Terrorists Threaten to Harm Hostages

LARNACA, Cyprus--The hijackers of a Kuwaiti jumbo jet offered to trade passengers for fuel yesterday and threatened to crash the aircraft into Kuwait's royal place. They also warned of a "slow and quiet massacre" of their hostages if their demands were not met.

A flight engineer said the hijackers, who are demanding the release of 17 pro-Iranian terrorists imprisoned in Kuwait, had started to hurt one of the passengers.

In a statement yesterday, the hijackers threatened to kill their captives if their demands for refueling and the release of 17 terrorists from Kuwait were not met. One of the hijackers radioed that they plan to take the jet to Kuwait, according to airport officials.

"And if Kuwait refuses us, a crash landing will take place on the...prince's palace," one hijacker radioed the control tower, referring to the ruling emir of the oil-rich state.

It is believed there are still 53 people aboard the Kuwait Airways Boeing 747, including three members of Kuwait's ruling Al-Sabah family and at least six hijackers.

In Lebanon, a pro-Iranian group threatened to kill kidnapped American and French hostages if any attempt was made to storm the plane. A statement from the Islamic Jihad terrorist group was delivered to the Reuters news agency in West Beirut, along with photographs of journalists Terry A. Anderson, an American, and Jean-Paul Kauffmann of France.

"To the families of the hostages, we declare that we shall execute the Western captives in Lebanon if the plane and holy warriors [hijackers] aboard are subjected to any military foolhardiness," the statement said.

In Cyprus, the Arab hijackers, who have killed one passenger since seizing the plane Tuesday, threatened to kill their captives, but a noon deadline passed without any additional slayings.

One minute before a second deadline expired four hours later, the engineer, relaying the hijackers' messages to Larnaca Airport control tower, said: "They've already started to hurt one of the passengers." He gave no details.

Later, the hijackers offered to free 20 of the passengers in return for fuel, but that request was rejected at Kuwait's insistence.

Negotiators talked with the hijackers for 20 minutes late Monday and Cypriot government spokesman Akis Fantis said, "There was an important contact right now, and by tomorrow morning we shall know the result that we would hope to be what we wish to have."

"It's the same offer always, the release of the hostages for fuel," he said. "There is no change in the offer. We want the hostages to be released, then we refuel. But there is a new element, not changing the offer, but maybe changing their attitudes. The element is good and gives a certain hope and that's all."

Fantis did not elaborate and when asked about the mood of the hijackers he said, "They wished us a good night." He then was asked about the possibility of police action and he replied. "No comment."