MIDDLE EAST/ AFRICA BRIEF FOR 20 FEBRUARY 1986.

Created: 2/20/1986

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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M10DLE EAST/AFRICA BRIE

FOREBRUARY

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FROM: PAS CONTENTS

ISRAEL-LEBANON; SEARCH FOR CAPTURED ISRAELIS

JOROAN-PLO: HUSSEIN ENDS DIALOGUE h) IH ARA.FA1

3.

A.VORY COAST; RESUMPTION OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS 5. IN BRIEF

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LEBANON: FATE OF CAPTIVES

MINISTER PERES WILL COUE UNDER INCREASINGTO RETALIATE ACA1NST THE HIZBALLAH If CONFIRMATIONTHAT ONE OF THE TWO ISRAELIS CAPTURED IN AN AMSUSHIN SOUTHERN LEBANON HAS BEEN EXECUTED BT THE

OF ONE OF ITS LEBANESE

//ACCORDING TO BEIRUT. PRESSALLER CLAIMING TO REPRESENT THE HIZBALLAHNE OF.THE ISRAELIS HAD BEEN EXFCUTEO YESTERDAY BECAUSE THE ISRAELIS HAD FAILED TO HEEO OEKANDS TO CEASE 7 MILITARY OPERATIONS NORTH OF THE ISRAEL. SECURITY ZONE ANO WITHDRAW, HE ORGANIZATION ALSO ANNOUNCEO THEEWISH HOSTAGES EARLIER THIS

ISLAMICOVERNAME USED BY HIZBALLAH ELEMENT'S IN SOUTHERN LEBANON, CLAIMEO ON MONOAY THATWAS HOLOING THE ISRAELIS ANO WOULD SOON

//THE ISRAELIS ARE CONTINUING TO SEARCH THEECTIYNORTH OF THEIR SECURITY ZONE IN THE BELIEF THAT THE CAPTIVESHELD THERE. SO FAR THE ISRAELI OPERATION HErrWITOtT-HASGUERRILLAS INVOLVED IN THE AMBUSHONVOY OFAND TROOPS OF THE ARMY OF SOUTH LEBANON. THEARGE NUMBER OF SHIA VILLAGERS. IH THE AREASEVERAL MAJOR WEAPONS

tttflMk:ERES WILL FACE MOUNTING OOMESTIC PRESSURE TOHIZBALLAH If ONE OR BOTH OF THE PRISONERS HAVE BEENHIZBALLAH TARGETS IN BEIRUT COULD, HOWEVER,BELONGING TO COUNTRIES FRIENDLY TO ISRAEL.BASES IN THE BEKAA VALLEY WOULOONFRONTATIONSYRIANS. PERES MAY THEREFORE CHOOSE TO PU8LICIZEOPERATIONS NORTH OF THE SECURITY ZONEO SHIA VILLAGERS OF THE COSTSUERRILLA ACT^

//THE HIZBALLAH PROBABLY MOVEO THE TWO ISRAELIS TO WEST BEIRUT. AND IT MAY HAVE INTENDEO TO EXCHANGE THEM FOR SHIA PRISONERS HELD BY THE ISRAELIS AND THE ARMY OF SOUTH LEBANON AT THEI YAM .PRISON. THE ORGANIZATION MAY HAVE DECIOEO. ON THE OTHER HAND. TO EXECUTE AT LEAST ONE OF THE CAPTIVES. ALONG WITH ONE OF THE LEBANESE JEWS, IN THE HOPE OF PROVOKING THE ISRAELIS INTO PUNITIVE OPERATIONS THAT WOULD FURTHERE THE AREA ANO AIO THE HIZBALLAH IN ITS COMPETITION WITH THE AMAL MILITIA FOR CONTROL OF PARTS OK BEIRUT ANO

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IN LEBANON,//

ORDAN-PLO: HUSSEIN ENDS DIALOGUE.'WITH

KING HUSSEIN ANNOUNCED YESTEROAYOUGHLY WORDED THREE"HOUR SPEECH THAT HE HAS ENDED HIS DIALOGUE WITH PLO CHAIRMAN ARAFAT '; BUT WILL NOT FORMALLY ABROGATE THE ACCORD THEY SIGNEDHUSSEIN SAID THAT JORDAN COULD NO LONGER "COORDINATE POLITICALLY" WITH ARAFAT, E DID NOT RULE OUT THE'HAT TALKS MIGHT RE SLIME IF THE PLO ACCEPTED UN

//ARAFAT'S FAILURE JO MEET HUSSEIN'S TERMS- DURING THEIR LATEST TALKS IN AMMAN APPARENTLY PROMPTED THE KING.TO CAJtRY MJT EARLIER THREATS TO BREAK WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE PLO.

'HUSSEIN .IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE HIS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS" 'SYRIAN PRESIDENT

VORY COAST: RESUMPTION OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

//THE USSR AND IVORY COAST ARE TO ANNOUNCE RESUMPTil DIPLOMATIC-RELATIONS.TODAY

; SEpRET

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'BOTH COUNTRIES PLAN TO REOPEN EMI ILE. PRESIDENT HOUPHOUET, SUSPICIOUS OF STUDENT POLITICS. SEVERED TIES IN9

BIDJAN. WHICH RECENTLY RESUMED RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL ANO CUBA. IS TRYING TO IMPROVE ITS NONALIGNED CREDENTIALS AND GAIN NEW TRADE OJUETS. STRONGLY PRO-WESTERN ANO RELATIVELY STEALTHY, IVOBT COAST ISIKELY CANDIDATE FOR SOVIET MILR* OR

ECONOMIC AID. ANO HOUPHOUfT WILL PROBABLY NOT ALLOW MEANINGFUL

IN SOVIET INFLUENCE. IKECS0VIET PRESENCE. HOWEVER. WILL 3

MOSCOW TO MONITOR DEVELOPMENTS. BUILD LOCAL CONTACTS, AND

INCREASE ITSAFFECTING EVENTS IN THE

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--YRIAN PRE SI CENT ASSAD ANNOUNCED HE HAS MET WITH SENIOR FATAH OFFICIAL FARUQ 0AOOUM1 . . ONFIRMS RUMORS OF HIGH-LEVEL CONTACTS BETWEEN DAMASCUS, PLO . . . STATEMENT SUGGESTS ATTEMPT TO ISOLATE ARAFAT FROM PLO

TERRORISM

SOUTH ASIA

LEAD

--AKISTAN HAS GIVEN DEATH SENTENCE TO TWO MEMBERS OF MINORITY AHMADI SECT FOR KILLING TWO MUSLIMS4 . . . SECT ONSIDERS ITSELF ISLAMIC BUT OECLARED NON-ISLAMIC BY GOVEHNMFHf

SENTENCES

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Original document.

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