Magazine Cites Unnamed Islamic Sources as Saying Waite to Be Freed Next Week

The magazine that broke the story of American arms sales to Iran reported Friday that hostage negotiator Terry Waite is in captivity but will be freed next week.

In the latest in a series of unconfirmed reports on Waite’s fate, the weekly Al Shiraa quoted unidentified Islamic sources in Beirut as predicting that the Anglican Church envoy will be released “after the U.S. military storm in the Mediterranean settles down.”

It was referring to the flotilla of U.S. warships stationed off Lebanon. U.S. officials have said they are scaling down the buildup and that no attack is planned.

The Anglican Church has said it cannot confirm that Waite, who disappeared Jan. 20 on a mission to negotiate the release of foreign hostages, is being held against his will.

A ‘Segregated’ Case

Al Shiraa quoted Islamic sources as saying that Waite’s case is “segregated from the rest of the foreign hostages held in Lebanon.”

“These sources consider the lack of a public responsibility statement for his abduction or detention leaves the door open for negotiations concerning him,” the magazine said. It did not say who is holding Waite.

“Waite’s release requires only a completion of formalities and security arrangements,” the magazine said, adding that this would be done by next week.

It quoted the same sources as claiming they “acquired solid information that Waite is a CIA operative and had been recruited to play the role of mediator for the release of the foreign hostages.”

‘Message Traffic’

The magazine said that during negotiations with Waite there was “traffic of messages abroad and answers back.” It did not say who was involved in the negotiations.

CIA spokesman George Lauder in Washington vehemently denied the accusation that Waite was associated with the agency.

“The accusation is too ridiculous to warrant any comment,” he said. Usually, the agency declines to comment on accusations that specific individuals are agents.

Waite was last seen by reporters when he left his West Beirut hotel Jan. 20 to begin secret talks with the captors of American hostages Terry A. Anderson and Thomas Sutherland. His disappearance prompted an ongoing flurry of rumors, speculation and reports impossible to confirm.

Cab Drivers’ Report

In the most recent such report, two Lebanese taxi drivers said Thursday that they saw Waite walking in a southern Beirut suburb with an armed escort. Waite is 6-foot-7 and towers above the average Lebanese.

In another Friday development, Irene Faffler, dean of Beirut University College, was evacuated from West Beirut, where most of the kidnapings have taken place.

Police said that Faffler, 50, of St. Paul, Minn., left Beirut’s Muslim sector shortly before noon and was taken to the U.S. Embassy in a Christian suburb, seven miles north of the capital. Embassy officials said Faffler would soon leave Beirut for Cyprus.

About a dozen American women, including educators and wives of foreign hostages, remain at Beirut University College and the American University of Beirut, embassy officials said.

Order to Leave

U.S. officials last month ordered U.S. citizens in Lebanon to leave the country and set a deadline after which their passports will be invalidated.

The order came after 11 foreigners, including three Americans were reported kidnaped in West Beirut during a two-week period. A total of 25 foreigners, including eight Americans, are missing and believed kidnaped in Lebanon.