A Red Cross delegation arrived in this southern provincial capital today, seeking word on the possible release of two kidnapped Swiss Red Cross workers. The delegation's four members made no statement upon arriving at the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Sidon, 25 miles south of Beirut. However, a committee source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the four planned to maintain ``daily presence in Sidon this week, waiting for a contact concerning our two kidnapped colleagues.'' The team was led by the Red Cross chief delegate in Lebanon, Michel Dufour, and the committee's spokeswoman for the Middle East, Marjolaine Martin, who flew into Beirut from Geneva on Wednesday. ``We remain optimistic after our talks here about the release of our two officials,'' Dufour said, without elaborating. The delegation is seeking the release of Red Cross orthopedic technicians Emanuel Christen, 33, and Elio Erriquez, 24. They were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in Sidon on Oct. 6. No group claims responsibility for their seizure. However, Lebanese and foreign security sources blame the Fatah-Revolutionary Council group of Palestinian terrorist Abu Nidal. The group has denied involvement and urged the captors to release Christen and Erriquez. The Red Cross team held talks on Thursday with Mustafa Saad, who heads the Sunni Moslem independent Nasserite organization whose 1,000-strong Popular Liberation Army militia dominates Sidon. Saad renewed his appeal for the release of the two Red Cross workers, saying failure to free them ``will be considered a hostile act against us.'' Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, as well as Palestinian and Lebanese groups, have appealed for the pair's release. In addition to the two Swiss, the Western hostages believed to be held mainly by pro-Iranian factions in Lebanon are seven Americans, four Britons, two West Germans, an Irishman and an Italian. American journalist Terry Anderson, 43, chief Middle East correspondent for The Associated Press, is the longest-held foreign captive in Lebanon. He was kidnapped March 16, 1985.
