ABSTRACT
As of early May 1989, 18 foreign nationals were being held hostage in Lebanon. At least 12 of them had been kidnapped by Hizballah: nine Americans, a British citizen, a Belgian national and an Iraqi. Fatah Revolutionary Council was also believed to be holding two British citizens. Additional foreigners--an Italian, an Irishman, an Iraqi and an Iranian national--were believed to be held by other Lebanese militant elements. In May 1989 Hizballah was apparently involved in another attempt to influence the outcome of the aforementioned trial in West Germany. Some West German citizens were abducted in Sidon, but were released within a short period of time. The kidnappings conducted by Hizballah in Lebanon were generally directed by Iran. In a similar vein, the fate of the hostages was influenced to a large extent by internal developments in Iran as well as within Hizballah, and by the consequent changes in the relationship between them.
