SUDAN: BLACK SEPTEMBER COMMANDOS GUARD SAUDI EMBASSY DURING KHARTOUM SIEGE: SCENES OUTSIDE PRIOR TO KILLING OF THREE WESTERN DIPLOMATS.

Record ID: 233146

  • Title: SUDAN: BLACK SEPTEMBER COMMANDOS GUARD SAUDI EMBASSY DURING KHARTOUM SIEGE: SCENES OUTSIDE PRIOR TO KILLING OF THREE WESTERN DIPLOMATS.
  • Date: 2nd March 1973
  • Summary: 1. GV Embassy 0.03 2. SV Guerrilla on balcony 0.06 3. GV Crowd 0.10 4. SV Guerrilla on balcony 0.13 5. GTV Crowd 0.16 6. SV Guerrilla 0.24 7. SV Second guerrilla holding machinegun 0.29 8. SV Guerrilla on balcony 0.32 9. SV People watching from roof and roadway (2 shots) 0.38 10. GV Children waving 0.38 11. SV Guerrilla waving back 0.45 12. SV Police 0.51 13. SV Guerrilla watching from balcony 0.56 14. SV Armed police 0.58 15. SV Two guerrillas 1.02 16. GTV Crowd on roadway 1.05 Initials BB/0007 TH/AS/BB/2350 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 17th March 1973 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KHARTOUM, SUDAN
  • Country: Sudan
  • Reuters ID: LVA3JM2WNVX06VJE67XCQBSZGJRD
  • Story Text: The siege of the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Khartoum want into its third day today (Saturday). Seven Black September commandos continued to hold the building after shooting three of the five diplomats they took hostage on Thursday evening.

    Several of the commandos where filmed yesterday prior to the killings, as they patrolled the balcony of the four-storey embassy. Occasionally one would wave to the crowds of Sudanese gathered in the street below.

    The siege began on Thursday night when the commandos stormed an Embassy reception and took their five hostages. The commandos demanded the release of Fatah guerrillas held in Jordan and of Sirhan Sirhan, the convicted killer of Senator Robert Kennedy, now in jail in California. Unless these demands were met, and an aircraft put at their disposal, they threatened to kill their hostages.

    Twenty-four hours after the seizure, people outside the Embassy heard a burst of shots. The commandos later announced that they had executed three hostages because their demands had not been met. The three dead were United States Ambassador Cleo Noel, his deputy Curtis Moore and the Selgian Charge d'Affaires Guy Eid.

    In their latest threat, the commandos said that they will blow themselves up, together with their two remaining hostages, if Sudanese troops are sent in against them. The two diplomats still being held late on Saturday night were Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Al Malhouk and the Jordanian Charge d'Affaires Adli El Nasr.

    SYNOPSIS: At the Saudi Arabian embassy in Khartoum, the latest drama in the Palestinian struggle for independence unfolded on Friday. Black September guerrillas patrolled the balcony of the building. Curious crowds waited below. Seven commandos had taken over the building the previous evening -- storming an Embassy reception and seizing five hostages. They threatened to kill the hostages unless Jordan released Fatah captives, and the United States released Sirhan Sirhan, the convicted killer of Senator Robert Kennedy.

    A wave from children brought an acknowledgement from a commando on the balcony. But at the same time, tension rose as the Sudanese cabinet discussed the commandos' demands. Deadlines passed. The commandos renewed their threats. And later on Friday night, newsmen heard gunfire from the Embassy. Three hostages had been executed -- U.S. Ambassador Cleo Noel, his deputy Curtis Moore and Belgian Charge d'Affaires Guy Eid.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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