Brawl at hostage interview Brawl

Press, 22 June 1985, Page 1

Brawl at hostage interview

Brawl

NZPA-Reuter Beirut A news conference with five American hostages in the Beirut Airport transit lounge began with a brawl yesterday as photographers surged forward. As fists flew, the five Americans sat calmly before a cloth-covered table littered with tape-recorders. “If we are going to have a constructive talk, please be quiet ... act like gentlemen,” pleaded Allyn Conwell, a Texas oilman who had been chosen as spokesman for the 40 Americans held since last Friday. The tired-looking hostages were hustled out for five minutes while militiamen manhandled the crowd

away from the table reserved for the hostages. When they finally returned, gunmen ringed the five, keeping the pack of journalists back.

Mr Conwell, one of 37 Americans held in Beirut hide-outs, appealed for calm and the tension slowly eased.

Mr Conwell, an executive .of a Texas firm that supplies oil equipment in the Middle East, quietly read a statement beseeching President Reagan to avoid any military action and urging Israel to respond to his captors’ demands and free about 700 Lebanese prisoners.

He later joined other hostages — Thomas Cullins,

Arthur Toga, Peter Hill and Vicente Garza — in giving measured replies to all questions, and refusing to be drawn on details that might reveal where they were being held in Beirut. At one point Mr Hill lost patience with the press when he asked for information on negotiations to exchange the hostages for the Lebanese Shi’ites held in Israel.

“Can you enlighten us?” he asked, then, after a pause, added, "Nobody? You don’t know what the hell’s going on ...?” The five hostages were not interrupted by militiamen as they in turn extended expressions of love to their families in the

United States and assured them they were in good shape.

Several of the five said they had travelled to the region on business in the past. The militiamen listened closely to the exchanges, nodding at times.

Mr Conwell said the hostages were distressed but felt mostly for their families.

“The men I have visited and talked with indeed did fear for their lives, but the greatest terror of all was the helplessness that we felt in knowing that our families were living through a living hell of terror.”

Further report, page 10