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From: cgeiger@ut-ngp.UTEXAS (charles s. geiger)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Re. Reagan's response
Message-ID: <1883@ut-ngp.UTEXAS>
Date: Mon, 24-Jun-85 10:50:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.1883
Posted: Mon Jun 24 10:50:53 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Jun-85 05:54:16 EDT
References: <2828@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: UTexas Computation Center, Austin, Texas
Lines: 28

> The distinction that has been made between today in Beirut and
> yesterday in Iran is quite clear.  There WAS a government policy
> involved and an identified group of officials, persons and property
> - an entire nation! - to address with 'force'.  There is nothing
> like that today in Beirut.

This isn't the way I remember the Iranian situation at all, nor is
it the way things are in Lebanon.

First of all, during the Iranian incident, the government
officially insisted at all times that the students who seized the
embassy were in control, not they.  The government said that they
were acting only as mediators.  Of course, this probably wasn't
true, but, although anti-Americanism was official policy, taking
the hostages wasn't.

Second, I don't know if you are aware of this, but Berri is saying
exactly the same thing now:  that he doesn't have control of the
hostages; instead, he is just acting as a mediator between whomever
and the hijackers, and that he *persuaded* the hijackers to move the
hostages as a precaution for the hostages' safety, him fearing that
a rescue attempt would wind up with the hostages getting killed.
Again, his claims may not be true, but it sounds almost *exactly* the
same, especially considering that Berri is Minister of Justice in
the official government and de facto head of another.

Charles S. Geiger
University of Texas