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Falcons Brigade in talks with Jordanian government over hostage
Iraqi militants are negotiating with the Jordanian government about the fate of a hostage they threatened to kill unless Amman freed a failed woman suicide bomber, Al Arabiya television reported on Tuesday.Al Arabiya said it had received a new video from the little-known group, the Falcons Brigade, in which the militants said they were holding talks with Jordanâs government about embassy driver Mahmoud Saedat. Jordanian government spokesman Nasser Joudeh confirmed extensive efforts were underway to secure Saedatâs speedy release, but declined to identify the groups contacted or say whether there was any direct contact with the kidnappers. "Contacts are on-going at all levels and there could be parallel to this some unofficial contacts at different levels, the details of which cannot be disclosed at this stage in order to ensure his safety," he told Reuters. "The government is sparing no effort and leaving no stone unturned with all the relevant authorities in Iraq in order to ensure his release," Joudeh added. The video was not aired by Al Arabiya, which said the militants had renewed their threat to kill Saedat and repeated their demand for Jordan to pull its diplomats out of Iraq. Saedat was kidnapped in Baghdad late last month and Al Arabiya showed a video of him appealing to his government to quit Iraq and free Sajida al-Rishawi, who said on Jordanian television last month that she had tried to blow herself up alongside her husband in hotel attacks in Amman. Al Arabiya had said the group set a three-day deadline for Rishawiâs release. Jordan had said it would not give in to the kidnappersâ demands, but said it was sparing no effort to release Saedat. Posted by: Dan Darling 2006-01-04 |
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