European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday april 24, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3polhill in a reasonably Good shape continued from Page 1 Crew As a touch of America. From the air base he was flown by helicopter to Wiesbaden. A team of psychologists and other experts was sent to meet Polhill to help him readjust to Freedom. In Wiesbaden Polhill looked frail. He was wearing an air Force Squadron Cap and a military jacket to protect him from a steady rain As about 100 people greeted him by cheering and flapping. A Welcome Home Pray for the others a read one Banner Hung outside the Hospital. The air Force Hospital has become the routine stepping Stone on a freed hostage s journey Home since the release in 1981 of 52 americans held captive for 444 Days in Iran. Some of the former hostages later returned to donate a plaque expressing their gratitude. The plaque hangs in a Section of the Hospital that has become known As Freedom Hall. Polhill is staying at the vip quarters at the White three Story Hospital that has More than 240 Beds. The vip quarters consist of a suite of rooms with hotel like accommodations. In Damascus the business professor said his unrelenting anger at his captors had kept him alive and sane during the ordeal. He also said that his Joy at being free was tempered by the knowledge that others were still held. A i was angry at what was being done to me being taken away from my wife and family a he told a syrian to reporter As he was being driven from Beirut to Damascus. A and so 1 strive to continue being angry knowing at All times that if i began to lose that anger id just sort of become a  president Bush thanked Iran and Syria a whose military forces in Lebanon picked up Polhill in West Beirut and drove him to the syrian capital of Damascus a for their help. But Bush said he would make no deals with the pro iranian shiite moslem militants in Lebanon still holding 17 Western hostages seven of them americans. A i want All of those hostages out. We re not going to Trade a he said. Polhill was abducted along with two other professors from Beirut University College on Jan. 24, 1987, by the islamic jihad for the liberation of Palestine. The group still holds the other two Jesse Turner 42, of Boise Idaho and Alann Steen a 51-year-old Boston native. Crew savors a thrill of bringing Polhill to Germany by Ron Jensen staff writer Rhein main a West Germany a capt. . Mccormick had not yet removed his yellow foam earplugs and the rain was beginning to trip from his Blue flight Cap. But Mccormick did no to seem to notice As he stood on the Tarmac at his Home base. A a that a a real thrill. It really is a said the operations officer of the 2nd aeromedical evacuation so. The thrill about which he spoke was a slight bespectacled professor of business studies who for nearly 39 months was the unwilling guest of a pro iranian group in Lebanon. Mccormick was a member of the Crew that delivered Robert Polhill to Europe shortly before 8 . Monday. A it was a terrific Mission a said a delighted Crew member of the air Force c-141b moments before Polhill was taken by helicopter to the air Force Hospital in Wiesbaden 20 Miles to the West. The medical Crew had gone to in Ciurlik Turkey on Friday after reports flourished that an american hostage was going to be released by the islamic jihad for the liberation of Palestine. The medical team arrived in Damascus Syria late sunday evening and waited for 3 v2 hours at the Airport for the precious cargo. When an entourage of cars pulled up outside the plane the Crew watched As the 55-year-old new yorker jumped from a Black limousine and headed for the Craft that would take him closer to Home than he had been for a Long time. A the had Energy a said capt. Sharon argenbright another member of the Squadron. A the was pretty Pale but he was very  during the nearly six hour flight from Damascus a amps Scott Miller capt. . Mccormick left of the 2nd aeromedical evacuation so at Rhein main a and an unidentified Serviceman walk with former hostage Robert Polhill Center monday morning. To Rhein main a Polhill was talkative and animated but spent most of the flight in conversation with his wife Feryal. A the was smiling the whole time a said capt. Marjorie Graziano. A the said he Hadnot seen the Sun in three  there was no Sun waiting for him in West Germany. Dawn came with an overcast sky and rain. But As the thin educator gingerly descended the six Steps from the air plane into the arms of air Force personnel including Mccormick the rain held off. As he walked 20 Yards to a Van that took him to the waiting helicopter Polhill wearing a camouflage jacket Over his suit clutched a football Given to him by the c-141b Crew. It was something to remind him of Home explained capt. Charlie Morrison one of the pilots. The Crew signed the Ball and decorated it with their unit Patch. A the seemed really pleased a Morrison said. Polhill Drew some laughs on the plane when tossed a pass to Graziano. Before ducking into the Van Polhill waved about 100 journalists and 50 onlookers Many of whom were applauding his return to Freedom. But the a  sign he flashed before disappearing was for Only a partial Victory. Two of his colleagues remain behind. Jesse Turner 42, and Alann Steen 51, were kidnapped with Polhill on Jan. 24, 1987, by gunmen disguised As policemen. Those men were on Mccormick a mind As the rain which resumed after Polhill left for Wiesbaden fell harder. A a it a a once in a lifetime experience to go in there and pick these people up a he said. A a let a Hope we get  he to lawmaker urges . Goodwill gesture to Iran Washington apr an influential congressman says the United states should make a Goodwill gesture in response to the release of an american hostage but an administration official said monday that president Bush is a not into  rep. Lee Hamilton d-ind., chairman of the House foreign affairs subcommittee on the Middle East said the release of hostage Robert Polhill on sunday made it a appropriate for the United states to Send some kind of a gesture that we re willing to enter into a dialogue with  John Kelly assistant Secretary of state for near Eastern and South asian affairs said monday a the policy is very Clear. We done to make deals. The president has said As he did on inauguration Day that Good will begets Good will but As he noted yesterday he wants All the hostages  interviewed on no cd so a today show Kelly noted that president Bush has said a a he a not into  nevertheless Kelly added a a we re always looking at How we can improve the situation and attempting to figure out ways that will Speed the release without compromising our  Hamilton and others spoke after Polhill was freed in Lebanon after spending almost 39 months As a hostage. Their comments came before Bush reacted publicly to the release by reaffirming his absolute policy against trading for hostages but expressing willingness to give credit where credit is due for Polhill a release. A a it a establishing a dialogue that is critical a Hamilton said. A there Are a lot of things that could be done Here a Short of Aid Short of normalization Short of credits a that might be a gesture in response to the release of a hostage a he said on lbs tvs a face the  in an initial written statement Bush thanked Iran and Syria for their roles in Polhill a release but subsequently told reporters he Wasny to sure How much Iran had to do with it and said he was purposely a stopping a Little Short in his expressions toward Iran. A i done to want to give credit when i done to know the facts a he said. While insisting that he had no intention of trading for hostages or dealing with kidnappers and declaring that he was not a trying to think up any gesture toward Iran or anyone else Bush did say a a in a have Good will to those who facilitated the release. If that included Iran  but he emphasized that he does not a have forgiveness in my heart As Long As one american is held against his  in an editorial in mondays editions the Tehran times newspaper said another hostage should be freed a to test president Bush a claim that a Good will begets Good  a a this they should do swiftly in order to leave the Ball in the other party a court to demonstrate its Good will if it has any a said the English language newspaper which often reflects the views of iranian president Hashemi a Sfanjani. Iran a foreign minister meanwhile was quoted As saying that the pro iranian extremists in Lebanon wanted a Quick reciprocal move. The official syrian Arab news Agency quoting Ali Akbar Velamati in new York specified that move would be the release of Sheik Abdul Karim Obeid a lebanese shiite Clergyman abducted by israeli soldiers in july. Kamal Kharazmi Iran a ambassador to the United nations said monday on abcs a Good morning american that Iran will continue a trying our bests to facilitate the release of hostages. A we Are actually involved in encouraging lebanese militant moslem to free hostages a he said. Asked if there would be another release soon he said a we Hope  but he said Bush a policy of no reciprocity unless All the hostages arc released a would put some More complexity to the situation. This Type of statement May present  Richard Murphy a former assistant Secretary of state for the near East in the Reagan administration said monday on Abc that a i done to think they the iranians have any reason to expect a positive gesture hostage by hos Tage and that a what the president in effect is telling us in his statements. He wants them All  Gary sick a Columbia University professor who dealt with iranian matters during the Carter administration said Western nations probably must make concessions to get their hostages out of Lebanon. A your policy for a Long time has been that we will talk directly with the government of Iran but there can be no normalization of our relations with the iranian government until they reject the notion of terrorism and until they do everything they can to obtain the release of our hostages Quot Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii said at a news conference