|
Iraqi PM's cousins kidnapped
THREE members of Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's family have been kidnapped by gunmen, a spokesman for the Iraqi interim government said today. A first cousin of the Prime Minister, the cousin's wife and another family member were seized from their home in Baghdad yesterday morning, spokesman Georges Sada said. He gave no further details on the circumstances of their abduction, but a police source said there had been a short gun battle at the home in a south-western district of the capital before the people were seized. Mr Sada said no demands had so far been made by the kidnappers. "This is a close cousin - Allawi's father and his father are brothers," Mr Sada said.Hundreds of Iraqis have been kidnapped by criminal gangs in a wave of abductions in recent months, with more wealthy individuals such as doctors and businessmen most regularly targeted. Most are released after the payment of ransom. Over the same period, scores of foreigners have been seized, with many of them handed over to Islamic militant groups who have threatened to kill them if demands are not met. More than 35 foreign hostages have been killed, several by beheading. Posted by: tipper 2004-11-10 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=48335 |