Austria Buys More Time

Austria has managed to buy more time to try to negotiate the release of two Austrian hostages held by al Qaida. According to Algerian officials Austria has agreed to pay 5 million Euros for the release of the hostages. Reuters

Will this be the return of the Barbary style kidnappings?

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Austria said on Sunday it had won more time to try to secure the release of two Austrian tourists being held hostage by al Qaeda in Mali's remote northeast Kidal region.

The captives, Andrea Kloiber, 43, and Wolfgang Ebner, 51, went missing while on holiday in Tunisia last month and the Algerian-based Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb said it seized them on February 22.

Al Qaeda had set a deadline of midnight on Sunday for its demands to be met, but Austria said this had been extended for an unspecified amount of time.

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In neighboring Algeria, security sources said Austria had accepted the principle of paying a ransom and discussions were focused around the sum of five million euros ($6.7 million).

Libya had agreed to act as an intermediary to help finalize the deal, using its influence with a local Tuareg tribe known as El Barabich, the security sources said.

There was no immediate comment from Austrian or Libyan officials on the reports.

Al Qaeda demanded a ransom and the liberation of 10 militants held in Algeria and Tunisia within three days from midnight on Thursday, a deadline expiring at midnight on Sunday.

But the security sources in Algeria said al Qaeda had stopped demanding the release of the prisoners and was now only interested in money.