Tracking Number: 136883
Title: "Fitzwater Says Iran Claims Role in Release of Hostage." White House press briefing regarding release of Robert Polhill. (900422)
Date: 19900422
Text:
ZCZC5 wfu017
CDC usi
15 UNCLASSIFIED N/A 04/22/90
ALL WF MONITORING POSTS IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY MANAGUA IMMEDIATE
AMCONSUL LENINGRAD IMMEDIATE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE
INFO AIT TAIPEI IMMEDIATE
XMT AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
AMEMBASSY BONN
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
GE 2 UNCLASSIFIED
AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
AMEMBASSY ASUNCION
AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO CAP: USIS PAO/IO; IO/BPAO; CAP: ATTN JORDAN AAMM; AIT FOR CIS; FROM P/PFO
*WF-U17
04/22/90 (2,170)
(DIAL-UP MATERIAL: FOLLOWING ALSO MOVING VIA COMPUTER-TO- COMPUTER COMMUNICATION)
FITZWATER SAYS IRAN CLAIMS ROLE IN RELEASE OF HOSTAGE (Transcript: Press Briefing in Florida)
Washington -- White House Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater said April 22 that Iran has "indicated" it was supportive in helping with the release of American hostage Robert Polhill by his captors in Lebanon.
Speaking to reporters in Florida where he was accompanying the president, Fitzwater said the U.S. did not
GE 3 UNCLASSIFIED have details about Iran's role in the release. He added that Syria had provided the United States with information on a continuing basis about the possibility of a hostage release.
Syria "helped facilitate the release in the final hours," Fitzwater said.
He added: "We wish to thank any country who's had a possible role in this, and if Iran has, they certainly deserve our gratitude."
Following is a transcript of the press briefing:
(Begin transcript)
(Begin Text)
Mr. Fitzwater: I'd like to read a brief statement on behalf of the president, and then I'll make some remarks about the process as we know it to this point.
We are pleased at the news that Robert Polhill has been freed by his captors. We are obviously happy for him, his family, and friends. We also wish to thank those who
GE 4 UNCLASSIFIED had a hand in the release, particularly the governments of Syria and Iran, whose efforts have contributed to the release of this hostage.
Our satisfaction at the release, however, is substantially tempered by the knowledge that seven other innocent Americans, as well as a number of foreign nationals, are still being cruelly held hostage in Lebanon. We cannot rest until all hostages are free. Once again, we urgently call on all parties who hold hostages, or who have any influence, to work to obtain the immediate and unconditional release of the remaining hostages as a humanitarian gesture.
To continue, the president was notified by General Scowcroft at approximately 12:45 p.m. today that there was a high probability of the release of Robert Polhill. The General had received word of the probable release from the White House Situation Room and notified the president on his boat. At approximately 1:35 p.m. the president was notified that Robert Polhill would be turned over to Ambassador Djerejian at approximately 2:30 p.m. at the
GE 5 UNCLASSIFIED Syrian Foreign Ministry. President Bush talked directly to Ambassador Djerejian at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus just prior to the Ambassador's departure for the Foreign Ministry.
The president received a status report form the Ambassador, who said Mrs. Polhill is in Damascus to meet her husband. The president may talk later today with either Robert Polhill or his wife.
The president and his fishing party, which includes Senator Simpson, Ambassador Zeder, Secretary Brady and General Scowcroft, are fishing off the Florida Keys. The presidential party has excellent ship-to-shore communications and General Scowcroft has been able to monitor this situation on a continuing basis.
The president will return to Tarpon Flats this afternoon and to Washington, D.C. this evening. Mr. Polhill will be flown to the U.S. Air Force Hospital at Wiesbaden, West Germany via a U.S. military flight from Damascus where he will be greeted by the State Department
GE 6 UNCLASSIFIED hostage release team. A U.S. aircraft has been ordered to fly to Damascus from Turkey for that purpose.
It is not know at this time how long Mr. Polhill will be in Wiesbaden before he returns to the United States. The State Department will do everything necessary to reunite the hostage with family members as soon as appropriate. Any further details concerning the status of Mr. Polhill and the circumstance of his release will be provided by the Department of State.
Thank you, I'll try to take a few questions.
Q: Marlin, could you tell us why do you think the kidnappers did release Mr. Polhill and what impact that has on the other hostages still being held?
Mr. Fitzwater: We, of course, have no way of knowing what the specific motivation for the release was. President Bush has worked tirelessly for the release of the hostages over the years. He hopeful that this signals an interest in all the parties involved, whoever is responsible for better relationships with the West and for a chance to rejoin the international community in the sense
GE 7 UNCLASSIFIED of recognizing the humanitarian value of releasing this hostage. Similarly in that vein, we press for the release of the remaining hostages, and we are hopeful that the humanitarian reasons that are cited by the captors in this case will also apply to the other seven.
Q: Marlin, you mentioned the goodwill begets goodwill promise of the president. Now that a hostage has been released, does that trigger something? Is President Bush obliged now to do something to demonstrate his goodwill begets goodwill?
Mr. Fitzwater: I hasten to point out that there are still seven remaining hostages; that we will continue to press for their release. We call for their unconditional release, and there is no change in that policy.
We have a number of difficulties with Iran and with the terrorists, certainly, who took these captives in the first place. And it is far too soon to speculate on any possible changes in our relationship.
Q: Does that mean, then, we do nothing? We don't respond in any way?
GE 8 UNCLASSIFIED
Mr. Fitzwater: It means we continue to press for release of the other hostages.
Q: Marlin, did the administration promise anything or do anything in exchange for the release of Mr. Polhill?
Mr. Fitzwater: There were no deals, no negotiations with the hostage takers.
Q: Marlin, you thanked both Syria and Iran for their efforts. Can you tell us specifically how each of them may have contributed to Polhill's release?
Mr. Fitzwater: We don't have too many details. In the case of Syria, they have provided us information on a continuing basis about the possibility of the release. They helped facilitate the release in the final hours, and most of that you have seen on television.
In the case of Iran, they have indicated that they were supportive. We really do not have details about how that might have been. But we wish to thank any country who's had a possible role in this, and if Iran has, they certainly deserve our gratitude.
GE 9 UNCLASSIFIED
Q: Does this reinforce the administration, the U.S. contention that Iran does in fact have influence over the hostage takers?
MR. FITZWATER: We have always felt that Iran has control or influence over the hostages. We continue to believe that, but we have no specific information of their control in this one atmosphere.
Q: Marlin, when the story first -- the speculation first started last week, there was an indication that whoever the captive would be, he would be carrying a message to the president. Is there any indication now that a message, indeed, is in his hands?
MR. FITZWATER: We have no indication of a message that I'm aware of. When President Bush talked to Ambassador Djerejian, there was no mention of a message.
Q: Marlin, you said there had been no deals, no negotiation with hostage takers. Have there been any contacts, direct or indirect, with them, or did this come at us entirely out of the blue?
GE 10 UNCLASSIFIED
MR. FITZWATER: It's my understanding that our contacts have been with the Syrian government. Ambassador Djerejian has stayed in close consultation with the foreign minister of Syria, and there have been no contacts directly with the hostage takers.
Q: If I could follow that up, we really don't know if we did anything to cause this? Do you remember back with we had the Cicippio situation, there was some great uncertainty? Can you tell us, does the United States government feel that it's encouraged or induced this in any way, or its just happened?
MR. FITZWATER: We have no way of identifying any specific action on our part that could have been a contributing factor to this, no.
Q: Just to go back to what you said and what the president said this morning about the other seven hostages -- American goodwill will be exhibited only when the other seven are out. Is that right?
MR. FITZWATER: American goodwill is based on any number of things. Our relationship always has to be judged
GE 11 UNCLASSIFIED in a very broad context. But certainly, we continue to press for the release of all seven hostages, and we would hope that this release would be the forerunner to the release of others, and would point the way towards the goodwill begets goodwill summation at some future point. But at this point, with seven hostages still in captivity, the situation has not changed a great deal.
Q: There will be no begetting of goodwill until the other seven are released?
MR. FITZWATER: I didn't say that. I just said that we cannot speculate at this point. No decisions have been made along those lines. We continue to press for the release of the other seven, and that's the first order of business.
Q: Marlin, just to clarify that, please. Does that exclude the other 11? In other words, our exhibition of goodwill is contingent only upon the release of the seven Americans because --
MR. FITZWATER: We press for the release of all the hostages.
GE 12 UNCLASSIFIED
Q: Did you learn anything in this negotiating process that would help you to get the rest of them out?
MR. FITZWATER: I don't have information on the specific process. That will have to come later.
Q: Can you think of any specific event that might explain why a hostage was released now?
MR. FITZWATER: I know of no specific event, no.
Q: Do you know anything about Mr. Pohill's condition, his physical condition?
MR. FITZWATER: We don't have a readout on that. As I say, at this time Ambassador Djerejian is meeting with him in the Foreign Ministry, and he will be flown to Wiesbaden and receive a full physical. But preliminarily, we don't have any medical examination. We do have the film that was taken by someone as he was being driven to Damascus, and you all could hear him talking and speaking for himself. But that's the only indication we have of his physical condition.
Q: Are we likely to hear from the president about this today, Marlin?
GE 13 UNCLASSIFIED
MR. FITZWATER: The president, as you know, has a couple of events for press coverage at around 4:00 p.m. If he is able to talk to Mr. Polhill or his wife it will probably be around that time, and I would expect that you will hear from the president at some point today on this matter.
Q: Marlin, what role, if any, did the administration have in this release? Did your answer before mean to say that the U.S. had no role in this release?
MR. FITZWATER: The United States? Well, the United States' role was simply to work through Ambassador Djerejian with the Foreign Ministry of Syria to facilitate the release. I'm not aware of any other role.
Q: Were there any contacts between the U.S. and Iran directly?
MR. FITZWATER: I'm not aware of any.
Q: Marlin, do you all, from the administration's point of view, think this is some sort of test from the Iranians to see if you will implement your goodwill policy after the release of one hostage? I guess my question
GE 14 UNCLASSIFIED really is, how can you not give them some gesture? Don't you think if you don't do anything you will curtail the process, not enhance it?
MR. FITZWATER: Well, first of all, we do recognize their role. We do show some gratitude for any help they may have given in this case. We continue to indicate that this is a course of action that does beget goodwill. But it is far too soon to suggest anything more specific than that. We still have the other hostages being held and that fact will not be eliminated from our minds at any point.
Q: Is there any indication why he was the one chosen today and when others might be released?
MR. FITZWATER: We have no knowledge of that of any kind.
Q: Marlin, on the subject of Iran, it sounds more like you're trying to prod the Iranians to do something than necessarily commend them for having done anything in this case. It would seem the Syrians are the real players in this particular instance.
GE 15 UNCLASSIFIED
MR. FITZWATER: We're always interested in prodding Iran to use their influence to help release the rest of the captives, yes. Thank you very much. (LENINGRAD MINIMIZE CONSIDERED) (MANAGUA MINIMIZE CONSIDERED) NNNN
File Identification: 04/22/90, WF-U17; 04/22/90, SU-705; 04/23/90, AR-116; 04/23/90, NE-107; 04/24/90, AX-204
Product Name: USINFO; Wireless File
Product Code: US; WF
Keywords: POLHILL, ROBERT; HOSTAGES; ABDUCTION; TERRORIST GROUPS; IRAN/Foreign Affairs; PRESS CONFERENCES; BUSH, GEORGE/Foreign Relations: Near East & South Asia; SYRIA/Foreign Affairs
Document Type: TRA
Thematic Codes: 1NE; 2TE
Target Areas: AF; AR; EA; EU; NE
PDQ Text Link: 136883
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
