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