KEY POINTS IN 17 DAY HOSTAGE DRAMA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87T00434R000300240074-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 24, 2010
• Sequence Number: 74
• Publication Date: June 4, 1985
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2010/03/25: CIA-RDP87T00434R000300240074-8
Current listing.of: T7797:2 06/30/85 18:33 Page:
Slug:BC-HIJACK-CHRONOLOGY Date: 06/04/85 .01:49:13
Category:REURI Story:rll2
KEY POINTS IN 17 DAY HOSTAGE DRAMA
BEIRUT, June 30, Reuter - Thirty-nine Americans, many bearded
and bleary-eyed, left Damascus today en route to Frankfurt,
West Germany, ending an odyssey of terror that lasted 17 days.
Here is a chronology of key acts in the drama (all times EDT)
that began in the skies over Greece on June 14 when a TWA jet
en route from Athens to Rome was seized by two Shi'ite Moslem
gunmen.
Thursday, June 13
11.04 p.m. Two Lebanese Shi'ite Moslems carrying hand grenades
and at least one hand gun sieze TWA flight 847 soon after
take-off from Athens with 153 people, mostly Americans, on
board.
Friday, June 14
-- 4.55 a.m. Flight 847 lands in Beirut. Hijackers release 17
American women and two children. A hijacker radios main demand:
freedom for more than 700 mainly Shi'ite Lebanese held prisoner
in Israel.
-- 6.25 a.m. Plane takes off from Beirut.
-- 10.33 a.m. Plane lands in Algiers, 22 people released.
-- 3.15 p.m. Plane leaves Algiers.
-- 7.25 p.m. Plane lands in Beirut a second time. Hijackers
shoot dead a U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem'and dump his body
on tarmac.
-- 10.50 p.m. Aircraft leaves Beirut.
Saturday, June 15:
-- 2.45 a.m. Aircraft lands in Algiers a second time. Three
passengers are released. Algerian negotiators board aircraft.
-- About 10.00 a.m. Hijackers threaten to kill passengers one
by one and blow up the plane if there is no response to their
demands. They say they do not belong to any organization.
-- About 11.15 a.m. An accomplice of the hijackers, detained
in Athens after he failed to get a seat on the TWA flight, is
exchanged for 19 Greek and U.S. Passengers and five
stewardesses. Another 25 passengers are released later.
-- About 3.45 p.m. Hijackers free 10 elderly men after
Algerian authorities broadcast their demands.
-- About 8.00 p.m. Hijackers release three hostages after
talks with official from International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC).
Sunday, June 16:
-- 4.00 a.m. Plane leaves Algiers.
-- 7.50 a.m. Aircraft lands in Beirut for third time.
-- About 6.00 p.m. Scare at Beirut airport over possible
foreign attack. Shi'ite Amal militiamen fire at unidentified
vessel off coast escorted by helicopter.
-- Amal leader Nabih Berri, representing the hijackers, begins
negotiations with West European diplomats. Over the next days,
France, Switzerland and Austria all offer to help.
Monday, June 17:
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Current listing of: T7797:2 06/30/85 18:33 Page: 2
1-- Before dawn: About 30 hostages are taken from plane to
secret locations in Beirut.
Tuesday, June 18:
-- Israel says it would consider an appeal from ICRC to free
the Shi'ite prisoners in exchange for hostages. ICRC says it
would oversee an exchange if asked by all parties.
-.About 8.00 a.m. Three hostages, including Greek pop singer
Demis Roussos, freed.
-- White House says piecemeal release of hostages is
uncivilized. U.S. State Department warns Americans against use
of Athens airport, drawing protest from Greece.
Wednesday, June 19:
-- Two Lebanese Shi'ites, whose release is also sought by the
hijackers, go on trial in Madrid for attempted murder. Spain
later sentences them to 23 years imprisonment.
-- Flight Capt. John Testrake, interviewed at plane, says
rescue attempt would probably kill him and other two crew men.
-- Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin says Israel would
consider a U.S. request to release the prisoners but would not
free them unilaterally.
Saturday, June 22:
-- Captors move hostages to new hideouts, Amal says.
Sunday, June 23:
-- Reagan says U.S. Will not use force to free hostages.
Monday, June 24:
-- About 5.30 a.m. Israel releases 31 prisoners but still
retains 735 others. Hijackers do not free any hostages.
Tuesday, June 25:
-- White House says Reagan is considering blockade of Lebanon
and other measures if diplomatic efforts fail.
Wednesday, June 26:
-- About 8.00 a.m. Berri frees one hostage for health reasons.
-- U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz insists on release of
seven kidnapped Americans in Lebanon in addition to 39 from the
hijack drama.
Friday, June 28:
-- Berri says Reagan and Syrian President Assad are in close
contact over the hijack.
-- Reagan calls hijackers "thugs, murderers and barbarians''
and pledges to get all 46 Americans freed.
Saturday, June 29:
-- Syrian officials say the 39 TWA hostages to be moved to
Damascus. Sources close to U.S. Embassy in Damascus say
hostages will fly to Frankfurt.
-- Confusion in Beirut as four hostages fail to join the
others waiting to travel to Damascus. Departure postponed.
Sunday, June 30:
-- 10.45 a.m. 39 hostages finally leave Beirut for Damascus in
International Red Cross convoy by road.
-- 2.30 p.m. Hostages arrive in Damacus, hold press conference
and prepare to leave for Frankfurt, West Germany, and on to
United States.
-- 5.30 p.m. Hostages leave Damascus for Frankfurt.
Approved For Release 2010/03/25: CIA-RDP87T00434R000300240074-8