The World - News from Dec. 9, 1985

Israel denied that it has freed a Lebanese Christian fighter as part of a deal with Shia Muslim guerrillas. Shia militia leader Nabih Berri said Saturday that Israel had released Tony abu Ghanem, a 20-year-old Christian who fought alongside Muslims against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. But a military spokeswoman said Israel had released all the Lebanese prisoners it held last September when it emptied its Atlit prison in northern Israel. “We have not released anyone (recently),” she said. “We’ve never heard this name before.”