Two Britons in Beirut Feared Kidnap Victims

Two British teachers at the American University of Beirut are missing and feared kidnaped, university sources said today.

The missing men were identified as Leigh Douglas, 34, a political science professor, and Philip Hatfield, director of the university’s International Language Center.

The university sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the men were last seen Friday night at a nightspot in Muslim West Beirut.

“No one has seen them since then,” a friend of the men said. “We’ve left notes in their apartments inside the AUB compound, but got no reply.”

No Credit Claimed

Police said they had no report on the two men and no group has claimed to have kidnaped any Britons in Lebanon in the last few days.

British Ambassador John Gray said he had unconfirmed reports that the two Britons had been kidnaped. He would not comment further.

The Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Muslims has held British writer Alec Collett hostage since March 25, 1985. His kidnapers have demanded the release of three Arabs convicted in London of the 1982 attempt to assassinate Israeli Ambassador Shlomo Argov.

Meanwhile today, a last-minute snag prevented a 45-man French cease-fire observer force from completing its withdrawal from the Beirut battlefield, a senior French diplomat said.

‘We Have a Problem’

“We’re not leaving so soon because we have a problem, and that is the ambassador’s (former) residence. We don’t know whom to give it to,” the diplomat said.

France--the only Western nation still helping rival Christian and Muslim militias monitor cease-fire violations--ordered the force home by Wednesday, saying its mission had become impossible.

France decided to pull out its observers when it faced increasing hostility from Muslim fundamentalists and no immediate signs of a lasting cease-fire among factions who have fought a civil war since 1975, sources said.

The observers had been deployed in four posts in the greater Beirut area. They have lost nine men since arriving in Lebanon in March, 1984, at the request of the Lebanese government and rival Christian and Muslim militias.

“Our job is definitely finished,” one French officer said as he emerged cautiously into the street from the headquarters as sniper fire crackled overhead.

“Things are probably not going to improve around here.”