International U.S. may ask U.N. to bar all tade with Iran

Press, 15 December 1979, Page 8

International U.S. may ask U.N. to bar all tade with Iran

NZPA-Reutc/ Washington The Carter Administration is pondering whether to ask the United Nations to impose economic sanctions against Iran unless American hostages in Teheran are set free soon, officials have said.

The American Secretary of j State (Mr Cyrus Vance) c plans to discuss the issue a with President Carter on his return today from a trip t through five European capi- s tals to marshal support for ; American measures aimed at I resolving the five-week-old b postage crisis. 5 In Brussels, Mr Vance’s v last port of call, a senior United States official was c quoted yesterday as saying t that the United States had I decided in principle to seek b a United Nations Security c Council vote in favour of “ sanctions against Ayatollah r Ruhollah Khomeiny’s revolutionary Government. e But in Washington the < State Department said no < decision had yet been made, e A spokesman, Tom Reston, c told reporters that United Nations sanctions were just v one of a whole range of f steps discussed during Mr b Vance’s European mission. t A move to seek sanctions s in the Security Council might run into difficulties c because of Russian opposi- f tion to it. The Soviet Union, t which supported the early y unanimous Security Council J call for the immediate re- 1 lease of the hostages but has r since drifted to an anti-I

American policy, said yesterday it would probably veto a sanctions move. Meanwhile, President Carter said he saw some substantial change in the expectations and demands of Iranian militants who have been holding the United States hostages since November 4. The President told a group of journalists that the captors’ original hope that the United States could be blackmailed into sending the deposed Shah home for trial "has now been lowered, if not eliminated altogether.” He also said that another early threat — to put the captives on trial as war criminals facing possible execution — “to some degree has been changed.” Mr Carter pledged that he would continue to strugele for the quick release of the hostages. “We will not let it become a dormant issue,” he said. The plight of the American captives was in the forefront of a normally festive Washington ceremony yesterday, in which the President turned on the lights for a towering Christmas tree near the White House.

After leading the nation in a silent prayer that the hostages would soon return home safely, Mr Carter said a section of the lights on the tree would remain dark while the crisis lasts. “We will turn on the other lights on the tree when the hostages come home,” he told millions of Americans watching the ceremony on television.

On the question of seeking United Nations sanctions against Iran, the Deputy Secretary of State (Mr Warren Christopher) told reporters that such a request was “one of the prime options available to the President at the present time.”

He said it could be based on a favourable decision by the International Court of Justice on the United States petition for an order demanding the immediate release of the hostages. Another basis could be Tran’s refusal to act on a Security Council appeal to free the captives, Mr Christopher said, adding that he expected a decision by the World Court by the end of this week.

Earlier yesterday, Ayatollah Khomeiny ordered the student captors of the

American hostages to let in international observers.

Iran’s revolutionary leader said in a letter to the Foreign Minister (Mr Sadeq Qotbzadeh) broadcast by the State radio: "In order to confront the aggressive and false propaganda of the United States concerning the United States hostages in Teheran, you may invite an independent international delegation to visit them.”

The White House expressed strong reservations over the proposal. The White House spokesman, Jody Powell, said the move would only be a step forward if the following conditions were met:

— Allowing the observers “regularly and frequently” to see and talk to every one of the 50 American captives. — Having the visiting teams consist of “qualified internationally recognised, impartial, neutral observers.”

— Permitting a qualified medical doctor to accompany the observers to the embassy compound where the hostages have been held for more than five weeks. “If this occurs we would consider it a step forward,” Mr Powell said.