"It's led me to believe it was put together more as a con operation than as a serious attempt to deal with the hostage problem."

Third, the President welcomed an elusive statement by President Rafsanjani of Iran that the hostage problem was "solvable."

But aside from the hostage problem, large spills of nerve and mustard gases could be neutralized by applications of caustic soda, sodium hydroxide, he said.

"In the meantime, I'm sure you'd like to know about the hostage problem."

Concern over Japan's hostage problem heightened with the disappearance of about 20 Japanese citizens from a Baghdad hotel over the weekend.

Mr. Picco was dispatched to Beirut last month when hopes were raised for a final resolution of the hostage problem with the release of two Western captives.

Fighting in Beirut The hostage problem is being played out here at a time of large-scale fighting between Lebanon's warring factions.

The emergence yesterday of a potential hostage problem of vast dimensions only emphasised that this is far too complex a crisis for gunboat diplomacy.

They came shortly after a high-ranking Iranian official and a Shiite Muslim leader predicted a breakthrough in the hostage problem.

Thus, Syria's interests in Lebanon's hostage problem are far more subtle and vital to Mr. Assad's survival as a regional power.