Office of the Historian

10. Intelligence Information Cable Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency1

Washington, November 7, 1979

COUNTRY

  • Arab States/Iran

SUBJECT

  • Dispatch by Yasir Arafat of PLO Delegation to Tehran [1 line not declassified]

SOURCE

  • [1 line not declassified]

1. On 6 November 1979 Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasir Arafat approved the dispatch of a PLO mission to Tehran for the purpose of freeing American Embassy personnel currently being held as prisoners in the Embassy.2 The PLO delegation, which was dispatched from Kuwait on 7 November, consists of three of Fatah’s top officials: Hani al-Hasan, Political Advisor to Arafat and until recently PLO Envoy to Tehran; Khalil al-Wazir, Fatah Military Chief; and Brigadier Sa’d al-Sayil, a Fatah military leader. Arafat believes that the dispatch of this delegation is a good-will gesture toward the United States (U.S.) Government and hopes that as a result, PLO relations with the U.S. will be improved.

2. ACQ: [date not declassified]

3. [less than 1 line not declassified] Dissem: [1 line not declassified]

  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East File, Box 30, Subject File, Iran, [Retained] 11/1/79–11/15/79. Secret; [handling restrictions not declassified].↩
  2. [name not declassified] contacted Arafat, who immediately agreed. (Message, November 8; Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 29, Iran 11/1/79–1/14/79)↩