Students threaten to kill hostages

Press, 29 November 1979, Page 6

Students threaten to kill hostages

NZPA-Reuter Teheran Students holding 49 Americans hostage in the United States Embassy in Teheran have said they had packed the occupied building with so much explosive that they would all die together with their captives if they blew it

up. "If we press the buttons, everybody will die in the big blast,” a student leader told Reuters by telephone from the occupied embassy. “We will become martyrs." In a statement broadcast over the official radio, the students said the embassy grounds, rhe watlis .of the compound, and all the buildings had been mined or wired with explosives, ready to be triggered in case of an American raid to free the hostages.

The student leader said he and his colleagues at the embassy had thoroughly discussed the possibility of an attack and what would happen to them if they set off the explosives planted around the building. They had taken into account their own deaths but were not afraid of dying. The students’ radio statement jaid that American agents, planned to free the hostages in a raid in the next few days and that - they thought today and tomorrow were likely 'dates.

1 The} are sacred days of ' mourning on the Islamic calendar, and more mass demonstrations are expected around the embassy to support demands for the former Sha' to be returned to stand trial for alleged crimes.

President Carter has alleged that the hostages in the embassy have been punished for speaking even

threatened at pistol point. He told a group of community leaders that the treatment of the hostages was a disgrace. “The hostages are not being treated well. They have been kept bound, now, with hands and feet tied for 23 days,” Mr Carter said.

“They have not been permitted to speak a word. When they have spoken, to say ’Good morning’ or ‘Good luck/ they have been punished.” “They have been threatened at times at pistol point and encouraged to make statements contrary to their own inclination.” Reporters were not permitted to attend the President’s meeting. His remarks were taken from a tape-recording made by one of the guests.

He said that the hostages had not be:a permitted to leave the embassy building to get any exercise or to bask in the sun and had not been allowed to take baths or change clothes since they were seized on November 4.

“This is a reprehensible thing, a disgrace to every person who believes in civilisation or decency,” Mr Carter said.

“We have two major commitments — to protect the honour of our country and to stand for basic principles that are unshaken.

“Another, of course, is to work as best we can . .. for the safety and release of the hostages ... I will protect the honour of our country and not under any circumstances yield to blackmail.” The students who seized the embassy have demanded that the United States extradite the ailing former Shah.

The United States has said that the Shah can stay in the United States so long as he needs medical treatment for cancer and other ailments for which he has been under hospital treatment for several weeks in New York.

Treatment of the deposed Shah to remove a gallstone was apparently successful, New York Hospital doctors have said. The development could pave the way for him to leave the United States. Doctors had earlier said the Shah could not be moved until radiation therapy for a tumour in his neck was completed and until a stone remaining after gall bladder surgery was removed.

The four-week radiation therapy was completed last week. In the United Nations, Iran had given an assurance that the hostages in the embassy were safe and that demonstrations outside the building would cease, said the chief United States delegate (Mr Donald McHenry).

But in spite of these assurances given on Monday to the Secretary-Gen-eral (Dr Kurt Waldheim), all reports indicated that the demonstrations were still going on. he said. Asked whether any time-limit was attached to the undertaking to halt the demonstrations, Mr McHenry said the Iranians recognised the emotions surrounding the religious holy days being observed in Iran today and tomorrow “and that therefore a decision had been taken to stop the demonstrations in front of the embassy.” . .

Iranian action “act of war,” Page 3 U.N. debate postponed, Page 8