Iraq Group Says Has 30 Foreign Hostages-Arabiya TV

Reuters ^ | 4/10/04

[kattracks]

DUBAI (Reuters) - An Iraqi group said in footage aired by an Arab TV station on Saturday it was holding 30 foreign hostages and threatened to decapitate them unless U.S. forces lifted their blockade of the town of Falluja.

"We are calling for the withdrawal of American and coalition forces. We have Japanese, Bulgarian, Israeli, American, Spanish and Korean hostages. Their numbers are 30," a masked man holding a Kalashnikov rifle said.

"If America doesn't lift its blockade of Falluja their heads will be cut off," he said in the footage in Arabic, which Al Arabiya said it obtained from news agencies. It did not show any of the alleged hostages.

The speaker of the group of eight masked men said they were called the "Brigades of the Hero Martyr Sheikh Ahmed Yassin," in reference to the founder of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, whom Israel assassinated last month.

"We announce the killing of four soldiers and we have the bodies," the speaker said. The footage showed the body of an unidentified and decomposing man in the sand.

It was not clear when he had been killed or when the tape had been made.

[Poundstone]

Could be utter rubbish.

[Sacajaweau]

Lousy sick bas*****!

[Diogenesis]

[cardinal4]

"We are calling for the withdrawal of American and coalition forces. We have Japanese, Bulgarian, Israeli, American, Spanish and Korean hostages. Their numbers are 30," a masked man holding a Kalashnikov rifle said.

Bulls*it..

[kattracks]

I think it's time for some serious "pacification".

[cdrw]

We are at war with Iran and the battlefield is Iraq. This whole uprising has Iran's fingerprints all over it.

[MNJohnnie]

Fine. Prove to the world you are barbarians. We have Fulljha cut off. These barabrians will be killed sooner or latter. We do NOT negotiate with terrorists, we kill them.

[dawn53]

Israeli??? I heard they had two Palestinians, are they referring to the Palestinians as Israeli???

[adam_az]

"If America doesn't lift its blockade of Falluja their heads will be cut off," he said in the footage in Arabic, which Al Arabiya said it obtained from news agencies. It did not show any of the alleged hostages.

Good, you kill them and they turn into propaganda tools for us. Alive, they are better propaganda tools for you. Get slicing, cowards. It's telling that you have the stones to kill civillians, but run away from the US Marines.

[montag813]

"Shoot the hostage"

[Milligan]

The peaceniks "foreign hostages"?

[not-an-ostrich]

Battle of the civilized vs the uncivilized.

[SkyPilot]

I hope Bush shows the rest of the world what it is to stand up to these "people" and not give in.

I shudder to think what would happen if Kerry was in charge.

[Diogenesis]

Sh'ite guy: 'You've got to win this. You've got to beat this guy. We need a new policy'

---

Terrorist guy: 'We want our stinking WMD and slaves.
You've got to win this. You've got to beat this guy. We need a new policy'

[TomGuy]

Beheaded. Burned to death.

We are dealing with barbarians. To try to deal with them in a civilized manner just doesn't work. These barbarians are stuck in the 7th Century.

[TomGuy]

Yes, estimates are that IraN has already paid $70million to al-Sadr and other insurrectionists to stir up trouble.

[mr.pink]

Good, you kill them and they turn into propaganda tools for us. Alive, they are better propaganda tools for you. Get slicing, cowards. It's telling that you have the stones to kill civillians, but run away from the US Marines.

"Get slicing"....?

Lemme guess....none of these hostages are related to you?

You seem a bit anxious for their execution for "propaganda purposes".....that's tremendously sick stuff.

Unlike yourself, I'll maintain confidence that these hostages can be rescued by American Marines, and don't share your viewing of this as a situation where the worst case scenario makes for a really powerful PR opportunity.

[DustyMoment]

You know it's just another average day in the Middle East when members of the peace-loving religion of Islam are threatening violence and death against innocent civilians.

What is more interesting is that the majority of the countries that the terrorists claim their hostages are from have denied missing any of its citizens. So, it appears to me as though someone is lying.

I vote that the Islamic terrorists, with their backs against the wall, surrounded by Marines, are lying in hopes of buying their way out of the incredibly deep hole they dug themselves into.

[Belisaurius]

CIA needs to slip a few ringers into these Arab TV networks...seems like they are always where the action is, and usually with obvious foreknowledge.