Bad Phone Lines Stall Kashmir Hostage Rescue
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SRINAGAR, India — Faulty phone lines reportedly hampered feverish efforts by Western diplomats Friday to save an American and four other tourists who were being held hostage by Kashmiri guerrillas, hours before expiration of a deadline to kill the captives unless India releases 20 imprisoned rebels.
Well-informed sources said the kidnapers tried to call the diplomats Friday at a designated phone number in Srinagar. But no call came through, and the U.S., British and German diplomats left after waiting for an hour.
The hostages are Donald Hutchings, 42, of Spokane, Wash.; Keith Mangan, 33, of Middlesbrough, England; Paul Wells, 23, of London; Dirk Hasert, 26, of Erfurt, Germany, and Hans Christian Ostro, 27, of Oslo.
The kidnapers said they will kill the hostages if the Indian government does not agree to free 20 detained guerrilla leaders by tonight.
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