Hijackers give up in Beirut

Press, 11 December 1981, Page 6

Hijackers give up in Beirut

NZPA-Reuter Beirut Giving victory salutes and shouting “Death to Gadaffi” the three hijackers of a Libyan airliner surrendered in Beirut yesterday after a 10,000 km odyssey across the eastern Mediterranean. The three Shi’ite Muslim gunmen, who seized the Boeing 727 over northern Italy last Monday en route from Zurich to Tripoli, surrendered to Syrian peace-keep-ing troops and Lebanese security forces. Dressed in jeans and chanting “God is great,” the three young hijackers were hustled away into a white Mercedes car by Syrian and Lebanese soldiers while the 36 passengers remained on board the plane. The pilot insisted on leaving Beirut immediately and the plane flew on to the Syrian capital, Damascus, at the end of a 60-hour hijack that had taken it to Athens, Rome, Beirut (three times), and Teheran.

Syrian officials and the Libyan Ambassador (Mr Ab 5 ; del-Salam ben Khayyal) were at Damascus Airport to receive the tired but smiling passengers. The gunmen hijacked the Libyan Boeing to publicise the case of a Lebanese Islamic leader who they say disappeared while on a visit to Libya in 1978. They believe Imam Moussa Sadr, spiritual leader of the Lebanese Shi’ites, is in

detention in Libya. Libya has denied it is responsible for his disappearance. The secretary-general of the Shi-ite paramilitary organisation, Amal, told reporters that Amal leaders had persuaded the hijackers to give themselves up unconditionally. “We told them, you’ve done very well but now it’s finished,” Nabih Berri said.

Around him several dozen heavily-armed Amal gunmen mingled with Syrian troops in battledress and Lebanese security forces. Mr Berri. whose organisation was founded by Moussa Sadr, said he believed the imam was still alive because he had no proof to the contrary. “The people cannot forget him. The only way is for Colonel. Gadaffi to release him,” Mr Berri said. He said he supported the hijackers’ aims but would not say whether he supported their methods. He said he did not know their names. Amal leaders and a Shi’ite clergyman, Sheikh Hassan Masri, were at the centre of the talks with the hijackers during the plane’s three lengthy stops in Beirut.

Amal sources said Moussa Sadr’s sister also took part. On Tuesday, Amal militiamen took effective control of the airport building and fanned out over the apron and runways as the turbanned clergyman negotiated from the control tower.