The Michigan Doily - Tuesday, June 18, 1985 -Page 11
Reagan holds Shiite
leader responsible
WASHINGTON (UPI) - President
Reagan, ruling out any concessions to
Shiite hijackers, is holding Shiite
militia leader Nabih Berri responsible
for the fate of more than 30 American
hostages, administration officials
said yesterday.
White House spokesman Larry
Speakes said Berri, who also serves
as the minister of justice in the
powerless Lebanese government, has
the ability to secure the release of the
hostages.
SPEAKES CALLED Berri "the
the hostage crisis and will go ahead
with plans for a nationally broadcast
news conference tonight.
"The president is perfectly capable
of dealing with this situation" along
with other subjects, he said. "It's fully
his intention to proceed with
everything he has scheduled."
AT REAGAN'S behest, McFarlane
talked by telephone yesterday with
Berri to urge him to use his influence
to secure the freedom of the hostages,
Speakes said.
key" to ending the four-day saga of But the spokesman dismissed as
Sterror that began with the hijacking of "impossible preconditions" the sky
TWA flight 847 shortly after it left pirates' demand the hostages be
Athens early Friday for Rome. traded for 700-800 Shiite prisoners
held by Israel.
A Lebanese army soldier sits atop his tank as he watches the Lebanese coastline near Beirut's International "Berni and the hijackers do hav "We do not make concessions,"
Airport yesterday. The soldier is part of the Lebanese troops sent to forestall any attack on the hijacked solve the problem," Speakes said. Speakes said, "and we don't en-
American Trans World Airlines jet seized by Shiite Moslem sky pirates last week. "They have a responsibility to those courage others to make concessions.
that are held there and they are the We would not ask others to do what we
r a m, n t , for m any v eskeytoendingthis tragedy." wouldn't do."
BOSTON (UPI) - Twenty-six
hostages freed from a hijacked TWA
'etliner returned to America yester-
day four days after their abduction on
a flight from Athens to Rome.
Joyous families watched from the
terminal of Logan International Air-
port as a TWA flight from Paris
touched down shortly after 4 p.m.
EDT, bringing their ordeal to a close.
THE HOSTAGES had to go through
customs and then speak with FBI
agents if they wished before being
reunited with their families, an airline
pokeswoman said.
Of the 26 hostages who arrived at
Boston's airport, 15 were to fly on to
Chicago, while the other 11 were to
Berri said yesterday that Amal, the "IT'S OUR policy not to negotiate
," most powerful militia in lawless with terrorists, he added.
remain in New England, where they It was never off, she said. "We Biu,"vcae"temr hn3 Before the hijacking, the United
live or have relatives. stil have it on. It was just terrible. I Beirut, evacuated the more than3 States was urging Israel to release
"I fes onefu,"sidRuyhoe ht o n eerhs o oAmericans held heetage on the jet andSteswsugnIralorlae
"It feels wonderful," said Ruby hope that no one ever has to go took them to an undisclosed location the Shiite prisoners, arguing their
Cataldo, of Lexington, Mass., whose through something like this." to prevent their deaths in a "bloody removal from Lebanon violated in-
daughter was among the freed In Rhode Island, the long wait also rescue attempt." Another group of six ternational law.
hostages. "You just can't imagine you ended for the families of two women to 10 passengers with Jewish sounding
wonderful it feels. But it won't feel who traveled to Greece on vacation names was removed from the plane "Our position has not changed," an
anything like when I see her get off together. administration official said. But he
that plane and hold her in my arms." Agnes Leber, 53, of Middletown, ohereabouts, too, was unknown. and others made clear the prisoners
R.I., was released on Friday, but should not be released as part of a
THE CATALDOS first learned their Pamela Rice, 35, of Portsmouth, R.I., deal with the hijackers.
daughter, Janine, 32, had been was held until Saturday. Both were REAGAN has followed the
released when the State Department scheduled on the flight from Paris to hijacking drama since it began and In Beirut, Berri told a news con-
called to tell them. Five minutes Boston. was receiving regular updates ference he personally ordered the
later, they spotted her on television "She had never taken a real yesterday morning in the Oval Office evacuation of the hostages by Shiite
stepping off abus in Algiers. vacation, a big trip and this was it - from Robert McFarlane, his national Amal militiamen.
Mrs. Cataldo said they spend the en- her first trip abroad," said Rice's security adviser. A senior State Department official
tire weekend glued to the television sisterSandra Orlando of South k said Bern, in discussions with U.S. of-
ntti Re.rLenge home. Kaering said the president is not ficials, assumed responsibility for all
set in their Lexingtonhoe altering his busy schedule because of the Americans taken from the plane.
Shiite terrorists hide with ".S'nea""" Profs disagree on hostages
" Beirut (Continued from Page 1) Singer wondered how the hijackers
host ges ut Sde B irutcould walk on board an airplane with
LEgBANONtReagan that giving in to terrorist
LEBANON demands only increases the number weapons. "In that part of the world
(ContinuedfromPagel) I would like to warn the United Beirut of such acts and weakens the nation's there are lots of ways to get on (a
. States that the alert of the Islamic and Airport credibility. plane) without going through an elec-
Americans have to look at things with national forces . . . proves that this SINGER said bargaining with tric gate."
both eyes. Let them also show concern country is not Grenada," Berri said in terrorists is not a Just as Singer foresees beefed-up
terorst isr not anAltBrr ad sign of weakness, JutaSigrfessbeedp
over our people inAtlit," Bern said, a reference to the U.S.-led invasion of and it's "fairy-tale nonsense" to think security precautions, Tanter sees an
the Caribbean island in 1983. that bargaining only escalates the increase in preparedness to act swif-
The State Department said itSinger tly and forcefully before a hostage
believed a total of 43 people were Berri's statements came hours af- Hijacked said the lives of those held captive are situation occurs.
being held hostage, 42 of them ter a telephone conversation between . most important. "I think the protective reaction is
American and one Greek. The Navy the Amal leader and National 727 Jetliner The two also differed over what something this country will move
identified the passenger shot and the Aal hn J t n n h th, hiitac towards," Tanter said. Adequate in-
l
killed Friday on the plane as Robert Security Adviser Robert mcariane
ked Fdy of Waldorf, Md., a Navy in Washington. Berri also held
tethem, 23, Wddiscussions with U.S. Ambassador
engineer. Reginal Bartholomew in Beirut.
IT WAS believed that about 30 No immediate solution to the crisis
hostages were taken off the plane was in sight as McFarland said the
yesterday. In addition, between six United States "Would not consider"
and 12 Americans - some with asking Israel to free the prisoners.
Jewish-sounding names - were
believed taken off the plane Friday "We don't make concessions," Mc-
and hustled away to the Shiite suburbs Farlane told reporters. "We're not
around Beirut airport. going to make others do so."
Asked if he expected an American Israeli officials in Jerusalem said
military operation, Berri said, "Then they would consider releasing the
the United States would bring troubles prisoners only if they received a for-
to itself. mal U.S. request.
prompte ine acto oy e aues.
President Reagan, who warned the Tanter and Prof. A.F. Organski see
hijackers to free the hostages "for the hijacking asa specific measure to
their own safety," rfeceived regular bargain for the Israeli's prisoners.
update on events in the Oval Office "They are trying to produce concrete
from McFarlane. results," Organski said.
White House spokesman Larry But Singer stressed the greater role
Speakes called Berri "the key" to en- of broader issues. "Acts of
ding the crisis and that he was desperation will occur until the major
responsible for the hostages. He powers pay attention to international
called the hijackers' demands "im- justice," he said. Such terrorists have
possible preconditions." given up on conventional means of
Berri said the hostages were taken achieving what they believe is right,
off the red-and-white jetliner, which Singersaid.
had been parked at Beirut airport sin- Singer also said the "nuts and
ce early Sunday, before dawn and bolts" of the terrorist problem are lax
were "somewhere outside Beirut air- security precautions in many places
port." around the world.
telligence to predict terrorist actions
are necessary for a "preemptive
strike," explained.
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