Ray of Hope : Envoy Tells Hostages’ Families He’ll Renew Effort

The British envoy trying to win the release of four American hostages in Beirut, including David P. Jacobsen of Huntington Beach, told members of their families Monday that he would renew his efforts this week and said he was optimistic the captors “will respond to common sense.”

Terry Waite spoke to the families from London via a special telephone hookup during a two-hour prayer vigil on the grounds of the Westminster Civic Center.

“I’ve reason to be optimistic because I’m in touch with the people, the captors, holding the four hostages,” he said. “I believe there is a way through, but it is difficult.”

Waite, who later spoke to the families privately by telephone, said he planned to return to Lebanon on Friday, make new contact with the captors and ask for a response to his negotiations.

“I do hope they will be able to respond to common sense, to reason in this case,” he said.

Waite, who is the personal representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury, also told the families that he was aware of their fears while they await word of the hostages’ well-being and their possible safe release.

“I’ll keep moving forward,” he assured them. “I’m cheerful and I certainly do not give up easily.”

The vigil, which was attended by about 250 people under clear skies and a chilling wind, was sponsored by the residents of the Hy-Lond Convalescent Hospital in Westminster. The group for several months has conducted a daily prayer for the safe release of the hostages. A similar prayer vigil was held last Aug. 30.

The Rev. Benjamin Weir and television journalist Jeremy Levin were scheduled to appear at the vigil but were unable to attend. Both recently were released in Beirut after being held for long periods.

The vigil was held for six American hostages being held in Beirut, but Waite is negotiating only for four of them: Jacobsen, director of the American University Hospital in Beirut; Terry Anderson, Beirut bureau chief of the Associated Press; Thomas Sutherland, dean of the university’s agriculture school, and Father Lawrence Jenco, head of Catholic Relief Services.

The families of Anderson and Jenco traveled to California from their homes in Ohio and Illinois to attend the prayer vigil.

William Buckley, a U.S. diplomat, reportedly was killed by his captors, but American officials have never confirmed his death. There has been no word on the fate of another American, Peter Kilburn, whose family also attended Monday’s prayer vigil.

Waite, who twice before has been successful in obtaining the safe release of British hostages in Iran and Syria, has been trying for the last month to gain freedom for the four Americans. He has met twice with their captors, who are believed to be members of the extremist Shia Muslim faction Islamic Jihad (Islamic Holy War).

However, the captors have demanded the release of 17 Muslims jailed in Kuwait for several bombings there in 1983 in return for the freedom of the Americans. The Kuwaiti government has refused to accede to that demand, and Waite has said he has no authority to demand such an exchange from the Kuwaitis.

Paul Jacobsen, son of the Huntington Beach hospital administrator, said his family remains optimistic that his father and the three other Americans will eventually be released unharmed.

“It is difficult right now because nothing seems to be happening. But I think we get optimistic just with (this) ceremony,” he said.