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Terrorism Review

12 February 1987

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Focus

Lebanon-The New Hostages

The arrest of a terrorist important to the radical Shia group Hizballah has launched a new round of kidnapings in Lebanon. The terrorist, Muhammad Hammadi_also one of the hijackers of TWA Flight 847—was arrested at Frankfurt airport on 13 January, as he attempted to smuggle liquid explosives into West Germany. Since then, gunmen have seized at least 12 foreigners in West Beirut. We believe that most of the new hostages were taken by elements of the Iranian-backed Hizballah, of which Hammadi is a member. A brother in Lebanon, Abd al-Hadi Hammadi, probably instigated the kidnaping of two West Germans, while other elements probably related to Hizballah have claimed responsibility for the abduction of several other foreigners, including three Americans. The new group of hostages also includes Terry Waite, the Anglican Church envoy who has been trying tînegotiate the release of foreign hostages in Lebanon since the fall of 1985 (b)(3)

Who is Responsible? Within four days of Hammadi's arrest, terrorists had seized their first hostage, a West German businessman named Rudolf Cordes. A second German, Alfred Schmidt, was taken three days later. Schmidt, a technician, had been installing equipment at Beirut University Hospital. On 24 January, Shia extremists kidnaped four professors-among them three American citizens—from Beirut University College. This brings to nine the number of American nationals now held hostage in Lebanon. The fourth professor, an Indian national, has resident alien status and carries a US passport. The terrorists apparently number him among the Americans.

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We believe that the recent kidnapings were carried out by elements of Hizballah.

two of the Hammadi brothers masterminded the recent operations in Lebanon with the help of several close associates. These men are longtime associates of Imad Mughniyah, leader of the Hizballah cell that controls US and other hostages in Lebanon. At least one of the Hammadis-Abd al-Hadi—is a security chief for Hizballah and oversaw the retaliatory kidnapings of the two Germans. Muhammad Hammadi was one of the hijackers of the TWA flight in June 1985 and is responsible for the death of an American serviceman and the detention of several dozen Americans. A third brother, Ali Abbas, was arrested in West Germany on 26 January. He apparently confessed to successfully smuggling liquid explosives into West Germany on the same flight as Muhammad.

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Settet DI TR 87-003 12 February 1987

Approved for Release: 2017/09/13 C05922883