European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 1, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 28 the stars and stripes monday August 1,1988 pro iranian rejects Call to free Higgins Hasbey Lebanon up a Leader of the pro iranian Hezbollah group sunday rebuffed a . Call to free kid napped . Marine it. Col. William Higgins and said Higgins abduction was linked to american intelligence activities in South Lebanon. Sheikh Abbas Almusawi a key figure among lebanese shiite clergymen guid ing the Hezbollah also virtually acknowledged that the iranian inspired shiite moslem militia group is holding him. Higgins presence in Southern Leb anon constituted one of the most danger Ous schemes against our anti israeli guerrilla struggle. We consider abduct ing that agent As part of defending our nation Muslawi said. The Higgins affair is linked to our struggle against the israeli enemy and to combating american bases and their presence in the Region Muslawi said in apparent reference to the . Military deployment in the persian Gulf where Iran and Iraq have been fighting a nearly eight year War. The Case of Higgins is also related to american intelligence activities against our moslem struggles in Southern Leb anon the bearded fundamentalist Cler Gyman told a rally in the shiite Village of mesh Hara 19 Miles Southeast of Beirut. In his response to a Call by the . Security Council on Friday to release Higgins Muslawi said that according to american Media reports Higgins was spying on Hezbollah s activities in the South. Higgins 43, was commander of the 75-member . Truce observation organization when he was kidnapped feb. 18 near the port City of Tyre in Southern Lebanon. He was snatched from a . Vehicle after a meeting with officials of Hezbollah s rival pro syrian amal Mili Tia group in Tyre. The Clandestine organization of oppressed people on Earth believed to be a faction of Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the abduction of Higgins and charged that he spied for the Cia in Southern Lebanon. . Officials have denied on several occasions the charges that Higgins was a spy describing the allegations As non the White House and state depart ment last week rejected any deals in response to a feeler from iranian parliament speaker Hashemi a Sfanjani s calling for the United states to release part of $ 1 billion in Frozen iranian assets in Exchange for Iran s help in freeing the hostages. The funds were part of iranian assets Frozen in 1980 by former president car Ter after the nov. 4, 1979, seizure of the . Embassy in Tehran and the taking of 52 american hostages. All 52 of the hostages were freed 444 Days later on the Eye of president Rea Gan s first inauguration. Secretary of state George Shultz said sunday he would Welcome a meeting with the iranian foreign minister who is in new York for indirect .-mediated talks on ending the Iran Iraq War but he repeated the . Rejection of exchanging financial favors for the hostages release. Besides Higgins eight other Ameri cans Are believed held hostage in Leb anon. They include associated press Middle East Bureau chief Terry Anderson 40, who was abducted in March 1985 and is the longest held american hostage Lebanon. In news briefs 9 die As vacationers bus crashes into truck in Spain Vendrell Spain up nine people died and More than 50 were injured sunday when a bus packed with vacationers slammed into a Tow truck authorities said. The Accident occurred when the 75-seat bus collided head on with the Tow truck on a High Way near the town of Vendrell 225 Miles East of Madrid. Officials said it appeared that one of the bus tires exploded causing the vehicle to swerve into the path of the oncoming truck. The bus ran off the Highway and overturned several times witnesses said. Seven adults and two children died in the crash and More than 50 people were injured a government spokesman in the provincial capital of Tarragona said. The provincial government spokesman said there were 74 people aboard the bus. Most of them were from nearby Barcelona and were headed for the Southern Region of Andalusia for August vacations. Forty five people have died in Road accidents in Spain since the annual August Holiday Migra Tion began Friday traffic officials reported. Plo from Page 1 Tion As confirmed by the glorious uprising of the pales Tinian people under occupation he said. We assure you that these measures do not mean the abandonment of our National duty either toward the Arab israeli conflict or toward the palestinian cause the King said in a 17-minute address broadcast on National television. He added these Steps were taken Only in response to the wish of the Palestine liberation organization. And the prevailing Arab conviction that such Mea sures would contribute to the struggle of the palestini an the King said no one outside Palestine has had or can have an attachment to Palestine or its cause firmer than that of Jordan or of my in Israel prominent palestinian Leader Faisal Hus Seini said sunday that Hussein was sending a Clear message to both the americans and the israelis with his recent moves. These Steps. Mean that everything must be transferred to the Plo and the Plo must be responsible for everything Here he said. Hussein is sending a message that there is no jordanian option there is no Way but the palestinian option through the seized the West Bank from Jordan and the Gaza strip from Egypt in the 1967 Middle East to two thirds of Jordan s 3.5 million population is of palestinian pays $50 million in salaries to teachers Law yers and other employees who work in Arab institutions in the West Bank. The King affirmed his commitment to the support and assistance for the palestinian people until they achieve their National goals god guerrilla attacks slowing pullout of Sov efs afghan Leader says Peshawar Pakistan a an afghan Resis Tance Leader said saturday that guerrilla attacks in Afghanistan Are delaying the red army s withdrawal and he urged the rebels to hold off on the raids and let the soviets leave. Radio Kabul reported that rocket attacks killed at least five people in the Eastern afghan City of Jalapa bad. It blamed the attacks on moslem guerrillas. The saturday report monitored in Pakistan said 34 rockets blasted the City about 75 Miles East of Kabul Afghanistan s capital. It said 11 people were injured. If the soviets Are really withdrawing and not bring ing problems and harm to the areas they Are withdraw ing from they should let them go resistance Leader Burhanuddin Rabbani told the associated press. I believe the soviets should go sooner and we should not Stop under terms of a .-mediated Accord signed april 14, the soviets began withdrawing their troops from Afghanistan in May and Are to have them All out by february. The red army entered Afghanistan in 1979 to support the government in its War with anti marxist guerrillas. Rabbani said the soviets hesitate to withdraw from a Post when guerrillas begin to apply pressure because they Don t believe the afghan army can sur Vive alone. So they Are making their withdrawal movement slower than before he said. Rocket attacks on the afghan capital have prompted foreign embassies to reduce their staffs and encourage dependents to leave the country. In a single week in mid july As Many As 200 rockets blasted the capital Western diplomats said. Britain plans to evacuate 10 of its citizens from Afghanistan this week because of fears of increased guerrilla attacks on Kabul the foreign office said sat urday. It has advised 98 others to leave the War torn coun try. That includes 45 britons and 53 citizens of other countries that Britain represents in Afghanistan including citizens of Australia new zealand and Fin land. Iraq will keep Finger on trigger Nicosia Cyprus a Iran said its forces Recap tured a town on the Western War front sunday and repelled two iraqi attacks. Iraq warned it would main Tain its Finger on the trigger until peace is assured in the persian Gulf. An iranian envoy said his country will do its Best to cease attacks on shipping in the Gulf and he said he expected . Flags to be removed from kuwaiti tank ers soon. Tehran radio said sunday that iranian forces Liber ated the town of Asre Shirin overnight and repelled a feeble enemy offensive farther North killing or wounding hundreds of iraqis. On saturday Iraq announced its forces had with drawn voluntarily from Asre Shirin after achieving their objective of disrupting iranian Supply lines and capturing prisoners. In Baghdad the iraqi capital the army newspaper Al had Ishiyah said that until genuine peace is assured we will maintain our Finger on the we Are not so foolish As to be bluffed by this game and let the dead body Iran Rise again and relaunch aggression against our country the newspaper said. Iranian Deputy foreign minister Ali Mohammad Besharati asked whether his country would continue to attack Neutral ships in the persian Gulf said we will try to do our Best not to violate anything. So that Resolution 598 will come into the envoy said Tehran s relations with Washington could be improved if obstacles were removed citing hostile . Actions against Iran. He said he expects the american Flag to come Down from kuwaiti tankers soon against the Back ground of cease fire talks. Bomb destroys offices in Paris Paris a an explosion and fire Early sunday caused by a bomb destroyed the offices of the trendy left leaning monthly Magazine Globe. Officials said a fireman was badly injured when befell from a Terrace while fighting the Blaze. The origin of the blast was not expected to be revealed officially until monday but employees of the Magazine and press reports said it was caused by bomb. Culture and communications minister Jack Lang called the blast an act of barbarity and there was no claim of responsibility. For the past two and a half years we be receive threats from racist organizations said Globe official Georges Marc Benamou. Police said the explosion occurred at 3 30 . Inthe second floor offices of the Globe. About 30 people were evacuated As the fire began spreading to apartments in the seven Story building. A firefighter was injured police said. No one was in the Globe offices in the opera District at the time. Agency France Presse the French news Agency quoted informed sources As saying the blast was set off by two Gas bottles connected to a fuse. The television station tf1 reported earlier that the blast was caused by a Home made bomb. The door was forced open a bomb was placed inthe newsroom and the doors and windows were blown out Asp quoted an unidentified Globe employee atthe scene As saying. All the archives the new layout were Globe s july August Issue featured an article entitled sexy civilization and another headlined the right and extreme right its thugs and
