European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 19, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 24 o. The stars and St Lopes Friday. February 19.1988 Marine officer kidnapped in Lebanon from Page 1 men in a Brown Volvo passed Higgins car blocked the Road forced h Joggins into their Caran drove North toward Tyre. They said the abduction occurred by in can Rasel Ein and Deir Kanoun Vil Lages controlled by Justice minister Nabih Bern s shiite amal militia. . Sources said amal was helping unif1l search for Higgins. Reporters in Tyre soy the influence of the iranian backed Hezbollah or part of cod has been growing in the Village. Hezbollah is believed lose the umbrella group for Radical shiite moslem factions holding most of the foreign hostages in Lebanon. Twenty four other foreigners Are Cap Tivitt in Lebanon including eight Ameri cans. Held longest is Terry a. Anderson chief Middle East correspondent of the associated press kidnapped March 16,1985 Higgins was returning from a meeting in Tyre with Abdel Majid Saleh an amal political Leader in the area Sateh told reporters. Efforts to free foreign hostages were among their topics he said. One source said privately the Kidnap pers took Higgins o Shabrin. A Village. Half a mile Northeast of Tyre. President Reagan was informed at his California ranch and told reporters As he left for Washington he was trying to icam More about it a while House spokesman roman Popadiuk said we hold the Kidnap pers responsible for his  Higgins had been on . Duty in the Middle East since june 1987 and assumed command of the Lebanon observer group in mid january said . Officials in new York. A Pentagon official speaking on condition of anonymity said 15 or 16 americans were assigned to the observer group but the , put the number at 17. Goksel said Only six were actually in Lebanon. Officials said it was not unusual for several members of the observer Raup to be out of the country at a Given time. The Pentagon said Higgins joined the Marine corps in 1967 and saw combat in Vietnam. He has received numerous military decorations including the de sense Superior service medal the Bronte Star with combot a the meritorious service medal and two Navy commendation medals. He is married to Marine maj. Robin Higgins who works at the Pentagon. She declined comment. He has a 11-year-old daughter by a previous marriage. An Uncle Dilbert Eagle 86, of Lan Caster ky., said higgins1 lifelong Ambi Tion was to be in the military. Yes he wanted to be in the Millary service. He always talked about wanting to go to the military service Eagle said. He added thai Higgins Mother died Sev eral years ago and his father is in a Louis Ville Hospital. Illinois sergeant killed in flight line Accident Springfield 111