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Waite Mission Carried to U.S.

Episcopal News Service. December 5, 1985 [85243]

NEW YORK (DPS, Dec. 5) -- Terry Waite, secretary to the Archbishop of Canterbury for Anglican/International Affairs, made a brief trip here in late November as part of his continuing effort to gain the release of four American hostages being held by the Islamic Jihad group in Beirut.

The captors are reportedly demanding, in exchange for the hostages' release, the release of 17 people jailed after criminal convictions for bombings in Kuwait. Waite, who repeatedly emphasized that "my mission is purely humanitarian, initiated and supported by the Church. I am in no way an agent or in the employ of any government," would not say whether or not he had been in touch with the Kuwaiti government. He did, however, stress that he believed the Kuwaiti's had behaved fairly and honorably and that he did not wish to be perceived as exerting any kind of pressure on them.

During his time in the U.S., Waite stayed with Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop John M. Allin and briefed him and officers of the Presiding Bishop's Fund, as well as the secretary general of the United Nations, Vice President George Bush, who is an Episcopalian, other officials and Presbyterian and Roman Catholic leaders. In addition, he spoke with family members of hostages the Rev. Lawrence Jenco, a Roman Catholic priest, and Terry Anderson, chief Middle East correspondent for the Associated Press.

In his statements to the press, Waite said he believed the four hostages to be alive and well. He also noted that "there are other hostages -- Italian, French, British. There are a large number of Lebanese captured and held hostage. I will continue to make an appeal for all people who have been held hostage," adding "Those of you who are religious, I hope you will remember them in your prayers."

Waite has been instrumental in obtaining the release of hostages in Iran, Lybia, and, earlier this fall, the Rev. Benjamin Weir, who was also a Beirut hostage. He began his most recent effort in response to a request from the hostages to the Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury. Jenco, Anderson, David Jacobsen, director of the American University Hospital in Beirut, and Thomas Sutherland, dean of Agriculture at the American University, signed a widely-publicized letter from President Reagan that sparked the Archbishop's intercession.

Leaving New York for London to consult with Runcie prior to a return to Beirut, Waite said that while his time here had produced no changes, the talks "send us forward united, determined to work for solutions to problems... I want to do everything I can to prevent any further bloodshed."

As of this writing, he is still in England, and there are unconfirmed reports of new stumbling blocks. Lambeth Palace, however, has issued a statement saying, "Mr. Waite's negotiations have been subjected to much speculation. His relationship with several governments, including the Kuwaiti's, and with agencies such as the United Nations, through the secretary general, have been constructive and helpful. Mr. Waite's conversations remain at a delicate stage, and he will make no further public statements at this juncture, other than to say that he remains cautiously optimistic."

While in London, Waite also briefed Allin, Canadian Primate Edward Scott and Canon Samuel Van Culin of the Anglican Consultative Council on events in southern Africa before Allin and Scott left for Zimbabwe as part of a World Council of Churches mission to that region.