Carter still waiting for ‘clear signal’ on Iran hostages

Press, 3 April 1980, Page 6

Carter still waiting for ‘clear signal’ on Iran hostages

NZPA-Reuter Washington The White House, says President Carter is still waiting for a clear signal from Iran on what conditions must be met for United States hostages to be removed from the Control of their student captors.

A White House official, whb asked not to be identified, said the President, believed chances had improved for?, an early break in the hostage conflict. But he said: “We are still not sure what it is they want in the way of assurances.” The Iranian President (Mr Abolhassan Bani-Sadr) said oniTuesday that the America!} hostages would be transferred to Iranian Government control if the United States formally undertook to remain silent on the issue until Iran’s new Parliament mel and decided their fateA spokesman for Mr BaniSadr later told reporters that a statement by Mr Carter on Tuesday has not satisfied Iran. Mr Carter said he had received no public commitment from Iran that a .transfer would take place, beyond Mr Bani-Sadr’s announcement, but had received private assurances that it would happen very soon. Later, an Iranian Presidential aide told NZPA-Reuter: “If they (the United States) want a movement to be made, they must make a separate and formal declaration.” The American Embassy in Teheran has been occupied since November by Islamic militant students who want the deposed Shah extradited to Iran to face trial. Jhe United States Government has been hoping that the Iranian Government will tajj:e control of 50 hostages

held by the students as a step towards their release.

; But the Ayatollah made no reference to such a move in a statement in which he attacked the United States and reaffirmed that the hostages’ eventual fate would be decided by Parliament. A second round of elections to the Iranian Parliament has been delayed while a commission set up by the Revolutionary Council investigates /allegations of malpractice in the first round held on March 14. .Tt will take a month to complete its'work. Further indications have emerged that .the clergy-led Islamic Republican Party which is expected to take a hard line on the hostages issue, will hold a strong position in the new Assembly. . ■; ... -

A White House official said, yesterday that the United Nations SecretaryGeneral (Dr Kurt Waldheim) had spoken to President Bani-Sadr by telephone and told the United States Secretary of State (Mr Cyrus Vance) that Iran was waiting for “some sort of statement from us.” “Our position is that we’d like to be helpful; -but there are limits,, beyond which no President can-go;”;, the White House, officiaksaid. ■ - Asked whit the limit' was, he- replied: “We don’t know. We don’t know what they are looking for.” The United States Administration believes that a transfer of the hostages would remove much of the secrecy sprro” ding their conditions and treatment. A previous move to transfer them was thwarted last month. President Bani-Sadr said the ruling - Revolutionary Council would take responsibility for the 49 captives, “if the United States, issues an official declaration and announces that it will not, until the formation of the (Iranian) Parliament and its decision on the hostages, make propaganda, claims, speak, or instigate on the issue. ...”

Final first-round results for Teheran gave, R.I.P. candidates 12 out of the 18 seats decided on clear majorities. The remaining 12 Teheran seats will be contested by leading runners-up in the second round. The United States is sending diplomats and their families back to some of the Middle East posts cut back last November because of the tensions of the hostages crisis.

Employees and all dependants already have been authorised to return to Algeria, Bangladesh, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the Yemen Arab Republic. A return to full staffing in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Pakistan will be undertaken in phases through to June 30.

A spokesman for the students said a transfer would be possible only if the revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeiny, agreed to it.