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| Iran |
| Western tourists abducted in Iran |
| 2003-12-08 |
| A group of Western tourists has been kidnapped in south-eastern Iran. The exact number of missing people is unclear, but two agencies say there are three of them, all from Germany. What, the Algerian desert tours were all booked? The AFP news agency says they were abducted several days ago in the Sistan-Baluchistan province, an area notorious for drug-smuggling. "Helmut, where should we vacation this year?" "How about Iran, I hear the poppies are in bloom." A German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said there were indications that Germans were involved, and that a crisis team had been set up. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #7 #3 You recall correctly. There was rioting in southeastern Iran as the Baluch battled government presence in villages east of Kirman, near the Afghan border. Unfortunately, there has been no follow up. As I recall, the original information was received by cellphone. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-12-8 2:48:43 PM |
| #6 Armed drug runners have kidnapped one Irish and two German tourists on a cycling trip in southeast Iran and demanded five million euros (3.5 million pounds) for their release, Iranian government sources say. "They were travelling on bicycles on the road between (the cities of) Bam and Zahedan when the smugglers kidnapped them," one of the sources told Reuters. German tourists on adventure holidays in remote locations have been involved in a number of kidnappings in recent years. There were 16 Germans among 32 European tourists seized in separate incidents in February and March in southern Algeria. German tourists have also been kidnapped in Egypt, Malaysia, Yemen, Colombia, India and the Philippines in recent years. Rumours that the German government paid ransoms for the release of some of its citizens have led to speculation that German tourists may be seen as lucrative targets by would-be hostage takers. Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province is a major smuggling route used by well-armed drug runners moving opium from Afghanistan to western Europe. It only tends to draw a small number of adventurous backpackers crossing overland to Pakistan. |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-12-8 12:25:40 PM |
| #5 Whoops. My comment above should be under Afghanistan, and should actually relate to a post. Gah. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2003-12-8 11:32:50 AM |
| #4 I saw a report on Fox yesterday that sez Osama (or his remains) have cut payments to the Taliban bu half. Kidnappings of Westerners for ransom are probably one of the "new revenue streams"... |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2003-12-8 11:29:54 AM |
| #3 Didn't the locals just riot against the Iranian gummint last week for shooting a kid? |
| Posted by: OminousWhatever 2003-12-8 11:17:35 AM |
| #2 More details: Two German and one Irish tourist have been kidnapped in Iran's south-eastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, which has a reputation of being one of the most unsafe regions of the country. An Iranian government source told Aljazeera.net on Monday that no group has come forward claiming responsibility for the kidnappings. But he said they were likely snatched by drug traffickers. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the tourists were seized this morning. Another government source, who also declined to be identified, said they were captured on Monday near Nosrat Abad, on the road between the historic city of Bam and Zahedan, near the Pakistani border. Iranian security authorities, police and intelligence have been scouring the region in an effort to find the captives, which the government source described as the "most urgent" matter. Sistan-Baluchistan, which neighbours Afghanistan and Pakistan, is notorious as a corridor for drug-smuggling. It is economically poor and inhabited by tribes of Sunni Muslims, who are a minority in Iran as a whole.I> I'd say Zhang has it right, sounds like a shopping trip gone bad. |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-12-8 10:33:07 AM |
| #1 Tourists? Sound more like guys on a buying expedition. It should be quite an experience - I understand the Baluchis are very hospitable to their guests. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2003-12-8 9:40:59 AM |