Cable No. 159, Foreign Minister to the Consul-General, Frankfort, 'Problem of the Release of the American Hostages'

Number: 064648-001

Draft Telegram

Drafted:  July 31, 1985

Primary: Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau Director-General

To: Consul-General, Frankfurt      

From: Foreign Minister

Problem of the Release of the American Hostages

No. 159 Secret Top Urgent

(Limited Distribution)

To: Consul-General Nomura From: Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau Director-General Miyake

I request that you deliver immediately the following to Ambassador to Syria Kato, who is now in your area on leave to manage his health. (In addition, I ask that you take care in handling the contents of this telegram so that they do not leak to the outside.)

1. There has been a high-level request from the US side, from President Reagan down, for our side’s cooperation, including that of Prime Minister Nakasone, in regard to the problem of the release of the seven American hostages who remain in Lebanon.

2. I think that our side, using the connections of dialogue that it has with Syria and Iran, needs to strive, to the extent possible, in some form for the release of the hostages.

3. Therefore, from such a point of view, the plan for this matter is, together with issuing instructions for the oral delivery of a special message from Minister Abe to Foreign Minister Shara, to dispatch Ambassador Nakayama as early as next week as the Prime Minister’s special envoy. (End)