McFarlane Bid to Trade Self for Hostages Told

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The Speaker of Iran’s Parliament says former National Security Adviser Robert C. McFarlane offered to trade himself for American hostages in Lebanon, Tehran’s official news agency reported Thursday.

Hashemi Rafsanjani said McFarlane made the offer during a secret visit to the Iranian capital last year, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Eight of the 26 foreigners missing in Lebanon are Americans. Most of the hostages are believed held by pro-Iranian Shia Muslim groups.

The news agency quoted Rafsanjani as saying that McFarlane and others who traveled with him told Iranian officials they would stay as Iran’s hostages in return for release of the Americans.

‘Not Taking Hostages’

“We told them we are not taking hostages and this is not the task of a government or our policy,” Rafsanjani was quoted as saying. “If you are our friends, we will intercede and if you are our enemies, we will not do so and this is our right.”

In Washington, White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater told reporters he did not know anything about Rafsanjani’s assertions concerning McFarlane.

Iran and the United States said last November that McFarlane and other American officials had visited Iran in an effort to establish ties with Iran’s fundamentalist government.