Two Palestinians kidnapped in Iraq - TV report

Reuters ^ | 4/8/04

[areafiftyone]

JERUSALEM, April 8 (Reuters) - Insurgents in Iraq have kidnapped two Palestinians with Israeli identity cards and accused them of spying for Israel, according to footage shown on Thursday by an Iranian TV station.

One of the abductees said in the videotape that he worked for RTI International, a North Carolina research institute under contract from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to participate in the reconstruction of Iraq.

Iran's Al-Alam television, monitored in Israel, showed footage of the two men, identifying them as Nabil George Yaakob Razuq and Ahmed Yassin Tikati. It said they had been kidnapped by the Ansar a-Din group.

"We are a religious faction," a masked man said in the tape.

"We have captured spies who belong to the Zionist enemy, and we demand the immediate release of all the prisoners who belong to the religious factions (in Iraq), especially the women. We will negotiate over these two captives."

The videotape also showed an Israeli identity card, an Israeli health service provider's card, an Israeli driver's licence, a driving licence issued by the U.S. state of Georgia and a student card from Augusta College in Georgia.

"I am Nabil George Yaakob, an Israeli spy," a frightened-looking Razuk said in the videotape, giving his age as 30. He said he worked for RTI. Relatives in East Jerusalem told reporters he had attended university in Georgia.

Tikati, who also looked terrified, made a similar "confession", and said he was 33 years old.

Israeli cabinet minister Gideon Ezra said both men were residents of East Jerusalem.

"They are not Israeli citizens," he told Israel's Channel Two television. "They are not couriers or agents of the (Israeli intelligence service) Mossad."

But Ezra said Israel would try through diplomatic means to get them "out of the clutches of evil".

Palestinians from East Jerusalem, annexed by Israel after its capture along with the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war, are issued with Israeli identity cards. They are eligible for Israeli citizenship, although few apply for it.

Asked by Channel Two if he had a message for the kidnappers, Razuq's uncle, Anton, said in Arabic: "We have been living under Israeli occupation since 1967. Like other Arabs in East Jerusalem, we have Israeli identity cards...that doesn't mean we have any attachment to (Israel)."

Earlier, seven South Koreans, three Japanese and a Briton were reported have been seized in Iraq by militants. The Koreans were later reported to have been released.

[areafiftyone]

This is getting more bizarre by the minute!

[3AngelaD]

Iraqis kidnapping Palestinians? This brings new meaning to the term "unclear on the concept."

[Support Free Republic]

Does this scare you?

Click pic to hug FR

[cripplecreek]

Sounds like someone is getting deperate and paranoid.

[11th_VA]

The Koreans were later reported to have been released.

Maybe they sent a message saying the ROKs were gonna kick the kimchee out of 'em if they didn't release the hostages.

It's time to bring up the Gurkas ...

[sarasota]

Hostage taking appears to be the latest attempt to "negotiate".

[lilylangtree]

Palis? Tell the kidnappers to "keep them".

[hellinahandcart]

This brings new meaning to the term "unclear on the concept."

Yup. This is the one weakness I see in the whole "leaderless resistance" thing-- the cells have a good chance of being full of some clueless idiots.

[BrooklynGOP]

Yea, like spies would carry identity cards. Right.

[traumer]

Buttt.... that doesn't make sense !

[areafiftyone]

Just plain wierd. These people have to be the stupidist kidnappers in the world!

[Catspaw]

The Iraqis captured two Palestinians & are claiming they're Zionist enemies? *snork*

[xJones]

Just plain wierd. These people have to be the stupidist kidnappers in the world!

I wonder if they're possibly influenced by the Chechnyan Muslim terrorists. They've been kidnapping Russians for ransom for years.

[Khurkris]

This story has a smell to it.

[lowbridge]

PA Arabs In Support Of Iraqi "Resistance"

[mikhailovich]

Well, whatever the case, they probably can whip up a bomb out of a broomstick and can of beans and blow their way out of there.

[SJackson]

Thanks for the ping. The irony is that Israel will try to get them out.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Ok I am lost here. I can't watch TV-kids are around all the time- and I am trying to keep up with threads here.. This doesn't make sense to me at all...It looks like The Japanese hostages volunteered to be hostages, the Koreans are released(unsure why) ,and these idiots kidnap Palestinians,who they claim are spies?

And what? Is that supposed to make the coalition lay down arms and go home?

Did these thugs have a plan, or are they really that dumb- or did they not understand the message sent this year by our military forces.... whatever it is... the end can not be far for these folks.

I admit, I am just a girl with little knowledge of war strategies.... but what planet am I on?