! CPYRGHT : Approved rT By Robert J. McCartney Washington Post Foreign Service EONN, Oct. 11—Iranian officials, apparently [signaling a shift to a more conciliatory policy to- ' [ward the West, have told West German officials in recent weeks that “the time of hostage-taking is over," West German officials said this week. The West Germans said their government, iwhich has painstakingly cultivated good ties with Iran in recent years, is convinced from recent contacts that influential members of the govern- ment there are willing to pursue a gradual im- provement in relations with the United States inc other western countries. tranian leaders said such an improvement re- ured a lengthy, mutual process of building rust, but would include the release of US. and bther hostages held by pro-lranian militants in Lebanon, the West German officials said. The release in Beirut in the last month of two rostages—a West German businessman and an Tran Dee! Indian professor status—was a si they said. The West G shifted its positi fluence the U.S, that the United the current [ra now to make a official said. W. Germans Say Iran Sincere | In Efforts to Restore Relations, IRAN, From A21 released by pro-Iranian Shiite Mos- lems in Beirut on Sept. 12, The Iranian government does not have total contro! over the radica) Shiite groups holding hostages in Lebanon, but it has considerable | influence over them, West German officials said, West Germany, alone among ‘leading western countries, has maintained full diplomatic relations with fran throughout the turmoil in that nation that began with the 1979 revolution, West German diplomats, nurtur- ing the relationship, have consis- { tently worked to craft language that took Iranian interests into account in drafting U.N. resolutions. The West Germans said they were not aware of any specific [ran- ian conditions for an improvement in relations with the United States or other western countries, The Iranians have spoken of U.S. “atti- tudes” rather than of specifics, an official said. It was clear, however, that Iran hoped that U.S, positions in the U.N, Security Council would not be | hostile to Iran. It also was under- stood that Iran would welcome the strongest possible U.S. condemna- tion of Iraq’s reported use of chem- ical weapons. : The Bonn government has dis- ' cerned a direct link between the new approach by Iran and the rise of influence during the summer of top officials in Tehran who do not rule out a thaw in ties with the West. . This group is understood to in- clude Speaker of the Iranian partia- ment Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsan- jani, President Ali Khamenei, and Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Ve- layati. The group of officials, described here as “pragmatists,” got the up- per hand with Iran’s acceptance jn July of U.N. Resolution 598. That set the groundwork for the cease- fire with Iraq, “From then on, they t [the Tran- ians] started to look for friends” in the West, an official said. Sometime in August, the Iranian F oreign Min- istry was given the authority in Tehran _to_press_b oriihe se isolation from the West, for both diplomatic and commercial reasons, now that a cease-fire has been achieved in the [ran-Iraq war... | The officials discounted the possilwlity that the Iranians were sending these signals to try to in- The West Germans, without making specific recommendations to Washington, emphasized In addition, Bonn wished to underline the will- ingness of West German Foreign Mfinister Hans- Dietrich Genscher to use his contacts with Iran to work for the release of U.S. andvother hos- tages in Lebanon, the officials said; Genscher is with permanent ULS, residence ermans believe that! Tran has on because it desites to end its presidential campaygn., States should take jadvantage of nian attitude, “The: time is ripe n effort on both sidles,” a Bonn lease of the West German hostage, Cordes, officials said, “ Leading skeptics concerning any thaw in relations with the West are said to include Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi and Interior Min- ‘ ister Ali Akbar Mohtashemi. In the West German view, the “pragmatists” are eager to see Iran . obtain western technology to help rebuild the nation’s cconomy, They also have scen from the ; success of Resolution 998—~drafted , with West German assistance — CPYRGHT that “it pays to have friends in the ; United Nations," an official said, Another official, explaining Tran’s ! “new thinking,” said: “The war is : over. They are in a very difficult ' phase, their country,” The West Germans played a role They need to reconstruct ; in bringing together the United | States and Iran in the prolonged: negotiations that led to the ~elease in January 1981 of the 52 U.S, Em- bassy personnel held hostage if Tehran for 444 days. o Genscher acted as host in arrang- ing talks in Bonn in September 1980 between Warren Christopher, then deputy secretary of State, and Sadeq Tabatabai, a relative and aide of Aya- tollah Ruhollah Khomeini, ; we Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R000400040001-3 to make an official visit to Tehran in late Novem- rire : er, . nal of the Franian’s vad Polley » As evidence of Genscher’s good relationship with Tehran, it was disclosed here that the Iran- ians tipped him off at least 24 hours in advance that hostage Mithileshwar Singh was to be re- leased in Beirut eight days ago. Genscher was informed either Oct. 1 or Oct, 2 that a “U.S, professor of foreign origin” was to be freed on Oct. 3 in Beirut, sources said here. Gen- scher immediately phoned Secretary of State George P. Shultz with the news, ; The West Germans had the impression “that Tran wanted to send a signal to the United States” by passing the word to Genscher, an of- ficial said. The Iranians “trusted Genscher to be a good messenger,” the source said. The Iranians also gave Genscher nearly three weeks’ advance notice of the release of West German businessman Rudolf Cordes, according to the West German government. Cordes was See IRAN, A26, CoL6 CPYRGHT
CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R000400040001-3 4 4 OG- 8 Sw ESS Reuter SIDON, Le Gunmen kidnaped a Swiss Red Cross worker today, and Palestinian | guerrillas, calling the abduction an attempt to discredit their indepen- dence declaration, promised to “storm houses” to find him. Police said Peter Winkler, 32, a member of the International Com- mittee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was seized at gunpoint by three masked men who intercepted his car.near Ain Helweh refugee camp on the outskirts of Sidon, 25 miles south of Beirut: No group claimed responsibility for Winkler’s abduction, the first to involve a Swiss since kidnaping of foreigners began in earnest in 1985. ited Cross Aide Kidnaped i in Lebanon | Cuscd th Revolutionary Command, led by ‘Abu Nidal, of kidnaping Winkler to em- barrass Palestine Liberation Organ- ization leader Yasser Arafat follow- ing his acceptance, in a conference in Algiers Tuesday, of U.N. Resolution 242, which implicitly recognizes Is- rael. A spokesman for the Abu Nidal group denied the accusations and said his group opposes ail acts of vi- olence against “workers for human- itarian organizations and members of friendly states.” ; The ICRC appealed for Winkler’s release, saying, “The ICRC in Leb- anon appeals to those holding Win- kler to release him immediately so he can resume his mission of assist- ing victims of the conflict.” abduction and said the kidnapers wanted to undermine the political gains achieved by Palestinian lead- ers in declaring an independent state at their mecting in Algiers. Officials of several Palestinian guerrilla groups held an emergency meeting here and “agreed to take immediate measures to free [Win- kler], including storming houses and a wide search operation,” said Abu Nizar, of the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. "On Feb. 5, gunmen seized a Nor- wegian and a Swede who worked for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. Both were quickly released. U.S, Marine Lt. Col. William R. Higgins, head ot a U.N, truce unit, gnaped CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R000400040001-3
Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R000400040001-3 They’ve been withdrawn over the last several |} days,” one source said. “It’s too risky,” anothey -|f _ Official-commented. “The risk. to‘our- people i ig now considered too high and we don’t want the ‘traveling inside Lebanon.” UNTSO has almost. 300. military . personne . from 17 nations. The United States provides 3¢ } men, of whom 16 are: assigned to the Observer if Group, Lebanon. 3) oer as 4 ‘Neither Defense ‘Departrient nor r State ‘De . partment: officials would discuss the matter pub dicly yesterday, : But'sources: said, the ‘United States has told the i “Th ited Nations it hopes to resume participatio: --in- the Observer Group Lebanon “when condi{’ tions in‘southern’ Lebanon permit.” The admin istration ‘made clear that it continues to'support The’ Reagan administration: -has withdrawn | atte, 6 ipe tions * ‘in | the region, the j Ameri rican Cate Nee se wae UNTSO. was ‘organized to maintain the cease ' strife-torn: soutliern Lebanon, officials said yes-.|, fire ordered by the’ U.N, Security Council in Jul iterday. ae nork 1948: following Israel’s creation and to supervise ‘The decision comes 9% months after the ab-'|: the. general armistice agreements between Jor ! duction,of Marine Lt. Col. William R. Higgins | 4a, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and Israel. ‘from the unit, which is known as the Observer It serves as the focal:point for all U.N. Middl. “Group Lebanon ‘of the U.N. Truce Supervision “| East - peacekeeping © “$perations and monitors ‘ Organization (UNTSO), “8S cease-fire violations along: the Israeli borders. . Higgins was ‘kidnaped Feb. 17 while driving. Although the United States. reduced the num between the Lebanese city of Tyre and the bor- {ber of -Americans actually patrolling with the “der town. of Naqoura, site of a U.N. observer | U.N. unit inside Lebanon after Higgins’. kidnap headquarters. He became the ninth American to | ing,: the..a inistration: had denied: plarining to be seized ’a8 a hostage in Lebanon, all apparently  withdraw*Anierican’ sdldiers from the team en . by pro-Iranian Moslem fundamentalists... -. }-tirely, stressing the .need to demonstrate U.S __Administration officials; who agreed to discuss | support for the peacekeeping efforts. the smatter,. -only if they were not identified, said_|., The State Department long ago ordered al ithe Americans were: ‘ordered out over the past : . American civilians out-of Lebanon and trimmed [wea the U.S. Embassy st staff i in Beirut to a few doze “They ‘are no longer in’ ‘southern Lebanon, persons. US. Pulls Out Of U.N. Patrol Tn: Lebanon: | Ri isks Considered 1 Teo High: After Marine’s Kidnaping Sectamere e _ Associated Press_ } CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R000400040001-3
CPYRGHT . |US.Seckiaac: On Ties), No Reply Received; Tehran’s Acceptance Of Truce Welcomed By David B. Ottaway Washington Post Staff Writer The United States sent a_mes- sage last week welcoming Iran’s acceptance of a cease-fire with Iraq and proposing talks on normaliza- tion of U.S.-[ranian relations, Dep- uty Secretary of State John Cc. Whitehead disclosed yesterday. “We have sent a message to them {Iran] since their acceptance of [U.N,] Resolution 598 indicating to them that we welcome that step of theirs, indicating our willingness to cooperate in the implementation of their decision,” Whitehead said on ABC News’ “This Week With David Brinkley.” . “They know that we are prepared for more contacts if we can be sure that we are dealing with responsible spokesmen of their government,” he added. Whitehead said the Iranians had not replied yet. Reagan administration officials have been emphasizing publicly their strong interest in improving relations with Tehran now that it has accepted a cease-fire, Many be- lieve that this is essential to any hope of gaining Iranian intervention with the Shiite captors of nine American hostages being held in Beirut. Yesterday, the leading Shiite re- ligious leader in Lebanon, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Feadlallah, called on “all parties” involved in the hostage issue “to resolve this mat- ter objectively and bring it to a hap- py ending without media manipu- lations.” [Related story, Page A16] U.S. officials have said the admin- istration is willing to talk to Hezbol- lah, the group holding the nine Americans, about release of the hostages but will make no “deals.” Defense Secretary Frank C. Car- lucci, appearing on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” also made a new See POLICY, A16, Col. 3 wb Fichting reported in gulf war as Pose AIG renee effirts continire, Ss fran Talks ly \ 9S iC per Iran Talks , i On Relations POLICY, Fram Ad bid for talks with fran, saying, “We'd be prepared to meet with them, providing they'd designate somehady officially to talk to us.” Carlucci indicated that the Unit- ed States is ready to talk to Tehran about anything other than “getting more arms,” a reference to the White House secret operation in 1985-86 during which the United States sent arms to Tehran in hopes of gaining the release of American hostages. White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater, asked about Carlucci’s comments, emphasized that no one would negotiate with Iran for re- lease of the hostages. “They don’t need negotiations to release the hostages. We're willing to talk to anybody, any time, any place. But we are not willing to ne- gotiate. We are not willing to pay ransom. There is no need. They took them, they should release them,” Fitzwater said aboard Air Force One returning from Califor- nia, Whitehead did not say how the U.S. message was relayed to Teh- ran, with which Washington has no diplomatic relations, U.S. officials have said, however, that the United States has sent a number of similar messages to the Iranians ‘Since late last year through the Awiss Embas- sy there. Sore The Swiss represent American interests in Tehran. The Algerians represent Iranian interests here. Tran has also been making over- tures to Washington indirectly, through third nations. agd_indiyid... uals claiming to have contacts: with. one or another top [ranian‘Teader. |. The last of these probes occurred in -April. But so far, Tehran has. re- fused to open a direct, formal dia- logue. Because of its bitter experience in dealing with shadowy Iranian would-be intermediaries during the [ran-contra affair, the administra- tion has been insisting that Tehran name an official representative with specific government authority to talk to Washington. Diplomatic sources said initiating such a direct dialogue at the United Nations in New York has been un- der discussion through third par- ties, but that no decision has been reached, Since the accidental shooting down of an Iran Air jetliner wih 290 people aboard by the USS Vin- cennes in the Persian Gulf July 3, the administration has stepped up its efforts to engage Tehran in talks. President Reagan has said the United States will pay compensa- tion to families of the deceased and expressed deep regret. Despite U.S. efforts to engage Iran in a direct dialogue, Whitehead emphasized repeatedly that a res- toration of U.S.-Iranian diplomatic relations is not imminent. He said that while relations may inprove, “Tt is some way away to- warts anything like the restoration of nornict cclatienships with Tran.” JOHN C. WHITEHEAD <.étells of U.S, message to Tehran Carlucci held out to Iran the .)] prospect of a reduction in the U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf, one of the Iranians’ main ob- jectives since the buildup of U.S. warships there to- escort Kuwaiti tankers reregistered under the US. flag. He said the United States will wait “some reasonable interval” to make sure the cease-fire is holding before it stops its escorts, but | “there’s no desire to keep 27 ships there any longer than possible.” “We would certainly draw down a3 soon as feasible,” he said at an- o:her point. Carlucci also defended the pres- ence inside the gulf of the Vin- cennes and its sophisticated Aegis electronic firing system, denying it was “the wrong equipment” for use in “a fake” like the Persian Gulf. “It is the best ship to deal with the Silkworm missile and we had no real capability to cope with the Silk- worm missiles,” he said of Iran’s Chinese-made shore-to-ship weap- ons that he said represented “a real threat” to U.S. warships. "Sg there was good and sound reason for having the Vincennes in the gulf at that time,” he added. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R000400040001-3 CPYRGHT