US to withhold comments of freeing the hostages

The State Department imposed a temporary news blackout Tuesday on its efforts to gain the release of 50 American hostages in Iran, saying any comment could be counterproductive. "At this point, official comment by the administration on each proposal, suggestion, or rumor that may be raised in general or specific terms from a variety of sources is neither necessary nor productive," spokesman Hodding Carter III said. "Therefore, today I will have no further comment on the hostage situation or any of the various stories."

Later he said the blackout could last hours, days, or weeks.