The World : Hostage Escape Bid Told

Alann Steen, one of the U.S. hostages being held in Lebanon, briefly escaped but was caught and beaten by his terrorist captors, according to the Nov. 28 issue of Newsweek magazine. Fellow hostage Mithileshwar Singh, who was freed in October, told U.S. officials that Steen managed to get away but was turned in by neighbors in the Beirut suburb where he was held, the magazine reported. Singh and Steen were among four university teachers kidnaped in 1987. Singh said the four were kept in Beirut, usually chained and sometimes blindfolded, and were moved frequently because of fears of a U.S. rescue effort. He said he was treated better than the Americans because he is an Indian national.