U.S. condemns news conference

Press, 22 June 1985, Page 10

U.S. condemns news conference

NZPA-Reuter-AFP Beirut

The United States condemned yesterday a news conference at which American hostages in Beirut pleaded with Washington not to take any military action to rescue them.

The State Department called the news conference a ‘cynical exploitation of innocent victims of terrorism. The hostages clearly were speaking under duress.”

“We want to beseech President Reagan and our fellow Americans to refrain from any form of military or violent means, as an attempt, no matter how noble or heroic, to secure our freedom,” said Allyn Conwell, of Houston, who acted as spokesman for the hostages. Mr Conwell and the four other hostages who

appeared said that they were being well treated. Asked about the appearance of the hostages at the conference, Mr Reagan said, “It was confusing. We don’t know why it happened. “I think some of your colleagues got pushed around a bit and that seemed to be the only thing that really happened,” he said, referring to scuffling that happened before the conference between reporters and members of the Amal militia, which is holding the hostages. The White House again ruled out the use of military force to resolve the crisis, saying that it could endanger the lives of the hostages.

Mr Conwell, an oil-field equipment executive, said that he had visited the other American hostages held in groups in Beirut and that all

were safe and well. The hostages hoped 700 Shi’ites held in Israel would soon be freed, a condition for the release of the Americans set by hijackers who seized a Trans World Airlines plane between Athens and Rome on Friday. The hijackers continue to hold three of the plane’s crewmen aboard the Boeing 727 at Beirut Airport. One American has been killed. The United States said that it had redoubled its diplomatic efforts to free the hostages, getting some help from an Algerian diplomat who helped negotiate the release of American hostages in Iran in 1981, and other foreign diplomats. The White House was also talking to the International Committee of the Red Cross, although American officials have denied reports that the United States wants

the I.C.R.C. to act as intermediary in an exchange. The I.C.R.C. president, Mr Alexandre Hay, who met Mr Reagan on Thursday for talks scheduled months ago, also denied that the Genevabased humanitarian organisation had been asked to intervene. But Mr Hay offered to help in any way he could. He said that the I.C.R.C. was trying to obtain permission to visit Beirut as soon as possible but only if permission were given to visit the hostages. Switzerland has offered to mediate between the Shi’ites and Israel.

The Swiss Government has told the Lebanese Justice Minister, Mr Nabih Berri, who leads Amal, that it was willing to play the role of the neutral party and help bring about an exchange between the

Shi’ites and Israel. The Israeli Defence Minister, Mr Yitzhak Rabin, said in an American television interview, “I believe the problem is an American problem. The hostages are American. They were caught on board an American airline that carries the American flag.” But the United States National Security Adviser, Mr Robert McFarlane, replied, “International terrorism is everyone’s problem and will require everyone to find a solution.”

Mr Rabin expressed widely-felt frustration over what Israelis believe are the mixed signals the United States seems to be giving Israel. Neither wants to surrender to terrorism, but Israel senses the United States — without saying so publicly — wants Israel to free the jailed Shi’ites.

The United States has said that it will not pressure Israel or other countries to cave in to the demands of terrorists.

From Beirut, Agence France-Presse said that Amal sources had said that the 37 passengers were being kept in three locations in Beirut.

One group was being guarded by Amal and the other two by the Hezbollah militia.

Last week-end nine Americans with Jewishsounding names were taken by the Hezbollah militia to an unknown destination, the sources said.

If no solution were found, Amal would dissociate itself from the affair, handing over the hostages it was guarding to the Hezbollah, the sources said.