Page 2 - Aruba Today
P. 2
A2
UP FRONTWednesday 17 February
US confirms release of 3 Americans abducted in Baghdad
QASSIM ZAHRA they suspected one of two Baghdad-based spokesman for the US-led coalition in Iraq Col. Steve Warren speaks during an
Associated Press powerful Shiite militias was interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad. The three Americans who were abducted in
BAGHDAD (AP) — The behind the kidnapping. Baghdad last month have been freed, the State Department said Tuesday, and Iraqi officials said
three Americans who were In January, the U.S. embas- they have been handed over to the U.S. Embassy in good health.
abducted in Baghdad last sy in Baghdad confirmed
month have been freed, that several Americans had (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)
the State Department said gone missing. Iraqi authori-
Tuesday, and Iraqi officials ties added that the three
said they have been hand- were kidnapped from a
ed over to the U.S. Embassy “suspicious apartment.”
in good health. Deputy State Department
The Americans were ab- spokesman Mark Toner
ducted in Dora, a mixed said the United States sin-
neighborhood that is home cerely appreciates the “as-
to both Shiites and Sunnis. sistance provided by the
It was the latest in a se- Government of Iraq, and
ries of brazen high-profile its whole-of-government
kidnappings undermin- effort to bring about the
ing confidence in the Iraqi safe release of these indi-
government’s ability to viduals.”
control state-sanctioned Iraqi officials, who spoke on
Shiite militias, which have condition of anonymity as
grown in strength as Iraqi they were not authorized
security forces battle the to brief the press, said the
Islamic State group. Iraqi three were freed by Iraqi
and Western officials said security forces.
Separately the U.N. an- in southern Iraq by uniden-
nounced Tuesday that it tified gunmen driving SUVs.
has identified the body of Following the incident, Qa-
a staff member who was tar’s Foreign Ministry said in
abducted in April 2015. The a statement that it has con-
body of Amer al-Kaissy, an tacted “Iraqi government
Iraqi national who was the and concerned entities at
U.N. mission’s representa- the highest security and
tive in the Diyala province political levels” to ascertain
northeast of Baghdad, details of what happened
was found in November and to try to secure the
“bearing signs of execu- hunters’ release. The hunt-
tion by gunshot” and was ers haven’t been heard
buried, unidentified, by lo- from since.
cal officials, the statement In September, 18 Turkish
said. The U.N. said friends workers were kidnapped in
and colleagues of al-Kais- Baghdad’s Shiite-dominat-
sy identified the body this ed Sadr City. A video from
week. a previously unknown mili-
“He is suspected to have tant group showed the hos-
been abducted by militias tages and demanded Tur-
active in the area,” the key halt the flow of militants
U.N. statement said. into Iraq, stop the passage
A Diyala security official of oil from Iraq’s northern
told the Associated Press Kurdish region into Turkish
al-Kaissy’s remains have territory and lift what was
been handed over to his described as a “siege” on
family. The official spoke on Syrian cities. All the work-
condition of anonymity as ers were released within a
he was not authorized to month.
brief the press. While kidnappings for ran-
“For more than nine months som are common across
we have sought the inter- Iraq, large-scale abduc-
vention of the Government tions of foreigners are a
on the local and national relatively recent phenome-
levels to ensure his safe re- non. Before the Americans
turn to his family,” said U.N. were snatched last month,
secretary General for Iraq the last time a U.S. citizen
Jan Kubis in a statement. was kidnapped in Iraq was
“I am deeply disappointed in 2010. The scale and so-
that our efforts and ap- phistication of the recent
peals went unanswered.” kidnappings of foreigners
In December, 26 Qatari suggests those responsible
hunters were abducted are operating with some
from a remote desert area degree of impunity.q
