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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Italians balk at hostage ransom |
| 2005-02-13 |
| The Italian foreign minister Gianfranco Fini, whose government has been accused of paying to free hostages in Iraq, has ruled out buying the release of the latest kidnap victim Giuliana Sgrena, a journalist. Sgrena, 57, who works for Il Manifesto, a left-wing newspaper, was seized nine days ago while driving away from a mosque in Baghdad after interviewing Sunni Muslim refugees from Falluja. An unnamed source quoted by the newspaper claimed to have seen her twice since her capture and said she was well. Asked whether his government would agree to a ransom, Fini, 52, said in an interview: "Italy does not have dealings with criminals. Italy is working for her release." The belief that Sgrena's kidnappers will demand money has gained ground among intelligence officials. In Baghdad, Sabak Kadum, a spokesman for the interior ministry of the Iraqi provisional government, said he was certain that the captors wanted money and was optimistic the journalist would be released. When two Italian aid workers, Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, were freed in September, the Rome government denied paying a ransom. But an Italian intelligence official claimed their release cost $5m, raising fears that this would encourage kidnappers to target Italians. Silvio Berlusconi, the centre-right prime minister, has indicated a willingness to negotiate for the release of Sgrena. On the day her abduction was announced he said: "Negotiations have begun." Fini, who is from a different party, the National Alliance, said: "What Berlusconi meant to say was that initiatives, rather than negotiations, had begun — political, diplomatic and intelligence efforts to obtain her release." Italy's message, Fini said, was that Sgrena was a journalist and a friend of the Iraqi people who "had always expressed views that were very critical of the presence of multinational forces in Iraq". This showed that those who seized her "did so for reasons that have nothing to do with the Iraqi people". Fini said an appeal for Sgrena's release that he had made on Al-Jazeera, the Arab television station, the day after her capture had had a "positive effect" — "Sunni clerics and politicians had appealed for her freedom". Fini said that Italy still did not know who the journalist's kidnappers were. Statements have been posted on Islamic websites setting two ultimatums for Italy to withdraw its troops and then announcing Sgrena's execution, but Italian officials have dismissed these as unreliable. |
| Posted by:Bulldog |
| #1 test |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-02-13 11:33:34 PM |