TRIPOLI TAXI DRIVERS WAIT FOR CUSTOMERS IN FRONT OF A PORTRAIT OF LIBYAN LEADER MUAMMAR...

Taxi drivers wait for customers while Libyan police (in rear) watch the traffic under a portrait of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in the Libyan capital of Tripoli August 20, 2000. Speculations of the imminent release of a group of mostly foreign hostages held by Moslem rebels, most of whom were kidnapped in April from a Malaysian diving resort, has been high this week following an initiative by Libya to come to a deal with the rebels. Libyan officials said yesterday that they will pull out their negotiator from the Phillipines when the hostages are not released until Monday evening. WR/CLH/