to. a to remove his face-to-face demand for early meeting, a conditioIt Iranface-to-face talks said was an if Iran would attempt to'bumilate make an official its foreign pledge to enter minister. into : Perez de Cuellardirect talks immediately and his staff following worked lia breakthe imposition the deadlock, of a cease-fire. while ', , both sides lobbiedPerez de Cuellar, in the interna-looking tired .tional c(immunityand relieved that for support. the negotiating The -, ' ' Security. Council'smarathon had ended five permanent told rep I orters mphiben groped that he thinks for ways to the truce will "guar- yield an antee" a good-faithagreement. "I negotiating am persuaded pro- that cess, aid today'sboth parties very announcement much are inter- carried the ested in finding council's stronga just and lasting en- d(orsement thatsolution." a cease-fire could not be separatedHe acknowledged from a full-scalethat there had negotiation been moments of to achieve despair in the lasting past peace. two weeks, "but I had to conceal it In the end, from you," he pressure from said, adding Iraq's that he _ _ _ - udi would not take in any personal Ya credit. Arab neighbors, cFuamg Baghdad* 1%. IRAQ IRAN M it ary Ohwirver G o o 350 man uriarn)ed "o c will include the first U.N. naval peacekeeping force, which will at palrof Ara& areas III the northern Culf and on the disputed Shatt at Arab waterway. Total cost is estimated at $74 million for six months. QATAR SAUDI ARABIA Pers n 011 BAHRAIN 32a U.A.E. MILES OMAN Phis is not a personal success, it is uccess for the parties and the S rity Council." 2cu Following the secretary general it of the chamber was Kittani, the ~egarious Iraqi ambassador. "I am very happy man," he said. A few minutes later, Velayati, ho was scheduled to return to ehran last night, called a news inference to say that he had come I New York to begin a peace ro- p !ss, but "at the same time, raq I )ntinued its sabotage against the 'forts of the secretary b at gener . y tensifying its acts of aggression amst burJerritory,'using chern- at weapons, insisting on precon- tions ~. .' and refusing to talk to ie secret6ry general." Velayati renewed Tran's demand iat the Security Council condemn: aq for using nerve gasand mustard is in the war. U.N. officials said Wis eekend that the chemical weapons. iarges will be treated as an issue !parate from the pe ace talks. !am is expected to visit the site. Velayati was asked whether the ive impact on the prospects tor the !lease of 18 forewn hostaizes. in- BY IARRY F=L-TH1 cluding eight Americans, in Lebanon by Islamic fundamentalist groups. The Iranian said the issue of the hostages was "quite different and has no relation to peace with Iraq and our relations with the United States." He then pointed out that even though the hostages are being held in Lebanon, there were "spir, -ituala_n_d_F-i~torical relations" be" tween the Shiite fundamentalist holding the hostages and the Trani~ regime. If Iran could help L'n_thn-, release, Velayati said, it was 'fi, Icyof is Rovernment to