As negotiations proceeded fitfully last week, the deadly sport of Hide the Hostage began to resemble a sophisticated version of the children's game Operator. Each party to the negotiations, whether dealing openly or behind the scenes, relayed its demands to Javier Perez de Cuellar. The U.N. Secretary- General transmitted each message to a third party, who in turn cried, "Operator!" requesting that the communication be repeated, clarified or amplified. Perez de Cuellar then went back to the first party, bearing new details, fresh analysis and cajoling reassurances.
While all this had the promising feel of an end game, the negotiations proceeded...
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