KABUL (AFP) - A murky Taliban splinter group holding three UN hostages in Afghanistan for three weeks was silent after the hostages' families plead for their freedom, but the US military was hopeful they were alive and would be safely released.
"We continue to remain hopeful that Annetta Flanigan, Sheqipe Hebibi and Angelito Nayan, the three UN workers abducted in Kabul on the 28th will be released unharmed," US military spokesman Major Scott Nelson told a press briefing.
The three, who were snatched from busy lunchtime traffic in downtown Kabul had been in Afghanistan working on the country's first presidential election won by President Hamid Karzai.
The Jaishul Muslimeen (Army of Muslims) militants, who claim to be holding the three and have threatened to kill them unless their demands are met, had announced a new deadline of sunset Tuesday for the government to agree to their demands which include the release of 26 Taliban prisoners.
Tuesday's deadline was the latest in a series set and broken by the militants, who are linked to Afghanistan's former hardline Islamic Taliban rulers ousted in a US-led campaign in late 2001.
A spokesman for the NATO-led peacekeeping force here said that there had been success in negotiations between the hostage-takers and Afghan authorities.
"The fact that indicators suggest that these three individuals are still alive, I think is testament to the success that the government and the hostage negotiators have had over the last couple of weeks, Lieutenant Commander Ken MacKillop said.
Ahead of Tuesday's deadline the hostages' families released a statement through the United Nations in Kabul pleading for their safe return.
"We understand that after 25 years of strife and uncertainty some people in Afghanistan may do desperate things. But the Afghan people are honorable," they said.
"We dearly hope that the people holding Angelito, Annetta and Shqipe will demonstrate that honor at this holy time and place them somewhere safe where they can be found and restored to us."
But there was no response from the kidnappers.
Sayed Khaled, who claims to speak for the group, told AFP by telephone Monday that they wanted the release of 26 Taliban prisoners in exchange for the hostages' freedom.
The crux of the kidnappers' demands appear to be the release of Taliban prisoners, although diplomats and security officials close to the case believe money may also be involved.
Khaled said the Afghan government had located all but seven of the Taliban prisoners the militants wanted freed and they could accept the release of a majority of the 26.
It remains uncertain how many of the 26 prisoners are held in US custody but US military officials told AFP they have not received a list of the prisoners the kidnappers want released.
Khaled earlier blamed comments by US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage during a visit to Kabul last week for slowing the talks over the hostages.
Armitage said negotiating with hostage-takers would only encourage more kidnappings. The United States has also indicated it would not negotiate on the release of prisoners in its custody.
The kidnapping is the first of foreign UN or aid workers in Kabul since the Taliban militia was ousted three years ago.
It has raised concerns that Afghanistan could see a repeat of the frequent hostage-takings that have plagued Iraq, where more than 30 foreign hostages have been killed by their captors.
United Nations staff in Kabul are now under strict curfew and are travelling with armed escorts. Many aid agencies have curtailed unnecessary movement of their staff.
11/17/2004 - 10:45 GMT - AFP