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| Iraq |
| UPDATE: Businessmen were behind kidnapping of Romanian journalists |
| 2005-10-17 |
| BUCHAREST- A wealthy Romanian-Syrian businessman and his American-Iraqi associate are accused of organising the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Iraq in March, a judicial source said. The Romanian-Syrian Omar Hayssam organised the abduction with his business partner Mohamed Munaf, an American of Iraqi origin, according to extracts of an indictment detailing the charges published by the Mediafax news agency. The Romanian justice ministry announced it was taking steps to extradite Munaf, who is in the custody of US authorities in Iraq. Hayssam was arrested in Bucharest in May when his role in the abduction came to light. The abduction would have allowed Hayssam to transfer large sums of money abroad at a time when he was under scrutiny for his business dealings, according to the indictment. Hayssam contacted Munaf to prepare the abduction of Marie Jeanne Ion and Sorin Miscoci of the Prima TV channel and Ovidiu Ohanesian of the daily Romania Libera, on the ground in Iraq. He then employed a "cell specialising in abductions" in Baghdad to carry it out. The cell later refused to release the hostages and Munaf as agreed. The hostages were held for 55 days before being released following negotiations. No ransom was paid. It later emerged that the hostages were held in the same place as the French journalist Florence Aubenas, who was held for five months after being abducted last January while reporting for the French daily Liberation. |
| Posted by:Seafarious |
| #1 I keep thinking of that scene from the Firefly pilot... when he's talking to their erstwhile "employer," a would-be fence named "Badger" who's alarmed to find out that they were spotted by the feds while performing the salvage operation he sent them on... BADGER: What were you in the war? That big war you failed to win? A Sergeant? Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds, Balls and Bayonets Brigade, big tough veteran, now you got yourself a ship and you're a captain! Only I think you're still a Sergeant, see. Still a soldier, man of honour in a den of thieves. (in his face) Well it's my gorramn den and I don't like the way you look down on me. I'm above you. Better than. Businessman, see? (fiddles with coat) Roots in the community. You're just a scavenger. We need a frame grab from this scene for future stories about "businessmen." The tie kills me... |
| Posted by: Phil Fraering 2005-10-17 19:02 |