Waite, Ex-Hostages to Meet on How to Free Captives

Church of England envoy Terry Waite has summoned three former American hostages to London to explore “further steps” in efforts to free remaining captives in Lebanon, church officials said today.

Waite, personal envoy of the Archbishop of Canterbury, will confer Sunday and Monday with former hostages Father Lawrence Martin Jenco, the Rev. Benjamin Weir and David Jacobsen, in what Jenco called a session to “brainstorm” the problem.

They will be joined by representatives of the American Episcopalian, Presbyterian and Roman Catholic churches, Church of England spokeswoman Eve Keatley said in London.

“The purpose of the meeting is to provide an opportunity for debriefing together and for the churches to discuss further steps in the humanitarian efforts to seek the release of hostages held in Lebanon,” Keatley said.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, will meet with the participants at Lambeth Palace on Monday, she said.

Waite, the archbishop’s personal envoy, was believed to be instrumental in the releases of Weir and Jenco.

Weir was freed Sept. 14, 1985, followed by Jenco last July 26. Jacobsen was released Nov. 2.

In Joliet, Ill., Jenco said, “We will come together to brainstorm and to once again focus the hostage issue on humanitarian and religious grounds.”

At a news conference today in Orange, Calif., Jacobsen addressed his one-time captors directly, imploring them to release Americans still held in Lebanon.

“I trust, Haj, that you will release Terry Anderson and Tom Sutherland and assist in the release of hostages held by others,” Jacobsen said in his first news conference since he returned home.

“In my conversations with you about democracy, peace, education and the history of your people, my feelings have not changed. I pray that the poor people you represent will someday enjoy the benefits that every human being deserves.”

Jacobsen, who was held hostage for 17 months, declined several times to discuss details of his release or any efforts being made to free the remaining hostages.

“Mere speculation can be misinterpreted and frighten the people holding the remaining in Lebanon. Their captors might overreact and kill Terry, Tom and the others,” he said.

Jacobsen said he was physically well treated and that his captors presented birthday cakes and sang “Happy Birthday” to the hostages.

But he told reporters, “I am not a victim of the Stockholm syndrome,” a psychological condition in which kidnap victims become sympathetic to their captors.