Iranians move hostages: U.S. warns Teheran about their safety

Press, 28 April 1980, Page 1

Iranians move hostages: U.S. warns Teheran about their safety

NZPA-Reuter

Washington

The White House has told the Teheran Government to ensure the safety of 50 American hostages apparently dispersed throughout Iran after an abortive rescue attempt by United States commandos on Friday.

President Carter’s chief spokesman, Mr Jody Powell, said yesterday that there was no independent confirmation of a Teheran announcement that the hostages, held by Islamic : militants at the United : States Embassy for almost six months, had been removed to various Iranian Cities.

I But, Mr Powell said, "If ' Is important to reiterate that we will continue to hold the' Government of j Iran responsible for . their ' safety. That will continue !to be the case as long as ! they are in the country.” > The United States was 'still in shock over the ; failure of a highly rei hearsed plan to snatch the i hostages from militant I captors demanding the reiftum of the deposed Shah, ' now in Egypt. ' President Carter accepted full responsibility for i authorising the rescue I raid in which 90 United j States commandos landed I in the Iranian . desert ! south-east of Teheran but ! had to withdraw after ! three of eight attack heli--1 copters broke down. I Eight servicemen died and five were injured (when one of the working

helicopters and a cargo plane collided during the hasty withdrawal. Mr Powell told reporters that’ Mr Carter had no regrets about launching the commando raid in spite of its failure. “We certainly regret it was not successful, but I don’t know of anyone who feels that the original judgment was incorrect,” Mr Powell said. • The official Pars news agency reported that the bodies of the eight American commandos who died in the failed desert operation were transferred to Teheran yesterday. They will be returned to the United States through the Swiss Government, which has been representing United States interests in Teheran.

Teheran Radio reported that Iranian troops found six burned bodies in the “wreckage of two giant United States aircraft," and said “these bodies are possibly those of the; pilots and co-pilots of the burned, aircraft.”

A photographer who visited the desert site told reporters the burned bodies were being taken to

Yaz'd, about 200 km to the south. The Teheran broadcast, monitored in London, said that when two patrols entered one of the American helicopters and brought out a box, the box exploded, killing one guard, and wounding two others. “Three of the five helicopters left behind by United States military personnel in Robat Khan were destroyed by Iranian Army planes,” the radio reported. “The other two were left intact.” Militant students occupying the American Embassy in Teheran said yesterday that some of their American hostages had been taken to the holy city of Qom. “The first city that we •have chosen for transferring the hostages is the city of Qom, the city of revolt, of the message and of the Imam (Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeiny),” tire broadcast statement said. . Several of the embassy students were otill with the hostages, it added, calling on the revolutionary guards to assure security in the area.

There was .no immediate

word from Qom, 160 km south of Teheran, of how many hostages were being held there or where they were being held in the city. Qom is the headquarters of Iran’s ruling Shi’ite Muslim clergy and has the country’s biggest theological school. In their statement broadcast on Teheran radio, the militants said: “We have decided to keep the hostages in custody in various cities throughout the country ... at present, as a political act, the spy hostages are being kept in various places. Details of this decision will subsequently be disclosed to the nation.”

At a news conference later in the day, Iran’s President Abolhassan BaniSadr confirmed the militants’ claim that the hostages had been removed from the embassy In Washington, officials said efforts had begun to secure the bodies through diplomatic channels. Switzerland is representing the United States in Iran after President Carter’s break in diplomatic ties on April 7. Officials also said they had seen the reports of the students’ intent to scatter the hostages but could not confirm them. President Bani-Sadr said that American planes were able to fly into Iranian air space because United States expert’s designed Iran’s radar system and knew it better than did the Iranians. They planned the system so “only they know which comers are blind comers so we cannot intercept them.” He said that ’ any attempt by the Soviet Union to intervene in Iran if it was attacked by the United States or any other country would be unwelcome and considered an act of aggression. In Moscow, Iran’s Ambassador said his country was “relying on our own forces” and did not want Soviet troops moving into the country, even to protect Iran.

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