Talks may extend deadline on Flanigan, fellow captives

Militants threatening to kill three United Nations hostages including a woman from Northern Ireland said today that a noon deadline could be postponed for negotiations on demands that include the world body’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Afghan officials expressed optimism that the abduction could end with the foreigners’ release.

It was unclear if the kidnappers had been contacted or the victims located. Still, an official said today that police units had launched a fresh search operation west of Kabul.

A Taliban splinter group claims it abducted Annetta Flanigan, from Northern Ireland, Filipino diploat Angelito Nayan and Shqipe Habibi of Kosovo in the Afghan capital last Thursday.

Jaish-al Muslimeen, or Army of Muslims, released a video on Sunday showing the frightened captives pleading for their freedom. However, several Afghan officials say they suspect warlords or criminal groups were also involved in the daylight snatch.

Officials for the group say talks are under way via intermediaries, that they are flexible in their demands and that a “few days more” could be allowed before they execute the hostages.

Syed Khaled, a purported spokesman, told The Associated Press envoys from the kidnappers, the government and the United Nations would “sit down together” later in the day, but did not say when or where.

Asked about the noon deadline, he said: “This is up to our leader, Akbar Agha. Maybe he will give more time. It depends on the negotiations.”

UN spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva refused to discuss any negotiations, saying it could endanger efforts to free the hostages. The Philippine government, which has sent diplomats to Kabul to seek their freedom, also imposed a news blackout.

Latfullah Mashal, a spokesman for the interior ministry, which is leading Afghan government efforts to find the hostages, said the ministry had “not been informed” of any contacts with the kidnappers.

But he said the ministry, whose security forces are leading the search, had undertaken unspecified initiatives which were “going well”.

“We’re progressing and hopeful that the hostages will be released safely,” Mashal said.

He refused to elaborate. But another government official said police units had been deployed to Wardak, a province west of Kabul, last night.

“They’re searching there in two or three places,” the official said.

Afghan security forces, backed up by Nato troops based in Kabul, have also focused their search in the city and the neighbouring Paghman valley.

The militants say that they have divided up the hostages to thwart any rescue attempt, and warned authorities to back off.

All three hostages were in Afghanistan to help manage its October 9 presidential election.

US-backed interim leader Hamid Karzai, who has condemned the latest kidnapping, secured a majority of the votes, but is still awaiting official confirmation as the country’s first popularly chosen leader.

A panel investigating allegations of fraud by Karzai’s opponents was to publish its findings later Wednesday, paving the way for the UN-Afghan electoral commission to certify the results.

The panel has already made clear that irregularities during the vote were not serious enough to invalidate the result.