U.S. Tries to Quiet Speculation on Freeing of Hostages : Lebanon: ‘We cannot say there is any movement,’ the White House asserted. But the fact that it commented could be significant.

WASHINGTON —  Seeking to dampen growing speculation that significant progress is being made in efforts to win the release of Western hostages held in Lebanon, the Bush Administration said Monday that it has no indication they are about to be freed.

“We cannot say that there is any movement. We know of no imminent release,” White House Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater said after a weekend of reports that new talks are under way, including one account that said Iranian and U.S. negotiators had met four or five times in West Germany.

But the fact that the White House made a statement, even a denial, on the sensitive subject suggested that there might be some grain of truth in the increased reports of a deal to secure the release of the 16 foreign hostages believed held by warring factions in and around Beirut.

Fitzwater conceded that many people, from diplomats to hostage relatives, have expressed interest in trying to free the hostages, “so there is a lot happening.”

On Monday, the British news agency Reuters reported from Beirut that security sources there said that the longest-held hostage, Terry A. Anderson, might be released by March 16, the fifth anniversary of his abduction. Anderson, 42, was Middle East bureau chief for the Associated Press.

And over the weekend, there were media reports from Beirut that an Iranian delegation, led by Mahmoud Rafsanjani, brother of Iran’s President Hashemi Rafsanjani, visited Damascus, Syria, and Beirut, possibly to discuss the Western hostages.

The Independent, a London newspaper, said Sunday that the delegation’s mission was to organize the release of one or more of the captives held by Shiite Muslims. It said Iranians and U.S. officials have held secret talks in Geneva, Muscat, Oman, and Ankara, Turkey.

Following up on such reports, Fitzwater acknowledged that in the murky world of hostage negotiations, secret talks are “undoubtedly” being conducted between “all sorts of people” and Iran, which is believed to have influence over hostage-takers in Lebanon.

But he took pains to point out that “there are no U.S. government officials presently speaking to Iranians about the hostages,” even as he said others may be engaged in such talks.

Recent reports of secret negotiations have put the White House in a difficult position, with officials seeking, they say, to encourage all avenues that might lead to freedom for the hostages while saying as little as possible in public to avoid upsetting any negotiations that may be under way.

Fitzwater reiterated U.S. policy in seeking the freedom of the hostages, calling for their “immediate, unconditional safe release.”

“We will keep open lines of communication with all parties, including Iran, who have influence over the hostage-takers,” he said.

In effect, his remarks--which he said had not been cleared with the President--left open the possibility that, unknown to senior officials, significant progress could be achieved through the work of others. His statement appeared intended to provide the White House with wide latitude in fending off criticism that it was overly secretive or misleading if a break in the hostage stalemate occurs.

Secrecy and behind-the-scenes maneuvers have become standard in many foreign policy operations run by the Bush White House.

However, Fitzwater insisted that his comments on the hostages were not intended to suggest any new developments or to hint of any behind-the-scenes activity directly involving the United States in the five-year effort to secure the hostages’ freedom.

He said that businessmen, diplomats, hostage relatives and others with contacts in Iran, Lebanon or elsewhere in the Middle East have tried to secure the hostages’ release.

Some, Fitzwater said, keep the U.S. government informed of their efforts, some seek guidance, and some make no contact with U.S. officials. “Oftentimes they do represent themselves as representing the government in one way or another, but that is not the case,” he said of those he called “free-lance people.”

“When all this comes out later, I don’t want it said they were working for the U.S. government. . . . They’ve gotten advice and comments and so forth so there is a lot happening,” he said.

“I don’t want to be discouraging. I want to be encouraging. We want as many people to be helping on this as possible,” he said.