Islamic Jihad Threatens Muslim Summit in Kuwait

The kidnapers who hold American and French hostages threatened on Friday to attack Kuwait if an Islamic summit is held as scheduled in the Persian Gulf emirate.

Islamic Jihad (Islamic Holy War) made the threat in a statement delivered to a Western news agency with a picture of American hostage Terry A. Anderson.

The communique did not mention Terry Waite, an Anglican Church envoy who is in Muslim West Beirut trying to negotiate the release of foreigners held hostage in Lebanon.

Tied to Khomeini

Islamic Jihad is believed to be made up of Shia Muslims loyal to Iran’s revolutionary leader, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The underground group has demanded the release of 17 comrades imprisoned in Kuwait for bombing the American and French embassies on Dec. 12, 1983.

Non-Arab Iran says it will boycott the summit of the 46-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, due to open on Jan. 26, on the grounds that Kuwait favors Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War, which is now in its sixth year. Iraq is an Arab country like Kuwait, which insists it is neutral.

In its Arabic-language statement, Islamic Jihad said: “We warn all that in case this summit was held, we might be compelled to stage a negative action from which the loss will cover all and the biggest loser will be Kuwait--the government, officials and institutions.”

2 Americans Held

The terrorists claim to hold Anderson, chief Middle East correspondent of the Associated Press; Thomas Sutherland, acting dean of agriculture at the American University of Beirut, and at least three French hostages.

“It is absurd to hold this summit in Kuwait, which pretends to be Muslim while it holds in its jails those who stood up and struggled for the Muslims’ glory, the humiliation of the arrogant ones and the removal of American and French hegemony,” the statement said.

It was considered authentic because of the picture of Anderson, who was kidnaped March 16, 1985. Islamic Jihad has said only statements accompanied by such photos are genuine.

Anderson’s picture was similar to one released Nov. 15 and appeared to be among several taken at the same time. He had a mustache and wore a dark shirt.

Hussein Called ‘Criminal’

The communique described President Saddam Hussein of Iraq as “the criminal who imposed the war which is victimizing both the Iraqi and Iranian peoples on the orders of his American masters.”

They also criticized admission to the Islamic summit of President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and King Hassan II of Morocco because of their links with Israel.

Egypt signed a U.S.-sponsored peace treaty with Israel in 1979, and Hassan played host to Shimon Peres, then prime minister of Israel, last summer.

Waite has been in Lebanon five days on his fifth visit since November, 1985, seeking the release of hostages. He has been instrumental in securing the release of three Americans held by Islamic Jihad in the past 16 months.

Meets Muslim Cleric

He met for one hour Friday with the Lebanon’s most influential Shia Muslim cleric, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah.

“We have had a very extensive conversation about the problem of hostages in Lebanon,” Waite told reporters after the meeting at Fadlallah’s house in West Beirut.

“We have agreed that the best way for this problem to be resolved is to be resolved on humanitarian basis,” Waite said.

The white-bearded Fadlallah gave the same view in Arabic. Neither man gave any further information about their meeting.

Earlier in the day, Waite met Sunni Muslim Premier Rashid Karami. After the 45-minute meeting, Waite promised relatives of Lebanese kidnaped during the long civil war that he would try to help find out what happened to them.

About 50 women with placards demonstrated in the lobby of his hotel and chanted “Help us, Waite!”