Terry Waite goes back to Lebanon
Former hostage Terry Waite is back in Beirut for the first time since his release more than 12 years ago.
The former hostage negotiator said he felt no fear in returning to the city where he spent five years in captivity.
Mr Waite is in the Lebanese capital in his role as president of Y Care International - the development agency of the YMCA movement he helped found 20 years ago.
Asked whether he felt fear returning to Beirut he told GMTV: "The absolutely truthful answer is no.
"I thought I might feel a little apprehensive when I touched down but I didn't.
"If there were any ghosts they've been faced and dealt with many years ago."
Mr Waite was trying to negotiate the release of Western hostages in his capacity as a special envoy for the Archbishop of Canterbury when he was taken hostage by the radical Islamic group Hezbollah (Party of God) in 1987.
He spent 1,760 days in a Beirut cell, many in solitary confinement, before being released in 1991.
Mr Waite had pledged not to return to Beirut just for the sake of it and had always maintained he would only go back if there was a "significantly good reason".
The 64-year-old's nine-day trip will include fact-finding visits to refugee camps in north Lebanon and to rehabilitation and training centres for the young in east Jerusalem, supported by Y Care.
He also hopes to visit Gaza.
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...992167,00.html
I personally hope the pri(k gets nabbed by Hizbolla for another 5 years .
The (unt wouldnt listen last time and got nabbed .
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