KIDNAPPERS SAID TO DEMAND AMERICANS LEAVE LEBANON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00587R000100200149-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2011
• Sequence Number: 149
• Publication Date: January 12, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2011/08/31: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100200149-7
N 111 YORE TIT1ES
12 January 1985
kidnappers Said to Demand
Americans Leave Lebanon
By JOHN KIFNER
Spedrl to no Now Yak Tim..
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Jan. 11 - An them under death sentance, convicted
militant factions.
"Finally, we address a special warn-
ing to Mr. Nabih Berri that he will bear
the responsiblity of any intervention to
release any of the Americans we hold
because we are the stronger and we
shall remain the stronger, " he said.
Asked by an A.P. employee what the
conditions were for the release of the
hostages, the caller replied, "All
Americans should leave Lebanon."
anonymous caller asserted today that in the truck bombings of the American Asked if this included newsmen, the
the kidnapping of an American Roman and French Embassies in uwait in call
Catholic priest here this week er said: "No, newsmen are ea-
was part December 19W. Most are Shiite Mos. empt. We shall release all five we are
of a campaign to force all Americans to ems from Iraq, alliliated with the Ira-
leave Lebanon. nian-backed underground holding without any conditions if our
organization demand is heeded...
The caller said he represented Is- Al Dawa, or the Call. When asked if all five were still alive,
lamic Holy War, a shadowy group that Father Jenco, the director of the he said, "Inshallah," or "God willing "
had previously claimed responsibility Catholic Relief Services operation i In addition to Father Jenco, the
for a series of bombings in Lebanon, in- here, which helps refugees and other Americans who have disappeared here
cluding the truck bombings of the war victims, was kidnapped on his way are Jeremy Levin, the chief of the'
American Embassy and the American to work Tuesday morning by at least Cable News Network bureau; William
and French marine barracks. eight gunmen. The caller said that if all Americans Church officials said the 50-year-old Buckley, a political officer of the
left Lebanon, the abducted priest, the priest, who is from the Chicago area, J American Embassy; Benjamin Wier,
Rev. Lawrence M. Jenco, would be had a severe heart problem and re- an elderly Presbyterian minister, and
freed, along with four other Americans quired special medicine. Peter Kilburn, a 60-year old librarian
who have disappeared here in the last The anonymous caller today said: at the American University of Beirut
10 months. "After the pledge that we have made to with several serious medical problems.
Although it had been widely assumed the world that no Americans would re - Meanwhile in West Beirut today, a
here that at least three missing Amer- main on the soil of Lebanon and after car bomb went off outside a branch of
icans were being held by what is be- the ultimatum we have served on the Bank of Beirut and Arab Countries,
lieved to be a loosely organized cell of American citizens to leave Beirut, our killing three passers*by and wounding
Shiite Moslem zealots, this was the answer to the indifferent response to 14 others seriously.
first formal assertion by a group that it this ultimatum was the kidnapping of
h
d
a
carried out the kidnappings.
Same Caller as Before
While it was impossible to verify the
authenticity of the claim, staff mem-
bers at the Beirut bureau of The Associ.
ated Press, where the call was re-
ceived, said the same individual had
previously called on behalf of Islamic
Holy War.
Western intelli ence sources have
sal they believe the a a er-
rcans were being old' osFt tap eZ'or the
release of some or all o men; o
Priest 'Is in Good Shape'
"We announce that Mr. Jenco is in
good shape. We have allowed a cardi-
ologist to examine him on Wednesday,
and he is in good shape "
Then the caller ended his message
with an ominous indication of the ten-
sions within the Shiite community be-
tween Nabih Berri, the moderate
leader of the Amal organization - who
this week helped secure the release of a
kidnapped Swiss diplomat - and more
Approved For Release 2011/08/31: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100200149-7