TALKING ABOUT ABU NIDAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 03266


TERREP

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PTER, PREL, SY, LE, IS
SUBJ: TALKING ABOUT ABU NIDAL

REF: STATE 165238

1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT

2. THE RECENT INSTRUCTION TO ATHENS CONCERNING
ABU NIDAL ACTIVITIES IN SYRIA PROMPTS US TO SUGGEST
SOME ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS FOR POSSIBLE FUTURE USE
IN DISCUSSING THIS DIFFICULT SUBJECT WITH FRIENDS
AND ALLIES.

3. WE HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE HERE OF CONTACTS BY
ABU NIDAL REPRESENTATIVES WITH SYRIAN INTELLIGENCE
OR WITH ABU NIDAL OPERATIVES WHO PASS THROUGH SYRIA,
SO IT IS DIFFICULT TO SUGGEST THAT THE TWO
OFFICES HERE ACT AS A BASE OF SUPPORT FOR ABU NIDAL
OPERATIONS.

4. HOWEVER, IN TWO OTHER IMPORTANT WAYS, ABU
NIDAL FIGURES IN DAMASCUS SEEM TO WORK HAND IN GLOVE
WITH THE MAIN BODY OF THIS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
IN LIBYA. FIRST, LOCAL EUROPEAN EMBASSIES IN
DAMASCUS HAVE RECEIVED VISITS OF LOCAL ABU NIDAL
OFFICIALS IN THE AFTERMATH OF ATROCITIES IN AUSTRIA,
ITALY, FRANCE AND PERHAPS ELSEWHERE. THE LINE IS
INVARIABLY THE SAME, VERY SOFTLY BUT FIRMLY SUGGEST
THAT THE DEATHS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE IS REGRETTABLE
BUT THE ABU NIDAL ORGANIZATION HAS EVERY RIGHT
TO CARRY OUT SUCH ACTIVITIES AGAINST ISRAELI
TARGETS. THEN, IN SOME VERY CAREFUL, INDIRECT
SENTENCES, THE OFFICIALS SUGGEST THAT IT SHOULD
BE POSSIBLE TO AVOID FUTURE OPERATIONS OF THIS
SORT BY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS. NO TERMS HAVE
BEEN SET IN THE INSTANCES WE KNOW OF AND EXPLICIT
OFFERS OF NEGOTIATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE. INSTEAD,
THE DOOR IS OPENED. IT IS INTERESTING BY-PRODUCT,
AND MAYBE A COINCIDENTAL ONE, THAT WITH ABU NIDAL
REPS IN DAMASCUS EUROPEANS INVARIABLY ASK SYRIA
TO INTERVENE WITH ABU NIDAL AND HELP THEM RESOLVE
THEIR PROBLEMS WITH TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS.
THE PRESENCE OF THESE ABU NIDAL OFFICES IN DAMASCUS,
THEREFORE, SERVES TO SUBTLY ENHANCE THE OPPORTUNITIES
SYRIA HAS TO PLAY A DIPLOMATIC ROLE.

5. THE OTHER FUNCTION OF THESE OFFICES IS INDEED
CULTURAL AND INFORMATIONAL, AS PRESIDENT ASAD HAS
CLAIMED, AND IT CONSISTS OF ABU NIDAL REPS HANGING
OUT IN LOCAL HOTELS AND COLLARING FOREIGN JOURNALISTS
AND OFFICIALS. INTERVIEWS ARE OFFERED IN THE BIQA',
ALONG WITH ESCORTS AND GUARANTEES OF SAFETY. ONE
CBS CREW VISITING DAMASCUS IN THE PAST WEEK SPOKE
QUITE FRANKLY OF THEIR DISCUSSIONS IN THE SHERATON
ALONG THESE LINES AND SAID THAT IF AN APPROPRIATE
INTERVIEW WERE ARRANGED, THAT IS WITH AN APPROPRIATE
OFFICIAL, CBS WOULD TAKE ITS CAMERA CREW IMMEDIATELY.
HOWEVER, SYRIANS DO NOT NECESSARILY APPROVE THESE
CONTACTS BY ABU NIDAL REPRESENTATIVES, AND HAVE ACTED
QUITE HARSHLY AGAINST SOME JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE TRIED
TO FOLLOW THEM UP, BUT THE FACT REMAINS THAT SYRIA
PROVIDES ABU NIDAL WITH A PULPIT AND A STAGE WHICH
WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO REPRODUCE ELSEWHERE.


RANSOM