ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - With two Americans jailed by the Taliban for preaching Christianity, the United States expressed concern Monday over the hard-line militia's expanding investigation into alleged proselytizing by foreign aid workers.
Diplomats from the United States, Germany and Australia were expected to travel to Afghanistan on Tuesday to try to see the eight arrested aid workers - though the hard-line Taliban militia has so far refused to allow any visits.
The Taliban said over the weekend they were expanding their investigations to discover if there is a conspiracy by Western aid organizations to convert Afghan Muslims to Christianity.
Mohammed Wali, the Taliban minister in charge of religious police, said Monday that all Western aid groups - including U.N. agencies - had been notified that they would be scrutinized by his own ministry, as well as the security and intelligence ministries.
``We are a little surprised at the breadth'' of the agencies under investigation, said John Kincannon, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan.
``We will continue to press vigorously for consular access to the two Americans,'' said Kincannon.
Afghan visas for the diplomats were approved Monday. Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil told reporters that diplomats will be allowed to meet Taliban officials in Kabul, but not the imprisoned aid workers.
The Taliban arrested the eight foreigners - two Americans, four Germans and two Australians - Aug. 5, along with 16 Afghan employees of the aid agency, Shelter Now International, which is run by the German-based Christian charity, Vision for Asia.
The foreign aid workers were charged with proselytizing.
It wasn't clear what charges would be laid against the 16 Afghan staff. A conviction of proselytizing could mean the death penalty for an Afghan and a jail sentence and expulsion for a foreigner.
Muttawakil said aid organizations, including the U.N. World Food Program, will be questioned about their knowledge of Shelter Now International's activities.
Muttawakil said the WFP gave food to Shelter Now International for distribution knowing that the group was a Christian missionary organization.
The WFP denied any involvement in religious education.
``The WFP has no religious intentions whatsoever,'' Francis Mwanza, a spokesman at its Rome headquarters, said Sunday.
The Taliban have displayed items they seized from Shelter Now's offices, including Christian compact discs, cassettes and literature translated into local languages.
AP-NY-08-13-01 1022EDT
Copyright 2001 The Associated Press.