Call to trade US-jailed Islamist for foreigners held in Afghanistan

CAIRO, Sept 5 (AFP) - The family of a jailed Islamist leader in the United States said Wednesday it had proposed his release for that of eight foreigners held in Afghanistan, in letters addressed to Washington and Kabul.

The wife of jailed Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman has sent letters to President George W. Bush and the Taliban leadership to "urge them to agree to such an exchange" because of her husband's poor health, the sheikh's son Abdullah told

Sheikh Omar was sentenced to life in prison in January 1996 in New York for the deadly bombing of the World Trade Center, while eight foreigners were arrested recently in Afghanistan accused of preaching Christianity.