Pope Responds to Bush Request to Help Obtain Higgins’ Body

Pope John Paul II, responding to a direct request from President Bush, said he would try to negotiate the return of the body of U.S. hostage William Higgins, whom Moslem Hezbollah extremists say they murdered in reprisal for Israel’s capture of Sheikh Abdel Karim Obeid.

The pope has also called for renewed efforts toward achieving Middle East peace.

“The president of the United States, George Bush, has asked for the good offices of the Holy Father for the release of the body of Col. William Higgins to his family and to his country,” said a statement released by deputy Vatican spokesman Father Giovanni D’Ercole.

“His Holiness indicated the willingness of the Holy See to seek the best solution for this problem,” the statement said.

In addition, the pope expressed “concern that the responsible parties find ways of constructive agreement in the higher interests of peace and the full development of the people of the Middle East and the world.”

In January, the Vatican was instrumental in negotiating the return of the body of a U.S. flyer shot down in the April 1986 U.S. raid on Libya.

The Vatican has numerous diplomatic representatives in the Middle East, including in Lebanon and Syria, but it has no assurances that it can retrieve Higgins’ body.

Observers in Rome said that if in fact Higgins was hanged in reprisal for Israel’s capture of Obeid, then the body may be returned.

However, if — as many suspect — he actually was killed some time ago, then there would be little likelihood of his body being released by his murderers.

“Hezbollah has been profiting by the fact that no one knows when he was killed,” said one observer.

Proof that he had died long before Israel captured Obeid would negate any anger against Israel for having apparently provoked Higgins’ death by its action, he said.