U.S. ACKNOWLEDGES OTHER'S EFFORTS ON HOSTAGES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00789R000401020009-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 26, 1998
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: December 18, 1989
• Content Type: NSPR

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'By Ann' Devrov
The ` Bush admitlistration ac-
kngwledged yesterday that a vari-
ety! of private individuals, foreign
diplomats and others' are trying to
gain the; release of U.S. hostages in
Lebannon,' but,said: none of the ef-
fort has led to' any indication that a
hostage release is imminent.
White House spokesman Marlin
Fitzwater ';~ responding to what he
said were` a half dozen recent re-
ports about Hostage-related devel-
opments,'said, "there': is a lot hap-
pening:' behind: the, scenes indepen-
den5f the U.S. Sgovernment;
Repeating ":the ',denial that any
U S.>'official is directly involved in
talks Fitzwater. said?intermediaries
sucl}' s,businessmen' in he region,
dipl ats of other nations, families
of ,Os ages and their employers and
officials with Lebanese and Iranian
contacts, al .have, vorlte4 on the
hostage problem. Some; of these
people, ?.he.said,. "haye ,had contacts
with ;'the U.S. government" and
"have told us what'they are doing;
,they have asked us fr advice."
But those efforts' are not being
made on behalf of"the U.S. govern-
ment nor are they directed by it,
Fitzwater said. He said all interme-
diaries who contact the administra-
tion are told the Bush policy that
hostages must be released without
conditions. "No deals. If you can be
helpful, fine, but keep in mind-this.
is our policy: no deals," Fitzwater
said.
Eight Americans and 10 other
Westerners are being held hostage
in Lebanon. Most are believed held
by Shiite Moslem factions loyal to
Iran. Fitzwater repeated President
Bush's inaugural call to Iran to re-
lease the hostages for the promise
of U.S. "good wil " to follow, and
said the administration wants direct
talks with Iran on the hostages.
Asked about movement on the
issue, Fitzwater said, "We cannot
say there is `any movement. We
know of no imminent release."
Speculation abouti possible re-
lease of the hostages, some of
whom have been held for five years,
has been fueled by reports, in Mid-
dle Eastern publications and by in-
dications from Iranian leaders of a
new willingness to discuss release.
The latest report quotes Syrian
sources that Mahmoud Hashemi, a
senior Iranian official, met Sunday
in Damascus with Syria's foreign
minister to "coordinate efforts" be-
tween Iran and Syria on release of
the, hostages. Hashemi, brother of
Iranian President Hashemi Rafsan-
jani, arrived in Damascus from Bei-
rut, where he reportedly met with
Shiite Moslem groups on the hos-
tage issue.
State Department spokesman
Margaret.Tutwiler said the admin-
istration is "not aware of any...
discussions that may be taking place
in Syria on hostages." She reiter-
ated Bush's denial over the week-
end that he. called French officials
on the hostage issue, and Vice Pres-
ident Quayle's denial on Sunday
that former, secretary of state Cy-
rus R. Vance was officially negoti-
ating hostage releases.
Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R000401020009-6