BEIRUT, Lebanon -- American hostage Alann Steen, whose captors in early April said was critically ill, appeared to be healthy in a videotape released Thursday in which he thanked his abductors for saving his life.
Steen, who was kidnapped Jan. 24 along with three other Beirut University College professors, looked physically fit as he read from a written statement during the four-minute videotape.
His captors said in April that Steen was critically ill and in a videotape released April 2, fellow hostage Jesse Turner said Steen was about to die 'in a few hours.' The captors and Turner never said what illness was afflicting Steen.
There was no indication of when the new tape, delivered Thursday to the independent An-Nahar newspaper in Moslem west Beirut, was made.
The unshaven Steen, wearing a black T-shirt, appeared to be sitting as he read the statement in a clear, low voice.
'I thank God that the Islamic Jihad Organization for the Liberation of Palestine has finally saved me through great and huge efforts that they made,' Steen said on the videotape. 'They tried all possible ways in order to save me because they are Moslems.
'I do not deserve all this, but they have their sacred ideological motives that do not allow them to let me die,' he said.
Steen's wife, Virginia, called the release of the videotape 'good news' but said she would not make any additional comments until she saw it.
Steen implied his captors still link the release of the four professors to the release of prisoners held by Israel. The kidnappers previously have proposed a swap of the four professors for 400 Arab prisoners in Israel, or exchanging Steen for 100 prisoners.
'Remember, our issue will be always tied to the release of the prisoners in the prisons of Israel that is occupying the land of Palestine,' Steen said in the tape.
Israeli officials have said they will not deal with 'terrorists' holding hostages and the United States has said it is up to Israel to decide.
Observers said they believe the captors made Steen read the statement as an indirect message to the Reagan administration that he still is alive and that further negotiations are possible.
Steen was kidnapped along with two other Americans and one Indian educator in Moslem west Beirut. The Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine has claimed responsibility for holding Steen, 47, and the other professors: Robert Polhill, 52, Turner, 39, and Mithileshwar Singh, 62, an Indian citizen.
The four professors were the last foreigners to be abducted in west Beirut before 7,000 Syrian troops took charge of security in the Moslem section of the capital Feb. 22.
The Syrian deployment raised hopes the hostages would be freed, but the troops have not entered densely populated Shiite Moslem areas in Beirut's southern suburbs where the hostages are believed to be hidden.
In addition to the four kidnapped professors, there are 19 other foreigners missing in Lebanon and believed held by Moslem extremists.
They include five other Americans, six Frenchmen, two Britons, two West Germans, a South Korean, an Irishman, an Italian and Church of England envoy Terry Waite, who disappeared in west Beirut Jan. 20.
