On Tape, Tearful Glass Says He Worked for CIA

American hostage Charles Glass, looking haggard in a videotape released today by his kidnapers, choked back tears as he read out a poorly written statement that he was a CIA agent in Lebanon.

“Many of you only know me as a journalist, but few know the truth. . . . I used the press as a cover for my main job with the CIA. . . . I came back to Lebanon on secret missions from the office of the CIA in London,” the former TV reporter said.

Glass also said he was involved in plotting the recent assassination of Premier Rashid Karami.

The White House and Glass’ former employer, ABC, both denied that Glass was a CIA agent and said he spoke under duress.

The tape, delivered to the West Beirut office of a Western news agency, did not show Glass’ captors, and it was not clear whether the statement had been prepared for him. In an accompanying statement, the kidnapers said that they were interrogating Glass, whom they grabbed nearly three weeks ago, and that the “people . . . will judge those traitors.”

Choked While Talking

“I used the press as a cover for my main job with the CIA,” said the unshaven Glass, who looked broken and choked several times while speaking. The voice quality was very poor, making it difficult to hear exactly what Glass was saying.

“I collect information for the benefit of the CIA. For that I made secret missions, they ordered me to do that,” he said. “I’m actually the CIA agent in the region and the Middle East, I made many secret missions to this area.”

“I met many Christian leaders. . . . I made Dany Chamoun go to the U.S.A. and meet the officials,” Glass said in the videotape. “We also discussed what we should do as to the assassination of (Premier) Rashid Karami and how we can make another government to go with the coming presidential elections.”

Karami, who was pro-Syrian, died June 1 in a bomb explosion aboard his helicopter.

Dany Chamoun, son of former President Camille Chamoun, heads the right-wing Christian National Liberal Party, which is known for links with Israel. The younger Chamoun visited the United States in June and met with U.S. officials.

Muslim and leftist leaders have accused Israel and right-wing Christian militias of murdering Karami in collaboration with a Lebanese army officer. The Christian militias and the Lebanese army deny it.

“I want to send all my love to my family. I love you,” the 36-year-old Glass said at the conclusion of his five-minute statement. The videotape showed him from the waist up, wearing a dark blue track suit.

Glass’ father, attorney Charles Glass Jr., said this morning that he wants to see the videotaped message before making any comment. When contacted, he was watching television at his law office in the Los Angeles suburb of Gardena, waiting to see the tape.

In Washington, White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater denied that Glass is a CIA agent.

“The history of these kinds of videotapes suggests that they are often done under coercion, and perhaps even under torture, but obviously I have no direct information on this particular videotape,” Fitzwater said.

In New York, ABC News President Roone Arledge said: “Our hope remains that Charlie will be released immediately to return safely to his wife and five children.

“It is well known that a hostage under duress can be forced to make false statements which should not be accepted as valid. This is such a case,” Arledge said.