Posted on 06/01/2004 2:22:19 PM PDT by se99tp
WARSAW, June 1 (Reuters) -
Unidentified kidnappers seized two Polish construction company employees in Baghdad on Tuesday, but one of them was able to escape, Polish officials said.
Polish firm Jedynka said the kidnappers arrived in two jeeps at the company's office in a flat and took the two Poles and five Iraqi staff, including security guards, hostage.
"The employee who escaped was handcuffed but managed to break the car's window and jump out right in front of a U.S. patrol," a company spokesman told Polish television.
No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. "We are doing everything we can. We have put all our contacts into motion to get to know who the assailants were and these contacts are not limited to diplomatic channels," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Boguslaw Majewski. A number of foreigners have been kidnapped in Iraq in the past few weeks. Two are known to have been killed by their kidnappers, some are still missing and others have been freed.
Poland, a close U.S. ally, dispatched 2,400 troops to Iraq, one of the biggest single contingents in U.S.-led forces. Poles initially backed the deployment but public discontent with the mission has been on the rise in the face of mounting violence in Iraq.
Four Polish soldiers and two journalists have been killed in Iraq. The leftist government has vowed not to withdraw the troops.
The Pole being held by the kidnappers was identified as Jerzy Kos, a head of Jedynka's Iraqi office. The fate of the Iraqis was not known, the company spokesman said.
Bogdan?
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