European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 6, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Engineer kidnapped in Beirut Beirut Lebanon a four gun men kidnapped a leading Christian Engi Neer in West Beirut on monday the lat est in a series of kidnappings shootouts and thefts thai have plagued the Leb anese capital for about Ihrck months. Police said inc abduction of Saba Abdo 56, prompted 400 employees of his company to threaten to close Down a Norw he was freed by 4 . Abdo was in his chauffeur driven Lack Peugeot travelling from his House to the Headquarters of Dar Al Haddassa in West Beirut when four gunmen in a Mercedes Benz blocked his Way at 8 15a.m., police said. One gunman put a pistol to the head of Abdo s lebanese Driver Rafik Suleiman while the three others jerked the Engineer out forced him into the Back seat of the Mercedes and sped away the kidnappers ook with them the keys to Abdo s car and his Headquarters of Dar of Haddassa. The company is an engineering consultancy that has several branches in the Middle East. All 400 employees of the company blocked the streets leading to the head quarters to protest the kidnapping. The company s managing Board issued statement saying the company would close Dawn indefinitely unless Abdo was released before Sundown. Abdo has been living and working in West Beirut for More than 30 years a associate said. He is married and has one son and two Dar Al Handau official speaking on condition of anonymity said Ahdo s a Duclion appeared to be inc latest in a series of Ransom kidnappings that plagued West Beirut in the lost three months. Several such previous abductions were hushed up by the families of the victims who paid lavish ransoms to win the free Dom of their loved ones the spokesman said. He could not give specific figures however. The renewal of gunpoint kidnapping is evidence of the collapse of a syrian sponsored Security plan launched lost summer to reestablish Law and order in West Beirut. Armed militiamen who vanished from the streets when the plan began last october have returned. Shootouts and car in cats Are again Al most a daily occurrence and fewer peo ple Are venturing out Al night tuesday january 6, 1967 the stars and stripes Page 9 new York Cardinal John o Connor left with israeli foreign minister Shimon fens in Jerusalem. Differences with israeli officials not resolved Catholic prelate says Jerusalem a Cardinal John o Connor said he had a very Friendly meeting monday with foreign minister Shimon Peres at his Jerusalem Home but that their differences on the palestinian question were not bridged. The 75-minute visit followed a face saving agreement reached sunday be tween the roman Catholic archbishop of new York and israeli leaders to hold in formal meetings at their Homes rather than their offices under the agreement o Connor me sunday with president Chaim Herzog at the presidential residence. The meeting was held in the building s office Wing but the archbishop said it was an informal visit that did not violate a Vatican ban on meeting israeli leaders in their Jerusalem offices. The 66-year-old prelate wore a Black priest s suit instead of his Robes to Bot meetings in an apparent Effort to stress the visits informality. O Connor and Peres said they discussed he Arab israeli conflict but refused to elaborate. The archbishop said Peres and other israeli leaders with whom he discussed the palestinian Issue a flared a very under standing response but the does t mean there s agreement the palestinian Issue at use Core of the Middle East conflict is one of the key differences Between the jewish state and Ine Hoty Sec which implicitly recognizes Israel but refuses to establish diplomatic Vatican funds numerous Aid projects for palestinian refugees uprooted when Israel was founded in 194ft, and favors the establishment of a palestinian state. The Church also does not recognize israeli sovereignty Over Jerusalem. O Connor told reporters monday he foresaw no Quick change in Vatican policy. The holy see has Tome grave con Cerns he said. While i cannot speak officially my understanding is until the holy see would be satisfied thai these concern scan be appropriately resolved it would maintain its position toward of pressure from the Vatican o Connor last week cancelled meeting with Herzog pc Rej and prime Minuter Yitzhak Shamir in their Jerusalem offices. Shamir and Peres initially refused to meet o Connor anywhere lunged his mind when o Connor agreed to meet Herzog on sunday Al the presidential residence. Thai made o con nor the highest ranking Church official to meet an israeli Leader in the disputed City. Vatican spokesman Joaquia Navarre said in Rome before o Connor made Bis visit that the meetings did not violate Vatican policy because they were Only acts of he noted that Pope John Paul ii met Peres at the Vatican in 1985 when the latter was israeli prime minister and that Pope Paul i received is Cali prime minister Golda Mei Rathe Vatican in 1973. Faa Steps up investigation of ufos sighting Anchorage Alaska a the Federal aviation administration has stepped up its investigation of wavering lights that trailed a Japan air line cargo Jet across Alaska s night sky for nearly an hour in november an official said sunday we re looking Al it to ensure that somebody did t violate airspace we control said Faa spokesman Paul Steucke. We looked at it about six weeks ago but since then we be gotten a lot of Public interest so we went Back Ana re interviewed the the Veteran Pilot Kenji Terauchi told investigators that two of the lights were Small perhaps no larger than eight fret across Fly said the third Light was on an aircraft a huge darkened Globe with a diameter of perhaps two aircraft carriers placed end to and Stucke said. Terauchi said the Large ufos showed up on his cockpit weather radar. But images on military radar screens at the time were dismissed As clutter and 3 Blip that showed up on Faa screens was Analysed As a coincidental Isil Majc of the aircraft Steucke said. Radar tapes transcribed interviews and radio messages Are to be sent to the Faa in Washington d.c., later this week for review Stucke said. A Jal spokeswoman sunday said Terauchi was on a flight to Europe and was unavailable. Flight 1628, with a three Man Crew left Iceland on nov. 17 with a Load of wine bound for Tokyo from Paris. Terauchi and his Crew boarded the Boe ing 747 in Iceland for the leg of the trip to Ancho rage. The evening sky was Clear As the Jet cruising at 525 knots crossed into Alaska from Canada just Northeast of fort Yukon. As the plane flew a 35,000 feet Terauchi said he saw three lights eight Miles i front of his aircraft. The Pilot reported the lights were yellow Amber and Green Steucke said not red the International color for aircraft Beacon. The two smaller ones moved a link but changed their Angle. The smaller one did not show up on the weather radar inboard Steucke said. The larger one did. It appeared to him it might be to Uible Ihal the lights might be Esiau i pipes they kind of watered but did no blink his main concern was or ing to determine whether he was overtaking another air Steudle Wrd the Pilot reported he dimmed cockpit lights to ensure he was not seeing a reflection. He flew for about six minutes before he decide to report Stucke said. I can t say i blame him for Terauchi radioed Anchorage Faa air controllers who direct All aircraft traffic in the state except for planes near airports is Eulce said. Fairbanks con trollers checked their screens but saw Only flight 1628, Luecke said. The Pilot reported the object was slaying with him and controllers told him to Lake any evasive action needed. Terauchi decreased Altitude to 31,000 feet but the lights went Down with him in formation Steucke said. South of Fairbanks Terauchi turned the plane in a Complete Circle to see if the lights would follow. That was pretty Clever Steucke said. It allowed him la eliminate any natural phenomenon which would have Ila cd the lights i j e with he cargo Jet and moved to its left Side the Pilot told the Faa the lights vanished heading cast when the Jal jul Mas about so Miles North of Anchorage so cuke did
