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Afghan jet hijackers free sick hostage

STANSTED (England): Hijackers holding more than 150 people aboard an Afghan airliner released a sick hostage to British negotiators on Tuesday as the airport drama headed towards a third night.

The man, dressed in Afghan clothing, left the plane carrying a black bag. He was escorted away by police who said he was a trader in his forties who appeared to be suffering from asthma.

"He was complaining of feeling unwell and, following successful negotiations, he has been released from the airplane and is now receiving the appropriate medical treatment," police Assistant Chief Constable John Broughton told reporters.

The hostage was now being de-briefed by British officials seeking clues on the motives and morale of the hostage-takers.

Some of the hostages still on board have come down with stomach complaints and Broughton said: "Obviously conditions on board are difficult to say the very least."

Nine passengers have now been released at Stansted airport near London, while about 20 others were freed at stops in Central Asia and Moscow after the Boeing 727 of Afghanistan's national airline Ariana was seized during a domestic flight on Sunday.

GENTLE APPROACH TO NEGOTIATIONS

British negotiators have adopted a "softly softly" approach and Broughton stressed their aim was to bring the three-day-old drama to a peaceful conclusion.

"The negotiations are going forward in a professional way, in a fairly calm way," he said, being careful not to give any information to reporters that might jeopardise the remaining estimated total 150 passengers and crew.

Police believe there are up to eight hijackers armed with pistols and grenades, but despite almost constant communication with them no clear picture has emerged of who they are or what they want. There has, however, been a general discussion of what the hijackers could expect if they gave themselves up, police said.

Afghan radio quoted Foreign Minister Maulawi Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil as saying their only demand seemed to be the release of opposition leader Ismail Khan.

Known as the "Lion of Herat", Khan was held by the Islamic Taleban movement after it swept to power in 1996 on its way to controlling most of Afghanistan.

A spokesman for the Taleban said Deputy Foreign Minister Abdul Rahman Zahid, who is visiting Germany, may travel to Britain to meet the passengers who have been freed.

"If we go to London it will only be to receive our nationals there who are being released," spokesman Sayed Rahmatullah told Reuters. "We will not negotiate with the hijackers."

Zahid said on Monday night his government would never agree to the demands for the opposition leader's release and said the matter was entirely in Britain's hands.

As negotiators carry on their nearly non-stop dialogue with the hijackers, marksmen and other camouflaged security forces -- including Britain's elite SAS soldiers -- keep watch.

Under Britain's anti-hijacking policy, the plane will not be allowed to take off but the government has decided that it would be stormed only if the hostages' lives were in imminent danger.-Reuters