Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine

Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine (IJLP) was a Lebanese Shia group that claimed credit for the January 24, 1987 abduction of three American and one Indian professors – Alann Steen, Jesse Turner, Robert Polhill, Mithaleshwar Singh – from Beirut University College in West Beirut.<ref name="NYT">New York Times, January 25, 1987, March 19, 1987. A9, September 28, 1988. A9</ref><ref name="September">New York Times, March 19, 1987. A9, September 28, 1988. A9</ref> They were eventually released.<ref name="Bizarre">Template:Cite web</ref>

Kidnapping of american catedratics

On January 24, 1987, the Alann Steen, Jesse Turner, Robert Polhill, Mithal Eshwar Singh was kidnapped by unknown militants dressed as lebanese police,<ref name="NYT"/> later identified as Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine<ref name="September"/><ref name="Bizarre"/> The abducted were staff of the university, who stopped living in the campus apartments for security reasons, but were stalked by their captors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The JILP militiamen demanded the release of 100 Arab prisoners in Israel in exchange for the release of the professors, to which Israeli authorities refused to accept the exchange.<ref name="Bizarre"/><ref name="TWP">Template:Cite news</ref>

During the first weeks of the kidnapping, Professor Alann Steen began to have complications in his health, with some of the kidnapped people reporting that his state of health was deplorable.<ref name="TWP"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After a few weeks, the professor began to improve his health, thanking his captors for their care in the tapes published by the terrorists.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Bizarre"/>

Release of the hostages

It wasn't until October 4, 1988, when Mithileshwar Singh is released after ten months of captivity, handed over to Syrian authorities who handed over members of the US forces. US authorities stressed that Singh's release occurred without the need for agreements or negotiations with the kidnappers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

It was not until April 23, 1990, when Robert Polhill was finally released after 39 months of captivity.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Polhill would end up passing away at the age of 65 at Georgetown University Teaching Hospital on July 3, 1999, due to complications with cancer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Months later, on October 21, 1991, the YILP released Jesse Turner after holding him for nearly four years.<ref>Template:Cite webU.S. hostage Turner freed</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Six days later, Turner return to the United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Weeks later, on December 3, the last American hostage Alann Steen was released, officially the penultimate American hostage on Lebanese soil.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>