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On arrival in Damascus, the airliner circled overhead for more than an hour while Syrian leaders discussed French and Dutch requests that the plane be allowed to land. Permission was finally granted for "human reasons," and the plane taxied to an isolated part of the airfield. After an hour of negotiations, the terrorists disembarked to be taken to an undisclosed location.
Apparently, the Japanese wanted to be turned over to representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization, one of whose commando groups has close contacts with the Red Army. Although the P.L.O. played a crucial role in getting the Japanese released, the Palestinians, who are trying to get recognition by the U.N., denied that they had taken custody of the men. At week's end their whereabouts remained a mystery. One thing, however, seemed highly probable: like 25 other Arab and Japanese hijackers who have surrendered to Arab governments in the past 20 months, the three men responsible for the latest terrorist incident would eventually be freed without punishment.