http://www.yahoo.com/headlines/current/international/stories/kashmir.html (Einblicke ins Internet, 10/1995)
SRINAGAR, India (Reuter) - India has appealed to guerrillas holding four Westerners in Kashmir to spare the hostages' lives and said Friday it was not sure negotiations would win their freedom.
K.B. Jandial, spokesman for the government of Jammu and Kashmir state, said negotiators issued the appeal to Al-Faran militants during their last radio contact Thursday evening.
During Thursday's talks India rejected the guerrillas' demand for the release of three jailed Pakistani militants.
``We have once again appealed to the abductors to spare the lives of these four foreign tourists,'' Jandial told reporters in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
``They are the captors and until they (hostages) come back to us, the life of the hostages is always in danger,'' he said.
Jandial said Al-Faran had not set any deadline for meeting its demand that India free 15 jailed militants including three members of the Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Ansar group.
But officials said the talks had entered a critical phase.
The guerrillas, who earlier this week complied with authorities' demands for proof the hostages were alive and well, had indicated that their patience was wearing thin and wanted a reciprocal gesture from India, they said.
Authorities, however, gave no indication that they were willing to meet Al-Faran half way.
American Donald Hutchings, German Dirk Hasert and Britons Keith Mangan and Paul Wells were kidnapped in a remote area of Kashmir in early July.
A fifth hostage, Norwegian Hans Christian Ostroe, was found beheaded on August 13, near a note threatening the lives of the other captives unless India released militants within two days.
Among the 15 militants Al-Faran wants freed are three Pakistanis -- Masood Azhar, Sajjad Afghani and Mansoor Langriyal -- belonging to Harkat-ul-Ansar.
Al-Faran appears particularly anxious to win the release of Azhar, who is considered an especially powerful Harkat member.
India has said it will not swap militants for the hostages, arguing such a bargain would encourage future kidnappings.