Reagan , the last American hostage in Lebanon , walked free today of his pro- Shiite Muslim Shiite Muslim kidnappers. His released ended a brutal saga that kept three Americans in chains, left two dead and bedeviled two U.S. presidencies. ; Eight other Westerners have been freed since August, when the United Nations launched negotiations involving a complex swap of Western hostages, hundreds of Arabs held by Israel, and information about missing Israelis. A flurry of contradictory reports early in the day about Terry Anderson 's whereabouts mirrored the agonizing cycle of raised and dashed hopes for release from his 6.5-year ordeal. Anderson 's capture brought an outpouring of public support for the captives and put intense pressure on the Reagan and Bush administrations to get them out.
Reagan , the last American hostage in Lebanon , walked free today of his pro- Shiite Muslim Shiite Muslim kidnappers. His released ended a brutal saga that kept three Americans in chains, left two dead and bedeviled two U.S. presidencies. A flurry of contradictory reports early in the day about Terry Anderson 's whereabouts mirrored the agonizing cycle of raised and dashed hopes for release from his 6.5-year ordeal. Anderson 's capture brought an outpouring of public support for the captives and put intense pressure on the Reagan and Bush administrations to get them out.