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| Iraq-Jordan |
| US working to free hostage in Baghdad |
| 2004-12-17 |
| United States diplomats in Baghdad say they are working to free an American hostage seized in the Iraqi capital seven weeks ago, saying they believed the man, whom they named as Roy Hallums, was still alive. "We believe he's alive. We're working on that assumption," an embassy spokesman said, for the first time confirming the name of the American snatched in a raid on the premises of a Saudi-owned catering company on November 1. Gunmen took Mr Hallums, along with a Filipino, a Nepali and three Iraqis after they stormed a villa belonging to the Riyadh-based Saudi Arabian Trading and Contracting Company. The four others were quickly released but Mr Hallums and Filipino Roberto Tarongoy are still being apparently held, the Philippines Government says, for ransom. Philippine officials said last month that ransoms totalling about $US20 million were demanded for Mr Tarongoy and the American. Several Americans have been among dozens of foreigners and thousands of Iraqis to fall prey to kidnappers since the US invasion of Iraq last year. Some have been killed by insurgents demanding US troops leave, while many other kidnappings appear to have financial motives. |
| Posted by:God Save The World |