EVENING STANDARD ARTICLE ON US CAPTIVES IN

UNCLAS LONDON 06332 E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PREL UNSC LE IS XF SUBJECT: EVENING STANDARD ARTICLE ON US CAPTIVES IN LEBANON REF: RAPHEL/STANTON TELCON 31985 ¶1. PARAGRAPH 2 CONTAINS ARTICLE FROM THE STANDARD OF MARCH 19, 1985 ENTITLED "TORTURE ORDEAL OF KIDNAPPED US DIPLOMAT". THE ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BY THEODORE LEVITE IN TEL AVIV. ¶2. BEGIN TEXT: AN AMERICAN DIPLOMAT KIDNAPPED BY LEBANESE EXTREMISTS IS BEING PARADED AROUND THE COUNTRY IN AN OPEN TRUCK AND PUBLICLY TORTURED AND HUMILIATED. THE MAN SAID BY THE KIDNAPPERS TO BE THE HEAD OF THE CIA IN BEIRUT, WAS SEIZED LAST MARCH BY THE FANATICAL SHI'ITE HIZBOLLAH ORGANIZATION. THE CIA CARAVAN--AS THE KIDNAPPERS CALL IT--GOES FROM ONE SHI'ITE VILLAGE TO ANOTHER IN LEBANONS BEKA'A VALLEY ATTRACTING HUGE JEERING CROWDS WHILE THE PRIZE HOSTAGE IS FORCED TO TAKE PART IN THE "SHOW". SHI'ITE SOURCES IN SOUTH LEBANON REPORTING THE STORY POINT OUT THAT HIZBOLLAH IS TOTALLY CONTROLLED BY IRAN AND ACTS ONLY ON ITS DIRECT ORDERS. THE ORGANIZATION HAS ADMITTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WEEK- END KIDNAPPING OF TWO BRITONS AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BUREAU CHIEF IN BEIRUT MR. TERRY ANDERSON. -- THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE CAUSED THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HURRIEDLY TO EVACUATE THE REMAINING AMERICAN DIPLOMATS FROM BEIRUT TO CYPRUS. THE HIZBOLLAH GROUP IS BELIEVED TO BE CURRENTLY HOLDING FIVE AMERICANS, TWO BRITONS, AND SEVERAL OTHER FOREIGNERS. UNITED NATIONS SOURCES IN SOUTH LEBANON POINT OUT THAT IT IS THE SHI'ITE FANATICS WHO PRESENT THEIR HOSTAGE AS A CIA CHIEF--SOMETHING THE AMERICANS HAVE NEVER ADMITTED BEYOND CONFIRMING THAT ONE OF THEIR DIPLOMATS IN BEIRUT IS MISSING, BELIEVED TO BE HELD HOSTAGE. THE KIDNAPPED AMERICAN IS THOUGHT TO BE MR. WILLIAM BUCKLEY, A POLITICAL OFFICER AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN BEIRUT. HE WAS SEIZED IN WEST BEIRUT NEAR HIS EMBASSY WHEN HE WAS FORCED INTO A WHITE CAR AND DRIVEN AWAY AT GUN-POINT. A VIDEO FILM RELEASED IN JANUARY SHOWED HIM AND TWO OTHER KIDNAPPED AMERICANS, MR. JEREMY LEVIN AND MR. BENJAMIN WEIR. -- MEANWHILE ISRAEL WAS PREPARING A TOUGH NEW DEFENCE LINE ON ITS BORDER WITH LEBANON TODAY, AIMED AT PREVENTING TERRORIST INCURSIONS AFTER THE ARMY WITHDRAWS. MILITARY CHIEFS SAY THE WITHDRAWAL COULD COME AS QUICKLY AS JUNE DESPITE OFFICIAL ESTIMATES THAT ISRAELI SOLDIERS WILL BE OUT OF LEBANON BY SEPTEMBER. ARMY ENGINEERS ARE WORKING DAY AND NIGHT IN THE NEW DEFENCE LINE, MOST OF THE DETAILS OF WHICH ARE HIGHLY SECRET. ONE OFFICER SAID, "WE'RE NOT BUILDING A GREAT WALL OF CHINA, BUT OUR AIM IS TO ENSURE THAT NO MADMEN DRIVING A CAR BOMB WILL BE ABLE TO GET INTO ISRAEL." SPORADIC FIGHTING ERUPTED TODAY BETWEEN THE LEBANESE ARMY AND THE RIGHT-WING CHRISTIAN MILITIAMEN NEAR THE SOUTHERN CITY OF SIDON AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF CLASHES IN THE AREA YESTERDAY. END TEXT. ¶3. BEIRUT MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. PRICE