| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq-Jordan |
| Mujahideen make new demands for release of Indians |
| 2004-08-08 |
| Kuwaiti employer of the three Indian hostages in Iraq has on Sunday night pulled out of negotiations after their captors made fresh "last minute" demands giving a setback to prospects of their release but the Government urged the negotiators to "remain engaged". "Till last night, everything was going fine. We were expecting to receive the hostages but the abductors changed their mind at the last minute and put in a new demand," Rana Abu-Zaineh, spokesperson of Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport Company told PTI over phone from Kuwait. She, however, declined to spell out the demands but said they did not concern the company. Zaineh was quoted by AP late tonight as announcing that the company has "pulled out of the negotiations" to end the 19-day hostage crisis. Emerging from a marathon meeting of the Crisis Management Group, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh said "from a TV interview given a short while ago, we understand that Sheikh Hisham al-Dulaimi (negotiator for the abductors) and the Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport Company are still awaiting a response from the hostage-takers. "This may take some time. We must be patient. We continue to encourage both Sheikh Dulaimi and the company to stay engaged and bring this ordeal for the hostages and their anxious families to an early and happy conclusion," Singh told reporters. Asked about reports that KGL has pulled out of the talks, Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said "I don't have that information". |
| Posted by:TS(vice girl) |