163r,", A71nA I~Y~O                                    
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                                 !'have told us whattheywhom have been held
D6r                              are doing;            for five years,
~BkAnfi OY                                             
                                                       

i Wa"gton Fpst St# Wdter         they have asked us    has been fueled by
                                 for advice."          reports, in Mid
                                 '                     
                                                       

                                 But those efforts are dle Eastern publications
The Bush adml~istration ac-      not 4eing             and by in-
                                 -                     m Iranian leaders of
                                 f,th                  a
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                                 b                     di
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                                 -o                    ons
                                 ma                    ca
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                                 e                     
                                 .                     
                                 . govern              
                                                       

knqw1edged yesterday that a vari-~ment nor are they    new willingness to
'                                directed by it,       discuss release.
`                                                      
                                                       

Y;I~of private individuals,      Fitzwater said. He    The latest report quotes
foreign                          said all interme-     Syrian
~t                               i                     i
and otherslare tr                i                     h
di                               d                     M
in                                                     h
to                                                     d H
lomats                                                 h
                                                       

,                                stra-                 mou
p                                n                     as
y                                diaries who contact   em
g                                the a                 sources t
                                 m                     at
                                                       a
                                                       , a
                                                       

gai~Ahe~i6le~se 6ftU.S. hostages tion are told the Bushsenior Iranian official,
in                               policy that           met Sunday
                                                       

Lel~~iio~,'but, said! none of    hostages must be released'in Damascus with Syria's
the ef-                          without               foreign
'                                                      
                                                       

ort$,,~ as led i6! anyiMication                        
that a                           conditions. "No deals.minister to "coordinate
l                                If you can be         efforts!' be-
f                                                      
                                                       

own h6stige Mease is imminent.   helpful, fine, but    tween Iran and Syria
,                                keep in mind-this     on release of
                                                       

:~White'M=6 sp                   is                    
okesman Marlin                   our policy: no deals,"the hostages. Hashemi,
. I I I..                        Fitzwater             brother of
'                                '                     
                                                       

Fitz..Witer , "                  Said.                 Iranian President Hashemi
di what he                                             Rafsan-
~ respon ng to                                         
'                                                      
                                                       

a half-d6zen recent re-          ' -Eight Americans    jani, arrived in Damascus
Oaid,,;*,,, er~-                 and 10 other          from Bei-
1                                ld                    i
l-                               h                     h
d d                                                    dl
t                                                      h
1A ~6                                                  h
6gi~4                                                  
t                                                      
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s:0                              Westerners are being  t
00                               e                     ere
s                                hostage               e reporte
e                                                      y met w
a                                                      rut, w
e                                                      
eve                                                    
pox                                                    
                                                       

opments,'s:aid,"tfi6re.-Js a lot in Lebanon. Most are  Shiite Moslem groups
hap-                             believed held         on the hos.
                                                       

penifig!' behind Ihe~,scenes indepen-by Shiite Moslem factionstageissue.
                                 loyal to              
                                                       

defi5f the U,S~~government.                            
                                 Iran. Fitzwater repeatedState Department spokesman
                                 President             
                                                       

'd                               -                     
I(i~eatlng~~;~.the .. erkial thatBush's inaugural call Margaret,. Tutwiler
any                              to Iran to-re         said the admin-
'                                                      
'                                                      
,                                                      
'                                                      
                                                       

U.S.~'Otficlal is d              lease the hostages    Listration is "not
ly_" involved in                 for the promise       aware of any...
ir6                                                    
t                                                      
c                                                      
                                                       

talk~,t,tFitzwater~ti-~id~int,qrmediariesof U.S. "good wills'  discussions that may
1'                               to follow, and        be taking place
'                                                      
                                                       

j` ines4inen jkAhe region,       said the administrationin Syria on hostages."
~ bus                            wants direct          She reiter-
su~4                                                   
O                                                      
                                                       

dip! ~1s,',`6f -46               talks with Iran on    ated Bush's denial
Q_o er na ions, families         the hostages.         over the week-
"                                                      
                                                       

A nd their'employers and         Asked about movement  end that he. called
6 06s ages                       on the                French officials
                                                       

6fficials, wit4,Lebanese and Iranianissue, Fitzwater said,on the hostage issue,
                                 ',                    and Vice Pres-
                                 We cannot             
                                                       

cont4ct~,'~))~ W~ ~v6r~'6d on    ,                     ident Quayle's denial
the                              say there is 'any movement.on Sunday
,                                We                    
"                                                      
                                                       

bl                                                     
tiosti                           know of no imminent   that former, secretary
ro em Somp of these              release."             of state Cy-
ge p                                                   
                                                       

people,.he.nid,-,%aye.h4d contactsSpeculation about';   rus R. Vance was officially
i                                possible re-          nqgoti-
"                                                      
i                                                      
                                                       

nt" and                          lease of the hostages,ating hostage releases.
with."the U.S. gov               some of               
eem                                                    
me                                                     
                                                       

                                                       
                                                       

                                                       
                                                       

                                                       
                                                       

                                                       
                                                       

Approved For Release 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0401020009-6