IRAN HELPED TO FREE HOSTAGES, U.S. SAYS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87T00434R000200150009-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 29, 2010
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: July 5, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/04/29: CIA-RDP87T00434R000200150009-1
L gr
By David B. Ottaway
W" gton Pat staff Writer
ail iieip g LO irree
ostages U.S. Sa
directly involved in the inception of
"no direct evidence of Iran being
Monday that the United States had
terrible time for Rafsanjani."
Secretary" of State. George P.
Shultz said in a television interview
Iran actively intervened to help
resolve the Beirut hostage crisis by
ordering its recalcitrant Lebanese
Shiite allies to release their Amer-
ican hostages, according to U.S.
officials, who said previously they
doubted that Iran had a role in plan-
ning the Trans World Airlines hi-
jacking.
The key Iranian intermediary,
ffi ials said, was parliament Speak-
r (Ali Akbar Hashemi:iaf
h$$$Y was in Damascus during th
crisis and met with leaders of the
Iranian-backed Shiite extremist
group Hezbollah to tell them to co-
operate in ending the ordeal.
The hijacking June 14 came at an
extremely awkward moment for
Iran, which had recently launched a
diplomatic campaign to break out of
its isolation and present a more
"moderate" image to the world, ac-
cording to the officials.
Rafsanjani, touring Arab and As-
ian nations to promote Iran'p new
image, in Damascus summoned sev-
eral Hezbollah, and other Shiite
leaders for what one U.S, official
called "tough talk" about releasing
the hostages
I don't think they knew about
[the hijacking] in advance. I think
they were caught off guard," a U.S.
official said of the Iranians. "It was a
? Lebanon tightens secury
uVV aaWI Axt/, I:!L 4
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 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/04/29: CIA-RDP87T00434R000200150009-1
L7:S. Officials Say Tha
In Freeing TWA Hijacking
pounced the hijacking in what U.S. Park close to. Iranian leader Aya-
IRAN, From Alofficials have interpreted as a mes- tollah Ruhollah Khomeini's resi-
the hijacking." He mentioned no sage to Hezbollah holdouts refusing dente in Tehran before returning to
specific Iranian role in helping Syria to turn over four hostages to Amal. Lebanon via Damascus June 8 or 9.
gain the release of the 39 hostages, U.S. - officials added, however, The London-based Economist
but other U.S. officials did. that they had no hard evidence that Foreign Report recently made sim-
anjani acted partly out of Iran had stopped training or indoc- ilar allegations against Iran, tracing
f
R
s
a
concern for maintaining relations '- trinating Lebanese Shiites in special Iranian planning for the hijacking to
T-
- . . . .. - -- -
said the
i ordin
S
-'--w"".a, a...g ... ...... .--? -- r- -
yr
cials. Syria has supported Iran eastern Lebanon, Where Iranian ambassador in Damascus, All Akbar
d t
o
throughout its long war with Iraq Revolutionary Guards operate. Hez- Mohtashami, was summone
and given the Iranian Revolutionary bollah and other Shiite extremist Tehran to plan "a new terror cam-
--
--
' the Congressional Record a long U.S. officials said they had no
Bekaa Valle
b
f L
s
anon
e
o
y. "A confrontation with Syria is not report compiled by his staff that reason to believe these reports.
the U.S.
volvement in planning the hijacking, ,.:jam's recent peacemaking gestures
said.......---
This U.S. assessment of Iran's including training one of the terror- are also related to the upcoming
1. 1
unexpectedly helpful role, conveyed fists, All Atwa, in two Iranian camps Iranian presidential election, which
by
..,",,.......
.-r ----~ - -- . The report said . Atwa- lost a
officials in recent days, conflicts or early August.
sharply with British press reports brother in fighting against Israel in Iranian newspapers have carried
and allegations by Sen. Jesse Helms March and was on a pilgrimage to reports in the last two weeks that
(R-N.C.) that Iran was directly re- . Iran May 5 with families of 100 the parliament speaker is expected
sponsible for the incident. Lebanese martyrs when he was re- to announce 'his candidacy soon,
Shultz and other officials have 'fruited. He was trained for the , although his office has not com-
dismissed these reports but have weeks in a center near Mashhad in mented on the reports.
uarded in commenting northeast Iran where two disabled Rafsanjani has emerged as a lead-
b
e
een mor
g
used
to er of the "moderate" Iranian faction
licating sev- Iran Air Boeing planes are
orts im
r re
th
b
t
p
p
a
o
e
ou
f Nabih Berri 's familiarize "hijacker-trainees with that is trying o find a peaceful so-''
l
ffi
i
l
a
s o
c
top o
era
Amal militia in the hijacking.' 4 ?t the aircraft, the report said. 'lution to end the' war with Iraq.
-
entl
-_~-
? -
Zeev Scnif, respected military -
correspondent of the Israeli daily report, he attended another center Special correspondent Peynian b rf ".
suan contributed to this report -? :.k.-
eh Pe
rie
t M
d
id
o
~
y
anza
s a
e squa
suic
r.
Haaretz, reported Tuesday that two f
ing in a maneuver aimed at under-
mining Berri's authority. Schiff
named the two as Aaakal Hamiyeh,
Amal's ' Iranian-trained ':'military'
commander in west Beirut who is
tapha Dirani,' head of the militia's`'
security branch.; ..,: .
r"
who met ,~tafsanja ; in Damascus,,
June 24. After- thatti r
talks with "Syrian' Assad, Rafsanjani' '' ubi%1>~'.
ated Tran from the" liijadung and
said that, had it known in advance,
Iran would have acted tp ivert;tlc
ncident.
Later; in China, Rafsanjani de-
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