Posted on 09/28/2004 8:48:10 AM PDT by areafiftyone
Two Italian Aid Workers who have been held captive in Iraq freed. No story yet.
Wonderful!!! I hope the British hostage is dealt in the same way.
It is an known fact that a ransom was paid in exchange for their release? I'm very glad that these two beautiful young women were not beheaded (and I pray that they weren't raped as that is a perfectly acceptable fate for Islamic female captives--per Mohammad's instructions), but I fear this will start a precedent and the money will be used for more killings and terror activities like Beslan, etc...
I think the terrorists know if they were to kill women we would REALLY get mad.
The Union of Italy's Islamic Communities and Organizations (UICO) and Jordan's Islamic opposition issued a joint statement in the Jordanian capital calling for the release of the two Italian women hostages.
Islamic Action Front (IAF) party chief Hamza Mansur and the UICO's head Mohamed Nur Dachan urged “the party holding Simona Toretta and Simona Pari, and the body of Enzo Baldoni, to deal with them in keeping with noble human values and release them immediately”.
Baldoni, a journalist, was killed by his abductors in Iraq last month.
Dachan held talks overnight with Mansur in Amman before heading for Baghdad to try to secure the release of the two Italian women.
Others Released
Meanwhile, Egyptian telecom giant Orascom said Tuesday that one Egyptian employee and two Iraqis who were among a group of eight kidnapped in Iraq last week had been freed.
Earlier, the company said that two Egyptian hostages had been freed Monday.
“We thought they had released two, but actually it was one,” an Orascom spokesman told AFP.
He also confirmed that two Iraqis were freed but did not say when.
Four Egyptians and two Iraqis were snatched at the Iraqi-Syrian border town of Al-Qaim last Wednesday and the following day two more Egyptian Orascom employees were seized in Baghdad.
The kidnappings have not been claimed by any group but they came amid a spate of abductions of foreigners since April that have seen nearly 150 foreigners kidnapped. (IslamOnline)
"It is an known fact that a ransom was paid in exchange for their release?..."
Sorry if I gave a wrong impression. What I meant was IF a ransom was paid. I was responding to speculation. (But I do agree it would set a precedent that is not worth it in the end)
you're welcome!!!
together we will win!!!!
"ransom paid = BIG mistake"
I meant IF a ransom was paid. This was only speculation.
According to some reports, terrorists are kidnapping Iraqi children and then demanding ransom from their families in order to raise money for terrorist activities. These Islamofascists need to be wiped off the face of the earth. They are pure evil and a threat to the civilized world.
these two women from what I was told and read, were liberal supporters of the islamists. opponents of the war on terror, and rather vocal about it.
I have no reason to believe they were anything other than collaborators who helped raise money for their islamist "captors".
See how they come out publicly later.
if they praise the plight of their islamist captors, and talk about the muslims being the real victims... we will KNOW this is what was going on.
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Two Italian and two Iraqi aid workers kidnapped this month in Iraq were freed Tuesday after three weeks in captivity, Italy's prime minister said. Four Egyptian workers abducted last week were also freed, according to their employer.
The release of Italians Simona Pari and Simona Torretta ended a drama that riveted Italy, where some feared the worst after Web statements last week claimed the women had been killed. While the Italians were being held, other kidnappers beheaded two American hostages.
"Finally a moment of joy," Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said, annoucing the release in Parliament in Rome. "The two girls are well and will be able to return to their loved ones tonight."
News of the release came soon after an Italian Muslim leader met with an Iraqi Muslim association earlier Tuesday in Baghdad to press for the women's release, though it was not immediately known if there was a connection.
The two women — both 29-year-olds working on school and water projects for the aid agency "Un Ponte Per ..." ("A Bridge To...") — were kidnapped in Baghdad on Sept. 7 along with Iraqis Raad Ali Aziz and Mahnaz Bassam. Two different groups claimed responsibilty for the abductions, demanding the withdrawal of Italian troops from the country or the release of Iraqi female prisoners.
Last week, the same two groups put out Web statements saying the two Italians had been killed because the demands were not met, but the Italian government quickly said the statements' authenticity was doubtful.
Luciano Pari, the father of Simona Pari, said on the Arab television channel Al-Jazeera on Tuesday that he was informed by Berlusconi of the release of the two hostages. He thanked Al-Jazeera and the Arab world, which he said had proved its friendship to the family and Italy at such hard times.
Berlusconi went before Parliament to give details of the release, with the assembly breaking into applause.
The prime minister thanked the intelligence agencies of Iraq's neighboring countries, including Jordan, whose king was in Rome Tuesday. He also said that the Italian secret services were involved in as many as 16 different negotiations, without elaborating.
Berlusconi also thanked the opposition for backing the government in its efforts to release the two women — a rare show of unity among Italy's traditionally squabbling politicians.
"The whole of Italy — majority and opposition — has given a good show of unity," Berlusconi said.
Meanwhile, four Egyptian telecommunications workers kidnapped in Baghdad last week were freed, their parent company said. Two other Egyptians who were abducted at the same time remain in captivity.
The parent company, Orascom, said in a statement that it "is continuing its intensive efforts to free the two remaining hostages."
A company spokesman, asked if Orascom had paid a ransom for their freedom, said he could not comment on any details of the negotiations. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the talks only as "hectic."
The Egyptian charge d'affaires in Baghdad, Farouq Mabrouk, told Associated Press Television News that the first hostage was freed Monday. Mabrouk said the kidnapping "was motivated by financial reasons."
Orascom identified the released hostages as Alaa Muqar, Tarek Abdel Latif, Medhat Rezeik and Amir Daoud Issa.
Six Egyptians were abducted last week in two separate kidnappings. Four worked for Iraqna, an Iraqi subsidiary of Orascom, and two were employed by Motorola, a subcontractor of Orascom in Iraq. No group claimed responsibility.
Four Iraqis were kidnapped with the Egyptians. One Iraqi later was released, and the status of the other Iraqis wasn't clear.
More than 100 foreigners have been kidnapped in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s dictatorship last year. Some kidnapping groups seek to extort ransom, others pursue the political motives of trying to force foreign forces or companies to quit Iraq. Many hostages have been killed.
Is $1,000,000 the cost of a good missile these days?
If so, THAT would be a proper "ransome".
Sheesh!
They need to set up sting operations with implanted tracking devices!
The major reason why these hostages survived is because they were NOT American. Had they been American they would definitely have been killed. The same applies to the Brit guy .....he has a chance (a small chance, but a chance) because he is not American. Any American taken hostage in Iraq by the Jihadi scum is basically doomed (unless he escapes, like Hamill, or is rescued).
Kick Ass! :)
I guess that indicates at least some success in cutting off their supply of funding (from previous sources).
These Islamofascists need to be wiped off the face of the earth.
Amen.
PRAISE THE LIVING GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (ISRAEL)!
I can not express to all of you the JOY I have in my Heart that OUR AWESOME GOD ANSWERED OUR PRAYERS!
The Families must be estatic that these young women are on their way Home to ITALY...GOD BLESS THE ITALIANS for having the Courage to STAND with US in this Fight against TERRORISM and the Islamic moon god worshipping Barbarrians.
Now...we must continue to PRAY that ALL of the other INNOCENT Hostages that these PAGAN Islama-Nazi Barbarrians have taken will also be RELEASED IMMEDIATELY.
Please say a Special Prayer for ALL of our TROOPS and ALLIED TROOPS, and THE IDF who are in Harms Way.
They Give Their ALL So WE Can Live In FREEDOM And LIBERTY.
May GOD BLESS each and every One and their precious Families too.
PS: VOTE...BUSH / CHENEY on November 2nd, Our Lives and Families Lives Depend on George W Bush & Richard Cheney to be in Office in OUR...WHITEHOUSE.
Those are two VERY LUCKY women. I, too, thought they were dead.
They should have coated it with a fast-acting poison that is absorbed through the skin.
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