MIDDLE EAST BRIEF (DELETED) FOR 26 FEBRUARY 1988.

Created: 2/26/1988

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

SUBJECT: MIDDLE EAST BXIir FROM: PAS. CONTENTS

LEBANON: PROSPECTS FOB HfCCINS RfSCUE GSfltflM DlM

AFGHANISTAN: REBELS NAME WE AO OF INTERIM GOVERNMENT i. ^

UGANDA: RESTftUCTUntNG OF CABINET AND ARHY

TAN: KEiPIHG PRESSURE ON PAK'STAN S- EC: BACKS ISLAMABAD CH ATCHAH SETTLEMENT TERMS

THIOPIA.art SETBACKS in the NORTH B. IN 8RI;'

i. LEBANON: PKOSPECTS FOR HICSiNS RESCUE GROWING Dill

CHANCES that LIEUTENANT COLONEL WIGGINS WILL BE RESCUED

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FADING AS TIME PASS'S AMD AMAL RECONSiOERS ITS EFFORTS TO FIND Kin. IN TKEATS SINCE THE KIDNAPING, HIZBALLAH HAS HAO TIMORCE THE SECURITY AROUND HICCIH^ ANO TO SHIFT THl_6liRQEN OF GUILT ONTO AMAL FOR TRYING TOS "SPY.'-

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CROWDS AT RALLIES IK BEIRUT ORCHESTRATED BY HIZBALLAH TO OPPOSESICREIARY SHULTZ'S VISIT TO THE MIDDLE EAST TESTER3AY CHANTED'SLOGANS DEMANDING DEATH TO THE US AND TO HIGGINS. HIZBALLAH SPEAKERSJJ6GE0 CONFRONTATION WITH BOTH THE US AND THE UN TO REMOVE THEM fROM."LEBANON. '

-flLMBHIT IS UNLIKELY THAT HIGGINS WILLQUKD SOON. HIZBALLAH LEADERSAN ARE HOW AWARE NEORMER MEMBER OF SECRETARY WEINBERGER'S STAFF AMD NO DOUBT ASSUME HE HAS DETAILED KKCVLEDGE Of US PROGRAMS AND PLANS IN UEBAKOH >N0 THE MIDDLE EAST. AMAL WILL PROBABLYURSORY SEARCH FOR HtCGINS BUT WILL TRY TO AVOID CLASHES WITH HIZBALLAH THAT COULO EXPOSE ITS WEAKNESS IN THE SOUTH.

THE ABDUCTION SEEMS TO BE PARTARGER EFFORT TO INTENSIFY PRESSURE OH THE US. FRANCE. ANO THE UN TO END THEIR PRESENCE IM LEBANON. TO RESOLVE HOSTAGE ISSUES ON IRANIAN ANO HIZBALLAH TERMS. ANO PROBABLYAIN THE RELEASE OF SHIA TERRORISTS IMPRISONED IN KUWAIT. HIZBALLAH'S LEADERS AMD THEIR IRANIAN PATRONS EVIDENTLY THINK THE US ANO FRANCE ARE PARTICUL-AHLY VULNERABLE BECAUSE Of THEIR COMING ELECTIONS.PARTS OFPROBABLY TRY MORE . IDHAPINCS. RELEASE VIDEOS, POSSIBLYOSTAGE. ANO SEEK OTHER PUBLICITYJp_JOSTLE THE POLITICAL PROCESS IN BOTH WASHINGTON AND PARI S>

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Original document.

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