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| Afghanistan |
| Taliban Threaten To Kill Interpreter Of Freed Italian |
| 2007-04-07 |
| (AKI) - Taliban fighters holding an Afghan interpreter, who was kidnapped but not released along with Italian reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo, have issued an ultimatum for the government to contact them or he will be killed. The brother of Adjmal Nashkbandi, said he received a phone call late Thursday from a spokesman of Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah. "It is your last chance; you have until Monday at 1500" he said. "The government has done nothing to save your brother - it must get in contact with us" he added. On hearing the news, Daniele Mastrogiacomo, correspondent of La Repubblica, for whom Naskbandi was working when the two were seized in southern Afghanistan on 5 March, and his editor Ezio Mauro, made another appeal to the Afghan authorities to act to save the interpreter. "Everyone at Repubblica has been following with anguish this case since the first day of the kidnapping of Daniele Mastrogiacomo and his workmates. Daniele has been able to return free to his family and work but the anguish remains. "This has already cost the life of Sayed Agha [Mastrogiacomo's driver who was decapitated by the Taliban] and we extend our sympathies to his wife and children. We do not want more mourning. For this we ask President Karzai to do all he considers just and possible to save Adjmal's life," the appeal said. In a controversial deal, criticised by Italy's NATO allies, Mastrogiacomo was freed in exchange for the release of five Taliban leaders. At first it was thought that his interpreter had been liberated at the same time but the Taliban later confirmed he was still being held. In a video broadcast on 29 March by the Italian TV channel Sky tg24, Dadullah threatened to kill Naskbandi if President Karzai refused to discuss the release of two detained Taliban members in exchange for him. Gino Strada, head of the Italian aid group Emergency - which played a key role in securing the release of Mastrogiacomo - has appealed directly to Mullah Dadullah to spare Adjmal's life. He had previously threatened to close down all his group's hospitals in Afghanistan. An Afghan official of Emergency, Ramatullah Hanefi, who was involved in securing the Italian reporter's release, has been held by the Afghan security forces for two weeks. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Mastrogiacomo ought to pay for his interpreter out of his own damn pocket. Sell his house and his Vespa if need be. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2007-04-07 12:02 |
| #1 We got another Italian, (Even though he's not, you're still responsible) Gimme, Gimme, Gimme. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2007-04-07 11:25 |