CIA-RDP96-00789R002500070010-7

Approved For Release 2001/03/07 : CIA-RDP96-00789R002500070010-7
LILL WASITINGTUI
23 October 1987 - Washington Post
Islamic Jihad Threatens New Acts in Gulf
By Nora Boustany
Special to The Washington Post
BEIRUT, Oct. 22-The pro-
Iranian Islamic Jihad organization
warned today that thousands of
martyrs are waiting to launch sui-
cide missions in the Persian Gulf
region, hinting that the United
States' vulnerability in confronting
Moslems will be demonstrated
within days.
On the eve of the fourth anniver-
sary of the twin truck bombings of
the Beirut headquarters of U.S.
Marine and French peace-keeping
troops, the group delivered a type-
written communique to the offices
of a western news agency, accom-
panled by photographs of American
hostage Terry Anderson and miss-
ing French journalist Jean Paul
Kauffmann. The statement made no
reference to the hostages.
:
"The next few days will expose to
the world the true dimensions of
American strength in confronting
Moslems," the statement said. "On-
ly the cowardly rulers in the region
have illusions about .. . this paper-
thìn capability.
Enclosed with the statement
were color photographs of the Ma-
rine and French headquarters be-
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL/REUTER.
Captors issued photos of hostages Jean-Paul Kauffmann (left), Terry Anderson.
fore they were bombed, two
minutes apart, killing 241 American
and 58 French servicemen.
"There are thousands of the likes
of our martyrs in the gulf today
awaiting the right moment to recre-
ate the glory of Moslems and
Islam," the Iranian-backed group
warned.
Its statement came two days after
Tehran vowed to avenge Monday's
U.S. attack on an Iranian oil platform
in retaliation for a missile that hit a
U.S .- flagged Kuwaiti tanker.
After the 1983 bombings in Bei-
rut, Islamic Jihad said, all the Unit-
ed States could do was "gather the
limbs of its soldiers and flee from
the fists of Moslems in Lebanon."
"We have eliminated the heads of
American intelligence in the area,
and our determination to strike,
again at the proper time and place
is still firm," it added. Islamic Jihad
previously had announced the ex-
ecution of William Buckley, the CIA
station chief in Lebanon, after his
kidnaping in March 1984.
Approved For Release 2001/03/07 : CIA-RDP96-00789R002500070010-7