Breitbart.com & Al-Jazeera – 2005-12-02 23:17:05
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/AFF3E63D-93D0-4B36-BCE7-C7CD79739D9C.htm
Kidnappers Threaten to Kill Iraq Activists
Breitbart.com
BAGHDAD, Iraq (December 2, 2005) โ Al-Jazeera television broadcast a videotape Friday in which kidnappers of four Christian peace activists threatened to kill their hostages unless all prisoners in US and Iraqi detention centers are released. The kidnappers gave the two governments until Dec. 8 to meet their demands, Al-Jazeera quoted a statement delivered with the tape as saying.
The tape showed what the broadcaster said were two Canadian hostages. An American and a Briton are also being held. All four appeared frightened.
The Canadians were shown eating from plates of what appeared to be Arabic sweets. In a second clip, the British and American hostages were shown to talking to the camera but no audio was transmitted.
The two were calling on the U.S. and British governments to withdraw from Iraq, Al-Jazeera reported, quoting a statement from the kidnappers, who earlier identified themselves as the Swords of Righteousness Brigade.
Iraq Captors Threaten to Kill Peace Team Hostages
Al-Jazeera
(December 2, 2005) โ Aljazeera has aired a new videotape in which captors of four Christian peace activists in Iraq have threatened to kill their hostages unless all prisoners in US and Iraqi detention centres are released.
The captors gave the two governments until 8 December to meet their demands, according to Aljazeera quoting a statement delivered with the tape.
“It gave a deadline for those concerned until 8 December to meet the demands,” Aljazeera said.
The tape aired on Friday showed two Canadian hostages. An American and a Briton are also being held. All four appeared frightened.
The Canadians were shown eating from plates of what appeared to be Arabic sweets. In a second clip, the Briton and American hostages were shown talking to the camera but no audio was transmitted.
The two were calling on the US and British governments to withdraw from Iraq, Aljazeera said, quoting the kidnappers’ statement.
German Hostage
The mother and sister of a German woman taken hostage in Iraq have meanwhile called on her captors to show mercy and release her in an appeal shown on Aljazeera on Friday.
“We beg of you โ be merciful and graceful with my daughter and release her and her escort as soon as possible,” Ingrid Hala, mother of the abducted Susanne Osthoff, said in the appeal.
Susanne Osthoff has been held in
Iraq since 25 NovemberOsthoff, a 43-year-old archaeologist, disappeared a week ago. Earlier this week, her kidnappers said in a videotaped message that they would kill her if Germany did not end all support for the Iraqi government.
Germany helps train Iraqi forces outside Iraq but has ruled out sending troops there.
An image from the tape, delivered to Germany’s ARD public television in Baghdad, showed what appeared to be Osthoff and her driver sitting on the ground surrounded by three armed, masked men.
“We appeal to you to spare the lives of my innocent sister and her escort,” her sister Anja Osthoff said. “My sister has lived for a long time in your country and is devoted to it. She brought sick people medicine. She loves Iraq’s great culture.”
It was not clear who had abducted the archaeologist, a converted Muslim who had spent about 15 years working on excavations in Iraq before UN sanctions forced foreign experts out of the country in the late 1980s.
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