CIA-RDP96-00789R002100100008-0

Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R002100100008-0
AROUND THE WORLD . . .
15 Sept 88 -9
YA USA TODAY
SOVIET NUCLEAR TEST:
The Soviet Union conducted
an underground nuclear
blast Wednesday at its test
site in Semipalatinsk in cen-
tral Asia, the first ever to be
directly monitored by U.S.
scientists on Soviet territory.
SOLIDARITY MEETING: Soli-
darity leader Lech Walesa
and a government minister
meet today to prepare for
round-table talks between of-
ficials and opposition leaders
aimed at ending Poland's cri-
sis, the government said.
DISPUTES CHARGE: Con-
fessed hijacker Mohammed
Ali Hamadi denied that he
led the 1985 TWA hijacking
that claimed the life of a U.S.
Navy diver and held 39
Americans for 17 days.
SPANNING THE GLOBE: PLO
leader Yasser Arafat wished
Israel "Happy New Year" in
Hebrew, but Israeli officials
dismissed it as a public rela-
tions ploy. ... Masked men
killed a Palestinian and
dumped his body in Nablus
in the West Bank, the seventh
RANSOM REPORTED PAID
FOR HOSTAGE RELEASE
A $22.2 million ransom
was believed paid to win
the release of West Ger-
man Rudolf Cordes from
his captors in Lebanon, a
West German newspaper
reported Wednesday.
Despite strong denials
by his employer and gov-
ernment officials, the dai-
ly Bild said the money
was deposited into Arabi-
an bank accounts to se-
cure Cordes' freedom.
He arrived home Tues-
day after 20 months of
captivity by pro-Iranian
Shiite Moslems.
Said Wolfgang Schaeu-
ble, who heads West Ger-
many's Middle East crisis
group: "There were no
Reuters
CORDES: Employer, gov-
ernment deny story
deals. There were no con-
ditions."
Stern magazine said
Cordes' employer paid a
private detective to deliv-
er the ransom money.
slaying in three weeks of an
Arab suspected of collaborat-
ing with Israel.
AND IN KENYA: Thinking
about a little illegal elephant
hunting? Forget it, says Pres-
ident Daniel arap Moi, who
ordered park rangers to
shoot poachers on sight.
Goal: protect declining ele-
phant herds.
Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R002100100008-0