The World - News from Dec. 8, 1985

Lebanese Shia Muslim leader Nabih Berri blamed the United States for the continuing captivity of two kidnaped Frenchmen, but he promised to intensify his efforts to secure the release of all hostages held in Lebanon. Berri’s statement was prompted by Israel’s release Thursday of a Lebanese prisoner held for 15 months. Berri said the prisoner was one of two kept at Israel’s Atlit detention camp after the release of of nearly 700 Shias and Palestinians held there. He said the two Frenchmen would have been released with the passengers of a TWA jetliner hijacked in June if the United States had pressured Israel to release the two Atlit prisoners along with the others.