Demands for U.N. Hostages in Dispute

Taliban-linked militants threatening to kill three U.N. hostages accused the United States of hampering their release, though an Afghan official said Saturday that a ransom demand was the main stumbling block.

Jaish al Muslimeen, or Army of Muslims, a spinoff of the Taliban militia that formerly ruled Afghanistan, is demanding the release of 26 Taliban suspects in exchange for the three foreign election workers, abducted more than two weeks ago.

The group says some of the men it wants freed are in U.S. custody. But Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage opposed any concessions during a visit last week to Kabul, the Afghan capital.

Mohammed Akbar Agha, the group’s purported leader, said Armitage had dashed hopes the hostages could be freed before the Islamic feast of Eid al-Fitr, which began here Saturday.

“The negotiators from the Afghan government contacted us on Friday, and we discussed the whole situation,” Agha said. “We were hopeful that the issue would be resolved before Eid, but remarks by Richard Armitage caused some delay. We may take a final decision about their fate today.”

Angelito Nayan of the Philippines, Annetta Flanigan of Northern Ireland and Shqipe Hebibi of Kosovo were seized Oct. 28.

The Afghan government and the United Nations have declined to detail their efforts to free the hostages, though one Afghan official discussed the ransom demand Saturday.

“So far, we haven’t negotiated about these 26 prisoners,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “This is a matter of money.”

Militant spokesmen have denied demanding a ransom and say they want the freedom of 15 men picked up near the southern town of Spin Buldak a month ago, and of 11 others held earlier.

American spokesman Maj. Mark McCann said the military had not received any list of names, and he reiterated Armitage’s statement that U.S. policy was not to make concessions.