Reagan Won’t Press Beirut Hostage Trade

President Reagan told the Associated Press Managing Editors Assn. today that his Administration will not pressure the Kuwaiti government to release 17 terrorist prisoners in exchange for six Americans held hostage in Lebanon because that would “place many more innocent Americans at risk.”

Responding to the association’s invitation to reply to hostage families’ demands that the Administration make more vigorous efforts to free the hostages, Reagan said in a letter to association President James Daubel:

“I can assure you that numerous efforts have been undertaken to secure the release of the hostages, although in general we have said little publicly about these efforts.

“We are convinced that publicity about the details of our dialogue, whether through official or private channels, tends both to increase the incentive for the captors to retain the hostages and to discourage third parties who might be helpful in resolving the situation but who wish to remain shielded from public recognition.”

‘Will Not Concede’

Reagan reiterated his Administration’s willingness to talk to the hostages’ captors, “either through direct talks with the kidnapers (or their representatives) or through third parties” but insisted “we cannot and will not concede” to their extortion demands.

“Despite our intensive efforts to establish a dialogue, the kidnapers thus far have shown little inclination to talk, instead insisting that we capitulate to their extortion demands,” the President’s letter said.

On Tuesday, the sister of hostage Terry Anderson, chief Middle East correspondent for the Associated Press, told the editors that Reagan has worked harder to free others taken captive in foreign lands, including Moscow-based American journalist Nicholas Daniloff.

Peggy Say challenged the editors to join the struggle to free her brother and the other Americans held hostage in Lebanon.

The newspaper editors immediately dispatched a tape of the panel discussion to Reagan, asking for his response before the close of the convention today.

‘Question the Commitment’

After reading the President’s reply, Daubel commented:

“We question the commitment, we question the priority that is placed on this matter.”

Informed of Reagan’s response today, Say charged that by refusing to negotiate the captors’ demand for the Kuwaiti prisoners’ release, “we have held them to that demand.”

“I continue to believe that there is something else that would be acceptable to both sides, but we need to talk to them to find out what that is,” she said.