I have notice from Senator Connor of the following motion: The need for the Minister for Foreign Affairs to increase the diplomatic effort at the appropriate level to secure the release of Brian Keenan, an Irish citizen held hostage in the Lebanon.
Adjournment Matter: Irish Hostage in Lebanon.
I raise in the House this evening the sad twilight predicament of Brian Keenan from Belfast, an Irish citizen who is a hostage held by Islamic fundamentalists in Beirut. Mr. Keenan is now 37 years of age. At the end of 1985 Mr. Keenan moved from Belfast to Beirut, where he got a job as a lecturer in English at the American University. On the morning of 11 April 1986 he was abducted on his way to work very close to the gates of the American University. All the evidence seems to suggest that his abduction was a random one, as this was the high season for the kidnapping of Westerners in Beirut by the Islamic militant groups, chiefly the Amal Militia and Hezbollah. The rough association of these groups are: Amal are clearly identified with Syria and Hezbollah, the Party of God, is identified with Iran or, more correctly, with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. We now know this latter group, Hezbollah, hold Brian Keenan. Hostages, particularly American, British and French nationals, were seen by the Islamic fundamentalists, such as Hezbollah and Amal, as valuable negotiating pawns in their political demands and indeed blackmail of the governments of the western powers.
The first thing we must say about Mr. Keenan's nationality status is that he is an Irish citizen, sees himself only as an Irish citizen, and he holds an Irish passport. Naturally, since he is from Belfast, he is also seen and often described as a British subject. But he is, by his own and his family's absolute insistence, Irish and an Irish citizen; and, of course, he is guaranteed his Irish citizenship by the Constitution of this State; and by his own choice he holds and always travelled on an Irish passport. Since his abduction there have been shifts from time to time from optimism to pessimism and vice versa about his safety. But the latest clear indications are, and they are from reliable sources, that he is alive and in the hands of, as we have said earlier, of Hezbollah. Mr. Jean Paul Kaufmann, the French journalist released last May, has confirmed that he spent a period during his imprisonment as a hostage with Mr. John McCarthy, the British journalist, and he confirmed that for a period Mr. McCarthy was held in the same place as Brian Keenan. Mr. Kaufmann was able to confirm this and also that Hezbollah are the people holding Brian Keenan.
Since Mr. Keenan's abduction the Irish Government have done all possible to secure his release. Immediately after the confirmation of his captivity the then Foreign Minister, Deputy Peter Barry, wrote to the Syrian Foreign Minister seeking help for the release of Mr. Keenan, explaining, of course, that Mr. Keenan was an Irish citizen, and there followed an amicable exchange of letters from the Foreign Affairs Minister in Damascus and our Minister. However, nothing came of these exchanges — primarily, I suppose, because the Syrians held little or no influence over his captors. There was ongoing diplomatic activity using our friendly relations with Arab and Islamic countries in the quest to effect his release. It is absolutely true that this quiet diplomacy continued under Deputy Brian Lenihan as Minister for Foreign Affairs.
We were somewhat hamstrung by the fact that we do not have an ambassador in Damascus; and at the time Mr. Keenan was taken we were running down and indeed closing down our Embassy in Beirut, primarily because we felt that in the prevailing anarchy of that city a full diplomatic presence was needless. We did not and we do not have a full diplomatic presence in Teheran even though we have a full embassy there.
All of these diplomatic removes hampered us in direct contacts with those in positions of power who could influence at least somewhat the hostage takers. But in many ways, we must admit, quiet diplomacy was the appropriate way to proceed in the very charged and dangerous atmosphere that followed the attacks on international shipping in the Gulf, the threat to close the gulf of Hormuz, the US attack on Libya and a myriad of other crises and incidents in that part of the world over the past two years or more. But now there is every sign that matters are changing. This was proved by the dramatic release of the French hostages last May after the intervention of Mr. Jacques Chirac, the then French Prime Minister. Recently we had the visit and the obvious warm reception of an all-party British parliamentary delegation to Teheran to plead for the release of Terry Waite and the other British hostages in Beirut, and for the release of Roger Cooper and Nicholas Nicola, both British subjects who are charged with spying in Iran. The delegation returned home very optimistic that Terry Waite and the others are alive and that the atmosphere for their release is greatly improved. The delegation were also very optimistic that Mr. Cooper and Mr. Nicola would be shortly released from jail in Iran. No doubt there will be some form of diplomatic quid pro quo if Terry Waite and the other hostages are released along with Mr. Cooper and Mr. Nicola.
The new more friendly attitude towards the west in Tehran is obviously the result of recent setbacks in the Gulf War, the failing health of Khomeini and the passage of power to the Pragmatists, led by Rafsanjani who want better relations with the West, to end Iran's isolation and to somehow get a way out of the cul de sac they find themselves in as a result of this awful war with Iraq. The Irish Government must take full advantage of the changed atmosphere in Tehran. There is no doubt that Rasfangani and his Ministers hold a major influence over Hezbollah in Beirut — Jacques Chirac proved that — and we must talk directly to the effective leaders in Tehran about Brian Keenan. The Taoiseach spoke to the Iranian Foreign Minister last month at the UN in New York, and all credit to him for doing so. But none of us can escape the impression that this diplomatic initiative has stalled and is now getting nowhere. This is why we call this evening, through this motion, for yet another diplomatic initiative at the appropriate level; and, if that means that the Taoiseach or the Minister should contact directly and talk to the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, then let that be the way we go about it.
The diplomatic thaw has created an atmosphere and a time to talk, and we believe that that time is now. Tomorrow or the day after another incident in the gulf or somewhere else could blow the new air of détente to pieces. The reputation of Ireland as a non-aligned country, with a nightmare colonial past, is well known in the Middle East and we have plenty of friends in the Arab or Islamic world. It is a question of using the advantages we have in that part of the world. In delicate situations like this — I fully appreciate it — I know it is terribly difficult to judge the right moment to act but I and many more believe the time to act is now. I do not believe we will be asked for a lot in return.
Again, I ask the Minister to seize the opportunity which is quite obviously being offered and, in the words of our motion, we ask again that a new diplomatic initiative, at the highest possible appropriate level, be made to the authorities in Tehran. Of course, the purpose of this initiative would be the release of this Irish citizen, Brian Keenan.
First, I welcome the opportunity of Senator Connor's motion to place on record what has happened since Mr. Keenan's abduction. The Government, and I should add their predecessor, have been most concerned at the disappearance and enforced captivity of Brian Keenan, an Irish citizen and the holder of an Irish passport. I know that the House will appreciate the need for sensitivity in cases such as this but I would like to take the opportunity of this debate to outline to it the principal steps we have taken in Lebanon, with other countries in the Middle East and elsewhere to establish Mr. Keenan's whereabouts and to secure his safe release. I agree with almost everything Senator Connor has said but I cannot accept his suggestion that any changes in our embassies or in our staff have lessened in any way our commitment in the Keenan case.
First, however, let me extend sympathy to his family and friends who have had to endure the past two years without any first hand information on Brian's whereabouts or wellbeing. Their courage and determination is an inspiration to us all, just as the support of his friends and neighbours and the people of Belfast, as recently demonstrated so vividly, is of great comfort to the family.
Brian Keenan, a lecturer in English at the American University in Beirut, has been missing, believed kidnapped, since 11 April 1986. No organisation has claimed responsibility or made any demands in respect of his abduction. At the time of his kidnapping, the Irish Embassy in Beirut and the staff there made extensive inquiries with the Lebanese authorities, the Syrian military forces and local Muslim groups. Two of the largest groups, AMAL and PSP, conducted internal investigations and indicated that none of their members were involved. There has been speculation over the past two years that other groups in Lebanon may be responsible but extensive inquiries have not been able to confirm this. Since the move of our Embassy to Baghdad, our ambassador there and the First Secretary have travelled regularly to Lebanon to make further inquiries. These have involved AMAL, PSP, Hezbollah, Syrian and Lebanese authorities, as well as members of the Lebanese Government. The Ambassador has also made appeals on Lebanese television and has arranged the placing of advertisements and press releases in the Beirut newspapers — on several occasions incorporating messages from Mr. Keenan's family — emphasising that Mr. Keenan was an Irish citizen and appealing for information about him. In addition, the Minister for Defence, Deputy Michael Noonan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Vincent Brady, have on recent visits to UNIFIL availed of the opportunity to raise the matter with the Lebanese authorities.
However, the Government from an early stage did not confine their efforts to Beirut. Almost immediately after Brian Keenan disappeared, the Government contacted at very senior level both the Syrian and Iranian Governments. The matter was raised with the Syrian authorities at Damascus and received a very favourable response. Contact with the Syrian Government has been maintained since then directly by ministerial contact — both Deputy Barry, the former Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Foreign Affairs have written to the Syrian Foreign Minister — and at diplomatic level.
Similarly, we advised the Iranian authorities of our concern as far back as April 1986 and the matter has been raised with them on several occasions both here in Dublin and in Teheran. I myself raised the issue with a visiting high level Iranian delegation in October last year and was assured of Iranian goodwill in the case. In April last the Minister for Foreign Affairs wrote to his Iranian counterpart seeking his help in the matter.
As Senator Connor stated, earlier this month the Taoiseach personally raised the question with the Iranian Foreign Minister while both were attending the United Nations Special Session on Disarmament at New York and the Iranian Foreign Minister undertook to instruct his Ambassador at Beirut to make inquiries in the matter. Our chargé d'affaires in Teheran has since been told that these inquiries are under way. The contacts about the search for Brian Keenan goes on continuously. It is not a stop/go situation, as suggested by Senator Connor.
In a third and wider circle of contacts we have discussed the case with US, French, German, British, Republic of Korea and Swedish authorities for any information they may have obtained from the debriefing of their own released hostages. The Irish Embassy at Paris has also had discussions with the released French hostages.
It is, of course, Brian Keenan's family who are, in effect, secondary hostages of whoever are holding Brian. My Department have from the outset endeavoured to keep them informed of what we have learned and of the steps we have taken on their relative's behalf. Both the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs have separately met them and reassured them that we will make every effort to establish Mr. Keenan's whereabouts and to effect his early and safe release.
I think the House will see from the outline I have given that the Government have been active on Mr. Keenan's behalf at political and diplomatic level. I can assure the House that these efforts will continue. Our aim has been, and will continue to be, the safe and early release of Brian Keenan and his return to his family.
The Seanad adjourned at 10.20 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 29 June 1988.