The World - News from April 5, 1987

Muslim extremists in Lebanon have admitted they are holding Church of England hostage negotiator Terry Waite and have signaled their willingness to release him for a ransom, London’s Observer newspaper reported. It quoted “Iranian sources close to the Lebanese underground” as saying that Hezbollah, a Shia fundamentalist movement, “has privately admitted that it has him--and that it is ready to strike a financial deal for his release.” But in London, a Church of England spokesman said, “We have not been approached by anyone about a ransom, and we would not pay a ransom.”