IRANIAN, SYRIAN OFFICIALS MEET ON HOSTAGES

CIA-STARGATE

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Summary: A senior Iranian envoy met with Syria's foreign minister to discuss efforts to free Western hostages held in Lebanon by pro-Iranian Shiite Muslim militants. The meeting aimed to coordinate efforts between Syria and Iran to gain the release of the hostages. Syria, Iran's main Arab ally, has assisted in the release of Western hostages in the past and has a significant military presence in Lebanon. The Iranian envoy delivered a cordial message to the Syrian foreign minister, including an invitation to visit Tehran and meet with the Iranian president and spiritual leader. The envoy also met with senior Shiite Muslim figures in Beirut to discuss the hostage issue. The length of the process to secure the hostages' release is uncertain, but there is a genuine desire by the Iranian president to end the ordeal. The majority of the Western hostages in Lebanon are believed to be held by Shiite Muslim groups loyal to Iran.

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Body:  -  rowor;Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R000400020005-1
 IVIOIVDAY,MASCi!
 Iranian, Syrian
 Officials Meet
 On Hostages
 Associated Press
 DAMASCUS, Syria, March 4-A
 senior Iranian envoy met today with
 Syria's foreign minister and dis-
 cussed efforts to free Western hos-
 tages held in Lebanon, an informed
 source said.
 The Syrian source, who refused
 to be identified further, said the
 meeting between Iranian diplomat
 Mahmoud Hashemi and Syrian For-
 eign Minister Farouk Charaa "ap-
 pears to be to coordinate efforts
 between the governments of Syria
 and Iran to gain the release of all
 the hostages" held by pro-Iranian
 Shiite Moslem militants in Lebanon.
 Syria, Iran's main Arab ally, has
 been instrumental in helping re-
 lease Western hostages in the past.
 It has 40,000 troops deployed in
 much of Lebanon.
 The source said Hashemi, the
 brother. of. Iranian President All
 Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, delivered
 "a very cordial message" to Charaa
 from Iranian Foreign Minister Ali
 Akbar Velayati, including an invita-
 tion for him to visit Tehran to meet
 with Rafsanjani and Iran's spiritual
 leader, Ayatollah All Khamenei.
 The source said Hashemi arrived
 here after a visit to Beirut, where
 he met with senior Shiite Moslem
 figures on the hostage issue.
 "Nobody can be precise, about
 how long the process will take.
 There appears to be a genuine de-
 sire by the Iranian president to end
 this ordeal. But there are still dif-
 ficulties," the source said.
 h
 Most of t
 e de ~~      o r Re l e
 anon, who include e          n ,
 se 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R0d0400020005-1
 are believed held by Shiite Moslem
 groups loyal to Iran.