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Theconcerj relations and the lopedlnent pose Lebanon by Iranian-backed groups situation. InfliP and offered "substantial econoal* resolution of the hostage crisis
iver the lack of US-Iranian le holding of Anerlcan hostages in ing tried to influence the missary traveled to Syria and Iran to these countries in return for
ajpjHjj|HjjeCovernnent has
Us considerable influence with the US hostages. nIor-
tated entreaties to Iran tocaptors to win the releaseln latehe
jnderscored US earnestness in puruslng the release of the hostages and asked Hajlls Speaker Rafsanjani, his host, what sign of sincerity Iran required fron the United states. Rafsanjani In reply went on at length to conplaln about US Kiddle East policy but, In very general terns, held open the door to future discussions with the United States If Washington adoptedew attitude." This meeting was also noteworthy in that Rafsanjani acknowledged that Tehran had Influence with the captors. MT NC 00 j
The fJMHMeXrecently have adolttedtsffBBBB*
.initiatives
France relies onhannel to the Le well as an interaedlary with Arab States, and belle if asked, would put their good offices to work toele hostages. As recently asrench InteiHorarUrtlstrv recoeaended to the Aaerlcan Enbassy ln Paris that Anbassado
should discuss the hostage Issueenior adviser to who, according to the Frcnchean,
earlier had written two letters to Rafsanjani asking Iran to pursue the US hostages' release.I
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fPakistan Efforts
Efforts of the Italian Covernoent
*orts to release the Western ted two routes toine of was through the Lebanese lawyer Ists who were arrestedor In Rose.
Iranians had been arrested in jey had been tried, convicted, endIranian faction had threatened Italy with terrorist attacks if the two were not released. The Iranian Governmentepresentative who asked for assistance In. arranging for zci'.zsl care andepresentation for the two. aeitleVHA worked with this Iranian and personally Intervened to help the two prisoners.he would contact the Iranian through the Italian lawyer who represents the two Iranians. XS-nTT*
Vatican Efforts on the
ind
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support for Terry Waite's mission, Cardinal O'Connor Lebanon, and discussions with the Iranian and Syrian Koly See--to secure the hostages' release.
The Catholic Relief Service
The US Catholic Relief Service (CRS) has taken actions to secure the .release of US hostages. An official letter from the CRSlear offer of substantial humanitarian assistance to Lebanese Shi'a was In late Hay dispatched to Terry Watte, Special Envoy of the Archbishop of-Canterbury, for Valte's userip to Lebanon. Although the CRS letter contained no direct reference to thc hostages, Vaite was
The Vatican has exerted intermittent efforts to securo release of the Western hostages. The Vatican's foreign Minister, Archbishop Silvestlnl, stateduly that the Holy See had no "specific planfor securing the release of the Aaerlcan and French hostages, Vatican or any religious order of the Catholic Church hai with dealing with the militants on raising funds to obt release. The Archbishop expressed frustration over the reiterated that the Holy See has donelncludlng SllVtattnl's visit to Lebanon and Sy
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("authorized by CRS to state explicitly that CRS fund's wouild flow to thc Shi'a for social welfare purposes If Father Jenco and othler American hostages ware released. Ve understand that CRS ls still prepared to provldrmmagtaBBBBBBB^ in humanitarian assistance to the Lebanese Shl'a. NF}
Archbishop of New lock, pt to aeet with leaders of the fter adoltted his visit was net with Shaykh Fadlallah, contrary eaely disappointed with his visit.
Cardinal John O'Conner
Cardinal John O'Conner,Beirut in6 inholders. Cardinala failure, that hepress reports, and that heNF HC
O'Conner had seen senior off/egg of the Creek Orthodox wing ofand oet with Lebanese PraggSt Ceaayel. and had crossed theInto West Beirut where he haTW with sere Sunni leaders. to aeet with Fadlallah, no oeetlng had occurred; nor werenew deaands relayed to Cardinal O'Conner by the captors againpress reports. F HC OC
O'Conner also had wanted to go to Daaascus to see President Asad but was unable toersonal invitation. F NC OC
Congressman Dornan's Visit to Danascus
Congressaan Dornan aet with President Asad and Foreign Minister Sha'ra In Daaascus on Dornan presented the Syriansetter signedeabers of Congress asking for Syria'sS hostages on humanitarian grounds. Asad tried to conv; Syria's good intentions and said Syria would do all II usual, nade no concrete proalses. Foreignncouraging, and cited US support for Tsrael as eoaplli In Lebanon and contributing to the "kidnaping problemi year's TVA hijacking, Sha'ra claleed that US co-*Ut< had not been honored and that the US raid cn Libya Nothing aaterlal ever developed froa this Initial
PgRgy Say'a Private Initiatives
Hostage Terry Anderson's sister, Peggy Say, haTSndertakennitiatives to free her brother. She has stteapted toeeting with chiefs of Shl'tte ailittas In Lebanon, Including Hizballah. She has tried to see President Asad "to reinforce- his cooaltaent to do what he
the *lso contacted representatives of the PLO, the governaents of Creece, Tunis, Algeria, and others.
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Foreign government responses to Krs. Say have been polite but not forthcooing.
leerlcan-Arab Jnti-DlscrlnlnaMon CoaaTu.ee Petition
US Husllas Visit Beirut In Effort To Free Hostages
The Vice President of the National Council on Islamic Affairs, Dale Shaheen, and Kohaaaed Hchdl, Secretary General of that organization, vlated Beirut recently to try to secure the release of foreign hostages held In Lebanon. Hehdl Initially said his organization, which he dales has the support of eight Billion US KuslUs, had begun contacts with groups holding the hostages and that he would continue these efforts in Beirut. Hehdl and Shaheen told the press they thought they hadercent" chance of success.
Nevertheless Hehdl, and Shaheen returned to the United States oneceaber froa Beirut, their private Initiative apparently no results. Hehdl told the press that they had succeeded the kidnapers, but "were not able toasis uc continue working with then." He said that, whilo In Oan; ho and Shaheen spoke for an hour with one of the kidnap* December they also spoke by phone for half an hour wlthi In Beirut. According to Hehdl, the kidnapers reported] that the US Government abstained In the UN Security condemning Israeli behavior on-the Nest Bank, which demonstrated Aoerlcan failure to condemn terrorlsa. pleaded In the name of Islam for thc kidnapers to at Shaheen, offering to go blindfolded, If necessary, kidnapers wished for discussions. Ke acknowledged that the hostage mediation effort was proving to be more difficult than anticipated and fhances for success had droppedoercent" In his estimation.
Hehdl saidable News Network Interview that he and Shaheen would return to Beirut in approiimately two months.^JMT
Hariri *
a wealthy Lebanese businessman close toi In early Decenber offered his services to the United States to secure, the release of US hostages in Lebanon. He alleged that his representative In Beirut learned froa Hizballah leader Huhaaaad Husayn Fadlallah that the kidnapers nay have dropped the deoand for* the return of the Shi'a prisoners in Kuwait in exchange for the Americans. He added that if It turns out that thegroup believed to hold the US citizens would accept ransoa oonejKagg, "that *ould be no problen." The Aabassador assuned this neans Kar/rJTHculd provide the funds hlaself if necesary. fJaH^Bfhad instructed hYjjipntereediary to seek clarlficaton of the captors' denands and expected Kajhaye had word backeek toays. Hothing more hashis initiative since early Decenber. iS^HODISt
Undlcates Willingness to Helfrfpn US Hostages
Onepteaber, flaPnBHDMB^ld Acbassador Kelly that Progressive Socialist Party fPSPrTorces had helped the United States In the past and would do so again If anything positive turned up on the hostages. PSP forces located in West Beirut and in the Shuf nountalns are, in fact,osition to, assist under certain clrcuastances. tfDEB&SEFBft offer of "assistance doubtless has Units. He would bo unlikely to alienate other Lebanese political elcaents to assist the United States, unless there were significant Incentives to do so. Hevertheless, Aabassador Kelly's meeting wlthflMMMhapparentiy did produce conciliatory results. Onepteaber, the PSP radio, "Voice of thetatenent urging the release of hostages injtf
Blnswanger initiative
US Eobassy Rone attenpted to discourage three US natl travelling to Beirut where they intended to attempt to of American hostages in Lebanon. How they planned to thought they night be successful was not clear. One Blnswanger, who ls reported tolose personal frl Reagan, decided to return to the United States. The Hlchael Macintosh and Ed Hitchell, indicated they wo Kuwait, Israel, Cyprus, and Syria to see what couldrisky trip" to Beirut. CS'C J
Proposal
A tfew rork City private detective,e called the Hostage Location Task Force onctober to report that he andreported torugattempting to recover the renains of US hostage Willlan Buckley. JBHIMtrlalned that hi was scheduled to neet with Shaykh Fadlallah, President Ceaayel, andy
oenbera of the-Kharouz (phonetic) faally, which allegedly hals possession of 8uckley's remains. If the effort succeeded,he would contact the US Embassy in Nicosia for further Instructions. The Hostage Location Task Force emphatically counseled (WMHl to abondon the plan, pointed out that, as ahimself stand an excellent chance ofostage. T WC J
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John Donahue Proposal
Steven John Donahue on6ember of the DCl]
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Initiative
a 8rltl
ook on drug traffIcklnglco' in Lebanon toas advised that the United Sta natter if It were part of broad the hostages, and If he could ob that these drug nerchants are, in
[Hostage Location Task Force to offer assistance in recovering the Aoe-i^ hostages in Lebanon. Donahue hlnself had been held hostage by drug traffickers In Lebanon earlier this year, and was releaseduly after his faully allegedly paid ransoo Donahue is en adaitted drug trafficker and is under federal indlctoent on drug-related charges. Donahue's offer was politely reforeagjlthough he was asked to provide whatever information that night tSjfusoful.
onal who resides In Hew York and Is veyed an offer froa drug Merchants ostages Id be Interested in discussing this issions on thc outright releaso of inappropriate bona fides establishing act? in direct contact with the captors
of the Aoerican hostages. Nothing developed froa this initiative.
Conwell Initiative
Foraerostage Allyn COnwell attempted to secure release of the US hostages In Lebanon. In6 Conuell went to the Syrian gsbassy In Athens to seek help InAL leaders who night assist In obtaining release of the hostages. Syrian officials grantedisa to visit Daoascus and Indicated he would receive assistance at the "highest levels."
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When Conwell arrived In Oanascus, however, the onlyontacted hla Identified hlnselfepresentative of thegggogj, police." He talked to Conwell in his hotel rooo for only never contacted hla again. Conwell reoalned In Damascus before returning
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arly July areported being
approachedebanese Christian offering to ransom one Subsequently, tftaQfigpn* the Lebanese Christian Baking the advised the Regional Security Officer at the US Embassy In Beirutwith the hostage captors have backed out of the deal/-,
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Hissing Syrian-Born Aaerlcan Busloassaan Subject of Private Rescue
yrian-born Aoe was reported aa having dlsappeare Damascus, Is now said to have bee daughter, Denlse Karkua, who llv the Department of State to report the name of George Kazouklan had
^businessman, who In early August 'MRSune trip froa Beirut to
JSijapedizballah group. Wareh's
She United States, recently calledfriend of Vareh's In toiascus by Hied the services of an individual to visit Beirut and gather lnformationr^That individual reported back that Vareh had been stoppedheckpoint Just outside of Beirut, searched, Identified as an American, and then kidnaped. He also reported that the group responsible is Hizballah. Karkua did not know the kidnapers' teres for release, but reported that Kazoukian had employed an "Arab armycountry unknown) to "satisfy" the captors' demands and secure Vareh's release. According to Harkuo, Wareh was expected here aa early as,eptember. lt)
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.Alleged peal to Exchange US Hostages0 TOW HlaaUes
The US Enbassy in Paris waa approachedebruary by aaaamaaBBBamt i, ta^BHSHHBmamBVraaVHBBBBBaVaV^ritten prospectus alleging ongoing negotiations between the Iranian Government and US aiddlemen, to0 TOW missiles for the release of "six" US hostages in Lebanon.
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IffhU^ tM0 "nlor Iranlan officials who were in Europe wished toS official to discuss the arrangeaent. In his discussion with Eabassy officials,
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sing tho Aaerican hostage fl3 bargaining chips.
had been In touch
Minister Dumas, on this aras deal, assisting Beiber on the sale In ex
According to information obUiHjffij the FBI.enior Frenchrotii. of'rrench' FoVeTgT
customs official appare^tV^s' ngehare of thee
transaction and also which eanufactures the TOV. Acco were to be shipped to Iran via
M UKSrovidedofflcl.l. of Buslw. Alrcr.ft,
Reporter
to the French official, tho TOWs
reported based in Tunisia, reported that he
set TTth^anuaber of HI aba Hah aeebaers onpril In the Blqa* Valley, He Indicated that they would provlfla, hlarecent videotape" of the three" Anerlcan hostages.
Nothing ever developed froa this contact. * UMRWA Involveaent
_ of the United Nations
lef and Works Agency for Palestine Refugeesat with
6 in Vienna. The focus of ffgi Aleo Collett, an UNRWA employee, who was kidnaped oneirutroup calling Itself the Revolutionary Orga Socialist Kosleas. Collettritish national, but concern that his captors nay consider hla Aaerican, bas he has lived In the United States for the pastear peraanent resident, and his wife and son are US cltlz subsequently aurdered by his captors. JM IffT-
Original document.
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