20 كانون الثاني: الكنيسة الأنجليكانية في بريطانيا تعلن عن اختطاف مبعوثها إلى بيروت تيري وايت، سنة 1987.
عام 1985، أصبح وايت متورطاً في عملية تفاوض وتبادل رهائن في لبنان التي أدت إلى إطلاق عدد من المخطوفين، ولكن بعد ان ظهرت إلى العلن فضيحة “Iran Gate” وايت شعر بضرورة إظهار حسن نيته ونزاهته والتزامه بباقي الرهائن.
وصل إلى بيروت في 12 كانون الثاني 1987، بنية التفاوض مع منظمة “الجهاد الإسلامي” التي كانت تحتجز الرهائن، وهو تنظيم شيعي أصولي، أسسه عماد مغنية ويأتمر بـ”حزب الله”.
في 20 كانون الثاني، وافق على لقاء الخاطفين بعدما وعدوه بعدم المساس بأمنه الخاض، إلا ان المجموعة الخاطفة نكست بوعدها وخطفته. وبقي وايت في الاحتجاز لمدة 1763 يوماً، قضى أول 4 اعوام منها بالحبس الافرادي.
أطلق سراح وايت في 18 تشرين الثاني 1991.
January 20th: Terry Waite, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s special envoy in the Middle East, was kidnapped while negotiating the release of western hostages in Beirut, in 1987.
In 1985, Waite became involved in hostage negotiation in Lebanon, and he assisted in successful negotiations which secured the release of Lawrence Jenco and David Jacobsen. His use of an American helicopter to travel secretly between Cyprus and Lebanon and his appearance with Lt Colonel Oliver North, however, meant that he was compromised when the Irangate scandal broke.
Against advice, Waite felt a need to demonstrate his continuing trust and integrity, and his commitment to the remaining hostages. He arrived in Beirut on 12 January 1987 with the intention of negotiating with the Islamic Jihad Organization, a Shia fundamentalist group, formed by Imad Mughniyeh and led by Hezbollah, which was holding the men.
On 20 January 1987, he agreed to meet with the captors of the hostages as he was promised safe conduct to visit the hostages, who, he was told, were ill. The group broke trust and took him hostage on 20 January 1987. Waite remained in captivity for 1,763 days, the first four years of which were spent in solitary confinement. He was finally released on 18 November 1991.
