Iraq hostage crisis

[Guest mehtab]

3 Indian hostages : Antaryami, Tilak Raj and Sukhdev Singh

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/article...o~behead~Indian

Iraqi captors threaten to behead Indian

BAGHDAD: Concerns mounted on Thursday night when militants in Iraq threatened to behead an Indian hostage unless his Kuwaiti firm quit the country.

At gun-point:

In a videotape given to foreign news organizations on Thursday, a masked man points an M-16 automatic rifle at the head of an Indian hostage, who was wearing orange clothing. Kidnappers holding seven foreign truck drivers hostage in Iraq threatened to -- one of them on Friday if they received no response to their demands. Photo by Reuters (Handout)

Earlier, the little known outfit 'Holders of the Black Banners' had threatened to execute one of the seven captives if their demands were not met by Friday.

In a video shown on Al Arabiya television, the outfit said that they would -- one of the histages at 7 pm (9.30 pm IST) on Friday if their demands were not met immediately.

The videotape showed a masked man pointing an M-16 automatic rifle at the head of an Indian hostage, who was wearing an orange dress similar to the ones worn by previous foreign hostages that were killed.

As the news of th

e latest threat came, after the killing of two Pakistani hostages by another militant group in Iraq, the Crisis Management Group, set up by the government to deal with the hostage drama, went into a huddle to discuss the issue.

http://headlines.sify.com/news/fullstory.p...ge~causes~panic

Video of Indian hostage causes panic

Friday, 30 July , 2004, 12:24

New Delhi: India has expressed deep concern over a videotape showing a rifle being held to the head of a hostage in Iraq and said it was working "round the clock" to free the man and two other Indians being held.

Insurgents have held seven drivers -- three Indians, three Egyptians and a Kenyan hostage since last week -- and threatened to "slit the throat of one of the (Indian) hostages on Friday at 7:00 pm (1500 GMT) if our demands are not met."

The videotape came from the Islamic Secret Army, apparently the parent group of the kidnappers, who call themselves Holders of the Black Banner, and showed the frightened Indian, Antarayami, clad in orange with a hooded man holding an automatic weapon to the hostage's head.

Abductors in Iraq have routinely clad hostages in orange before killing them, often by beheading. The orange clothing imitates the orange jumpsuits inmates wear at US detention centres such as Guantanamo Bay.

The insurgents said they would -- the hostages unless their employer, a Kuwaiti transport firm, promised to cease business in Iraq.

The insurgents accused India of "deviating from Gandhi's path of peace," branding the hostages "fighters supporting the infidel occupation."

The threat made front-page headlines in newspapers Friday. "We are deeply disturbed by this development," the foreign ministry said in an o

vernight statement. It said it was continuing "all efforts to secure the early and safe release of its three citizens being held in Iraq" and its crisis management group was working "round the clock."

The threat came days after two Pakistanis -- a driver and engineer -- were killed by their abductors who had demanded their employer quit Iraq.

India's embassy in Baghdad, meanwhile, reiterated its appeal for the hostages' release, saying they were "poor people who went to Iraq seeking employment and were not working for occupation forces," the government said.

Saying it was "important to have patience and maintain calm," the government said go-between Sheikh Hisham Al Dulaimi "has conveyed he is assisting in the resolution of this issue out of humanitarian consideration."

The statement came after Bhago Devi, the elderly mother of Antarayami, collapsed in Dehlan and was taken to hospital, seeing a TV station broadcast footage of the rifle pointed at her son.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_916...ill~my~son'

I'll court death before seeing my son's body: Antaryami's father

Press Trust of India

Una (Himachal Pradesh), July 29

The father of Antaryami, one of the three Indians taken hostage in Iraq, was a totally broken man on Thursday and said he would court death before seeing the body of his son.

"We are left with no hope. We cannot rely on Government or on God," said Antaryami's distraught father Ram Murthi at his house at Upper Dehlan village.

"The moment I saw today the photo of a captor pointing the gun at Antaryami and threatening to -- a hostage by Friday, I decided that I will die before that and

will not see his body," Ram Murti said.

[Yasmin]

[mann_kaum_layee_qurbaan]

well these people have shown that they do not care for Islam or any faith as they are killing Pakistanis, taking Jordanians, Indians, Kenyans and Egyptians hostage. Do these people ever think about how they would feel if Americans started doing the same to Muslims in America, telling them to leave the country or face death, or how about the millions of Muslims in France or England. Every person regardless of religion wakes up every morning ready to work to feed their families. These hostage takers are holding innocent people who came to their country to make money to feed their children just like Iraqis working in America. Why these people can't get this in ther thick heads bewilders me.

[Guest mehtab]

well these people have shown that they do not care for Islam or any faith as they are killing Pakistanis, taking Jordanians, Indians, Kenyans and Egyptians hostage. Do these people ever think about how they would feel if Americans started doing the same to Muslims in America, telling them to leave the country or face death, or how about the millions of Muslims in France or England. Every person regardless of religion wakes up every morning ready to work to feed their families. These hostage takers are holding innocent people who came to their country to make money to feed their children just like Iraqis working in America. Why these people can't get this in ther thick heads bewilders me.

Hatred and fanaticism in the name of religion my brother! :wub:

[ram_simar]

Dear Sangat ji,

Gurfateh!

Let us pray for our brothers being held hostage by the sick "freedom fighters". They already executed the Pakistanis, even though they were Muslims. I thought that it was very nice thinking to do the following.

------------------------------------------------------------

" Renowned cardiac surgeon Dr K M Cherian on Friday appealed to militants in Iraq to release unharmed the three Indian hostages in a reciprocal gesture for a local hospital which saved 20 Iraqi children suffering from congenital heart disease.

"I have e-mailed letters to the family members of 20 Iraqi children, whom my hospital treated free of cost for various complex heart ailments, to also appeal to the militants to release the Indian hostages", he told reporters here.

The Indian government had sanctioned Rs 5 lakh for the post-operative care of the 20 Iraqi children, he said.

Cherian said his hospital "Heart Foundation" had even offered hospitality for the family members of the 20 Iraqi children treated at the hospital.

"I think it would be appropriate to highlight our recent humanitarian gesture that we have extended to Iraq by operating free of cost the 20 Iraqi kids with most complex congenital heart diseases and thereby saving all of them". "

----------------------------------------------------------------

In Himachal and Punjab their families have arranged for a Akhandpath in their local Gurudwaras. May Waheguru bless them and protect them!!

[atl singh]

but guys when yall say how wud they feel if americans attack them.

americans do attack them

how many people on this forum like george bush and think hes a good presisdent

hopefully no one

just go watch farenhite 911.

yall will know what im talkin bout

[Guest mehtab]

http://headlines.sify.com/news/fullstory.p...ine~by~24~hours

Kidnappers extend deadline by 24 hours

Friday, 30 July , 2004, 22:45

New Delhi/Dubai: Kidnappers of the three Indian hostages in Iraq extended by 24 hours the deadline to execute one of them bringing temporary relief to their anxious families as India decided to rush a senior official to Baghdad to assist in efforts to seek their early and safe release.

A statement issued by the kidnappers to AFP in Baghdad said the deadline has been extended till 1500 hours GMT (2030 hours IST) Saturday to give a "last chance to the company and the concerned countries to save their employee and their nationals."

Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport (KGL) firm, the employer of Antaryami, Tilak Raj and Sukh Deo, also said in a statement that the militants have delayed their deadline.

When contacted, Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed told PTI "we also heard about the extension of the deadline. But we have not got any authentic confirmation as yet. If it is true, we really appreciate the gesture and we also hope the kidnapped Indians will be released as early as possible."

The 8.30 pm deadline given by the captors for Friday passed off without any report of the militant group having carried out their threat as the negotiations to secure the release of the captives progressed.

Rana Abu Zaineh of KGL said the captors, the Black Banners Battalion which kidnapped the hostages on July 2

1, had informed them about lifting the deadline.

As the Friday's deadline drew closer, the Crisis Management Group headed by Ahamed held a marathon meeting in Delhi.

Emerging from the five-hour meeting, he told reporters that a senior External Affairs Ministry official of the rank of Additional Secretary familiar with the region and its language was being deputed to the Indian Embassy in Baghdad to assist in efforts to seek the early and safe release of the hostages. "We will furnish details shortly," he said.

External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh told reporters in Bangkok that KGL has established contact with Iraqi go-between Sheikh Hisham al-Dulaimi who is assisting in the efforts for resolution of the hostage crisis.

He said the company had stated it was willing to take whatever steps are necessary to facilitiate the safe and early release of the hostages.

The abductors said that "at the request of the mediator, we have decided to give a last chance to the Kuwaiti company and the relevant countries to save their employees and their nationals."

On the status of negotiations, Ahamed said the government had seen a statement of al-Dulaimi that he will meet KGL representatives tomorrow to conduct further negotiations for the release of the hostages.

"If this is true, this is a welcome and hopeful development," he added.

Government also decided that Indian nationals will not travel to Iraq through the borders of Kuwait and Jordan.

The Protector of Emigrants, while giving clearance for travel to these two countries, will endorse in the passports of applicants a stamp that the passport is not valid for travel to Iraq, Ahamed said.

The government will also be approaching the governments of Kuwait and Jordan to assist in imposing this ban.

"This measure is being taken temporarily in view of the prevailing security situation in Iraq and is motivated by our concern for the safety and security of our nationals," Ahamed said.

[stopsingh]

Does not help whe the indian minister Natwar Singh is openly making statements calling the kidnappers all sorts. He should keep his big mouth shut until the hostages are freed.

[S1ngh]

Never ever compromise with kidnappers.. They will continue this to till the end... As i believe that these ppls are not doing nothing for their religion Islam, cauz Brother can't "K I L L" his own brother.. (Muslim iraqi killed Muslim Pakistani) So these ppls are barbarians and sane ppls can't compromise with them..

Same thing goes with Americans Troops. I believe 32 iraqi prisoners died in the US based prison in Iraq.. The torture and the most shameful stuff they did on "NOT PROVEN GUILTY" iraqi prisoners..

Fault lies on both sides, but the major fault lies in BU$H Family and the Media..

Remember when American got kidnapped and how there were news on their National TV almost 24/7, and now Indians and other minorities got kidnapped and yet we see nothing on tv. Is that fair?

[atl singh]

exactly

im wiht singhavelli