Hostages campaign issue

Press, 23 October 1980, Page 6

Hostages campaign issue

- NZPA-Reuter Washington ' The American Secretary of ■- State (Mr Edmund Muskie) said yesterday that top United States' Government • officials would be willing to go to Iran if it would help gain the release of the American hostages. ” “We are prepared to do it at any time.” '• Mr Muskie was asked on . a radio talk-back programme his opinion on whether a ; trip by President Carter • would help bring the hos- • tages home “ “With respect to the kind “ of dramatic gesture you are discussing, believe me, I suspect there are many numbers of people at the top level of your Government who would be glad to make that kind of a drama- ■ tic journey if there were any evidence it would achieve a result.” '-The 'Administration still had no way of knowing

whether such an initiative would gain the release of the 52 hostages, held in Teheran since November 4. Mr Muskie recalled that quiet diplomacy won the release of the 82 surviving crewmen of the intelligence ship U.S.S. Pueblo .12 years ago after they were held captive for 11 months by North Korea. H;W “Hopefully, it will, work again.” Mr Muskie said that the Administration had ruled out another commando rescue similar to the one that failed in April. • Sjiy The Administration believed that Iran., eventually would see it in its interest to release the hostages because of w combination of quiet, diplomacy,' the pressure of economic sanctions, Iran’s proximity to the Soviet Union and its. war. with Iraq. ' ’■:, " In Miami, Florida, President Carter said that .the

hostages would eventually come home safely, but “I can’t predict” that it would be soon, . ", . . . “We had one agreement all worked out for the release. It involved the Iranian Government and the. militants holding the hostages. “But because of timidity arid delay, the deal fell through,” Mr Carter said. He gave no details. As he had before, he said the war between Iran and Iraq had apparently not .further threatened the hostages. ; Asked when' the hostages would go home, he said, “I do believe that the hostages will come home safely before it’s (the war) over.” His presidential rival, Mr Ronald Reagan, blamed Mr Carter for the capture of the hostages, “This administration’s policy helped create the entire situation," he told reporters in Louisville, Kentucky.

“And I think the fact ■ they’ve been there so long is a humiliation and a disgrace to this country.” He suggested that the hostages issue could be a topic for their television debate next week. .■■■,■ Mr Carter responded by accusing. Mr Reagan of breaking \ an • unwritten understanding to leave the hostage issue out of the campaign. , “The fate of the hostages is too important to be made a political football. I will not make any- statement that will complicate an already sensitive situation;” Mr Reagan promptly denied that he had broken any pledge not to inject, the hostages issue into the elections. •. “President Carter is speaking with the "same inaccuracy that he usually speaks,” Mr Reagan said. ,