HIJACKING OF TWA FLIGHT 847:

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 03493

TERREP

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PTER EAIR LE US
SUBJECT: HIJACKING OF TWA FLIGHT 847:
SITUATION AS OF 0945 ZULU

REFS: MCDONALD/OPSCENTER TACSAT TELCONS 6/14/85


1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.


2. AT 1153 LOCAL (0853 Z),HIJACKED TWA FLIGHT 847
FROM ATHENS TO ROME LANDED AT BEIRUT AIRPORT.
HIJACKERS THREATENED TO KILL AN AMCIT CURRENTLY
BEING HELD IN COCKPIT IF AIRCRAFT DID NOT RECEIVE
40,000 LB OF FUEL. MONITORED COCKPIT/TOWER RADIO CONVERSATIONS
INDICATE THAT HIJACKERS ARE BEATING PASSENGERS AND
PILOT. ACCORDING TO VOICE OF LEBANON RADIO, A PSP
OFFICIAL IS REPORTEDLY AT AIRPORT TO CONDUCT
NEGOTIATIONS WITH HIJACKERS. AT 0910 ZULU, AIRCRAFT
APPROACHED TERMINAL BUILDING; PLANE THEN MOVED TO
FUEL HYRDRANT AND, ACCORDING TO ASSISTANT AIRPORT
MANAGER, REFUELING BEGAN AT 0912 Z.


3. ACCORDING TO "VOICE OF LEBANON" RADIO AND MFA, THE
HIJACKERS BELONG TO THE "MUSA SADR (EL-HUSAYN)
SUICIDE BRIGADE." THIS IS THE SAME SHIA GROUP THAT
CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ALIA HIJACKING
JUNE 11-12. THEY ARE SAID TO BE THREE IN NUMBER AND
TO BE ARMED WITH THREE MACHINE GUNS AND FIVE HAND
GRENADES. AT LEAST ONE OF THE HIJACKERS REPORTEDLY
SPEAKS WITH A LEBANESE ACCENT CHARACTERISTIC OF THE
BIQA' VALLEY.


4. EMBASSY HAS ESTABLISHED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE
AIRCRAFT FROM THE AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE IN YARZE.
EMBASSY IS ALSO MONITORING AIRCRAFT/CONTROL TOWER
COMMUNICATIONS.


5. MFA INFORMED US BEFORE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN THAT
GOL (PRIME MINISTER KARAMI AND INTERIOR MINISTER
SKAFF) HAD TAKEN DECISION NOT TO ALLOW THE PLANE TO
LAND. WE OBSERVED, HOWEVER, NO ATTEMPTS TO BLOCK
THE RUNWAY. NEITHER THE GOL NOR THE AIRPORT
AUTHORITIES HAVE CONTROL OF THE AIRPORT. DE FACTO
CONTROL LIES IN THE HANDS OF THE PSP, AMAL, AND
OTHER MILITIAS PRESENT AT THE AIRPORT. WHILE
AIRBORNE, ONE OF THE HIJACKERS REPORTEDLY PULLED THE
PIN FROM A GRENADE, AND THE PILOT SAID THAT HE WAS
GOING TO FORCE A LANDING WITH OR WITHOUT GOL
PERMISSION. TRANSPORATION MINISTER JUMBLATT
REPORTEDLY ORDERED THAT THE PLANE BE ALLOWED TO LAND
WHEN HE LEARNED IT WAS SHORT OF FUEL.


6. THE HIJACKERS HAVE NOT MADE KNOWN ANY DEMANDS
OTHER THAN TO REQUEST FUEL.


7. AMBASSADOR IS URGENTLY ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT
AMAL AND PSP LEADERS AND MIDDLE EAST AIRLINES
OFFICIALS IN AN ATTEMPT TO HALT THE BEATING AND TO
ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE PASSENGERS SHOULD THEY BE
DEPLANED HERE. WE DO NOT WANT THE AMCIT PASSENGERS
TO BE REMOVED FROM THE AIRPORT FOR ANOTHER LOCATION
IN WEST BEIRUT, BUT RATHER PLACED ON THE NEXT
AVAILABLE OUTBOUND FLIGHT.

BARTHOLOMEW