U.N. Security Council Assails Hijacking

The Security Council, in a unanimous statement, Wednesday welcomed the release of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro and its surviving hostages but condemned the “unjustifiable and criminal hijacking.”

Council President Vernon A. Walters, the U.S. ambassador, read a statement on behalf of the 15 member nations that was composed and approved by consensus after three hours of closed-door meetings.

“The members of the Security Council welcome the news of the release of the passengers and the crew of the cruise ship Achille Lauro and deplore the reported death of a passenger,” the statement said. “They resolutely condemn this unjustifiable and criminal hijacking as well as other acts of terrorism, including hostage taking. They also condemn terrorism in all its forms . . . .”

India Requested Meeting

The council met at the request of India to discuss the overall question of the Middle East, but after reading the statement, Walters adjourned the session until this morning without calling on any of the scheduled speakers.

The declaration, largely drafted by Danish Ambassador Ole Bierring, was believed to be the first condemnation of terrorism itself by the council. Bierring said he also believed it was the toughest statement on the subject to be endorsed by the Soviet Union, one of the five permanent members of the council. The four others are the United States, France, China and Britain.

Terrorism has been a touchy subject at the United Nations because of its association with national liberation movements. A Western drive to write an international convention against terrorism in 1978 was stalled by Soviet Bloc and Third World nations, who saw it as an attempt to suppress liberation movements.

Instead, the debate produced a convention against the taking of hostages and a second treaty directed specifically against aerial hijacking--and neither specifically mentioned terrorism.

One diplomat, who spoke on condition that he not be identified, attributed Soviet willingness to sign Wednesday’s statement to the recent kidnaping of four Soviet diplomats in Beirut. One of the Soviets was killed by his captors.