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Former Middle East Hostage Talks To Auburn Students

A former Middle Eastern hostage met with Auburn University students Monday. Jerry Levin was working for CNN in Lebanon when he was kidnapped. He escaped, and still works out of Hebron, West Bank, to find peaceful solutions to war.

Jerry Levin was kidnapped in Lebanon by the terrorist group Hezbollah in 1984 while he was CNN's Middle East bureau chief. He said he was taken hostage for the same reasons Americans are kidnapped in that part of the world today.

"To exchange us for prisoners. That's not a happy thought, but this is the same quid pro quo that Hezbollah threw out to the Israelis when they captured the two soldiers," Levin said.

Levin was held captive for about a year, and believes a peaceful dialogue led to his release. His wife talk to leaders in Syria, who in turn sent to word to Lebanon.

"Somebody from within Syria was able to convince a jailer to be careless. I was able to get loose of my chain, but I was never told, 'You're free,'" said Levin.

Since that time, Levin and his wife work throughout the Middle East to find peaceful alternatives to war.

"What she did was, and her advisors, was so important, it points out a way to dealing with the problems in the Middle East," he said.

Students listening to Levin say the 9/11 anniversary makes them hope for peace more than ever.

"It seems like a long time, and it feels like we should have more worked out by now. I hope within the next couple of years we can build a relationship between the Middle East and the United States," said Nikki Hicks.

The Levins now work for the Christian Peacemakers Teams in Hebron, West Bank. Levin said the perception in the Middle East toward the U.S. is mainly one of animosity. Not specifically because of the war on terror, but because they believe the U.S. doesn't want to help Palestinians.