Word: syrians
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...fact, a sickening sight: The newly released hostages pictured in their first news briefing beneath the all-knowing gaze of Syrian President Hafez el-Assad. We had to thank our suddenly pro-Western friends, Iran and Syria, for their deep concern for human life...
...Sebbagh sisters--Laura, 28; Mazal, 26; Farah, 20--and their 18-year-old cousin, Eva Saad, were caught at the border, raped and murdered by Syrian authorities, who then stuffed the women's disfigured bodies in trash bags and dropped them off at their parents' doorsteps...
...mutual suspicion. In late October, without clearing the move with Perez de Cuellar, Picco instructed the Beirut U.N. information office to announce that an American would be released within 24 hours. The announcement forced the kidnappers to honor their side of the agreement by delivering Jesse Turner to Syrian officials. Four weeks later, Waite and Thomas Sutherland were freed, setting the stage for the end of the hostage drama. In a key session on Nov. 30, Picco received a timetable for the release of Joseph Cicippio, Alann Steen and, finally, Terry Anderson...
...that Western agents could never get close enough to them to keep track of precisely where they were holding the hostages. But Syria could have helped, according to a Western intelligence report that reached the Israeli government. The report claimed that whenever and wherever the hostages were moved, "the Syrians get an update." The report further claimed that Syrian President Hafez Assad asked his close aides to determine whether it was in his interest to help the Americans get their hostages freed. The unanimous recommendation was no, but Syria might profitably help France retrieve its captives...
...collapse of the Soviet Union and the cutoff of most of its aid carried a blunt message to Syria, another major backer of terrorists. There was no longer any likelihood of becoming a regional superpower with armaments supplied by Moscow. As Iran took a more moderate course, Syrian President Assad had to worry about becoming isolated if he continued to support the extremist factions...