Report U.S. Efforts Aided in Release of Iraqi Jews from Prison

Diligent American efforts to obtain the release of the 35-42 imprisoned Iraqi Jews have apparently been successful, Sen. Jacob K. Javits announced today. The New York Republican released a letter he received from David M. Abshire, Asst. Secretary for Congressional Republican released a letter he received from that “according to reliable information all these arrested have been released.” Abshire wrote in reply to a letter from Javits to Secretary of State Rogers last month requesting U.S. intervention in behalf of the Iraqi Jews. The Senator wrote that according to his information “some 35-42 Iraqi Jews, including some dozen of the community’s chief leaders, are being held in prison either without trial or subject to secret trial.” He said the Iraqi Jewish community lived in an atmosphere of “terror” and was fearful of “a repetition of the trials and show executions that shocked the world two years ago.”

In his reply to the letter, Abshire pointed out that the U.S. has no diplomatic or consular relations with the Iraqi government. He detailed American efforts through other nations and parties. “When we first started receiving reports of arrests of Iraqi Jews.. we approached the British, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian and Swiss governments and asked that they consider interceding on behalf of those being detained,” he wrote. “In the meantime, we instructed the Belgians, who represent us in Baghdad, to express our concern to the Iraqi government about the plight of those arrested who were relatives of American citizens. We also exchanged information with the Israeli Embassy here in Washington. Finally, we were in close contact with Prince Sadruddin Khan UN High Commissioner for Refugees, who at our request stopped in Baghdad during an Asian tour and made personal inquiries and appeals to the President of Iraq on behalf of the Iraqi Jewish community. These approaches and appeals have apparently been successful and we are now pleased to report that according to reliable information all those arrested have been released. We will certainly continue to watch developments in Iraq closely and will endeavor to do what we can,” Abshire’s letter said.