[Bigh4u2]

That's quite a statement considering the limited facts, about the captors, brought forth in this story.

What makes you think it isn't Al Qaeda?

If Allawi is involved, it may well be.

Not enough facts here for me to make that assumption tho.

[Wiz]

What makes you think it isn't Al Qaeda?

Months ago, local Sunni groups have been engaging for a dialog and a conditional cease fire with the coalition force and the government. This was mentioned several times by certain news source. Al Qaeda is less likely to engage in a dialog and compromise because of their extremism. Al Qaeda's strategy of hostage taking is give a very limited time for withdraw of coalition force of the nationality of that hostage. Different from this pattern, the hostage takers asked for a dialog, unlikely for Al Qaeda. There is similarity in terms of request for withdraw of troops, but the irregularity is the ask for a dialog. On the other hand, local Sunni groups have been searching for an amnesty and cease fire, which matches the pattern of this hostage taking. Therefore, I believe that the hostage takers are local Sunni Iraqi groups, or at least Iraqi groups.