Italy Frees Five Taliban in Exchange for Hostage

KABUL, Afghanistan — Italy's deputy foreign affairs minister, Ugo Intini, confirmed yesterday that the Afghan government released five Taliban prisoners to win the freedom of a reporter who had been kidnapped in lawless Helmand province.

Daniele Mastrogiacomo, who writes for Italy's La Repubblica newspaper, was freed Monday after two weeks in captivity. His Afghan driver, who was also seized, was beheaded, and the fate of his translator is not known.

Though the Afghan government called the swap "an exceptional case," the deal was sharply criticized.

"When we create situations where you can buy the freedom of Taliban fighters when you catch a journalist, in short term, there will be no journalists anymore," the Dutch foreign minister, Maxime Verhagen, said during a visit to Kabul yesterday.

Joe Mellott, the spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, said: "The U.S. does not make concessions to terrorist demands. End of story."

Afghanistan's President Karzai's spokesman has said the exchange came about after Mr. Karzai told authorities to find a solution to the kidnapping, citing Afghanistan's good relations with Italy.

"If things are done to save a human life ... this is a positive thing," Mr. Mastrogiacomo said yesterday when asked about the controversy surrounding his release.

"I believe that what has been done doesn't violate the sovereignty of a state or the autonomy of its foreign policy decisions," he said, referring to both Italy and Afghanistan.