SwiftVets.com

[SBD]

BBC Worldwide Monitoring, September 25, 2004, Saturday

Copyright 2004 British Broadcasting Corporation
BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring

September 25, 2004, Saturday

Italian hostages alive - Kuwaiti paper

SOURCE: Al Ra'y Al-Amm, Kuwait, in Arabic 25 Sep 04

Text of report by Kuwaiti newspaper Al Ra'y Al-Amm on 25 September

sources well-informed on Iraqi issues have denied that the abductors of the two Italian hostages had executed them. The sources told Al-Rai al-Am newspaper that the "Jihadist movement" which had abducted the two Italian nationals "was treating them well and according to the precepts of the Islamic Shari'ah Islamic law , which calls for good treatment of POWs".

The sources denounced "two unknown groups - with no weight on the reality of Jihad in Iraq - for issuing two statements claiming the detention and execution of the two Italian hostages, which is not true".

The sources said the "aim for detaining the two Italian hostages is to convey a clear message to the Italian people and to the government of Silivio Berlusconi that the Iraqi people disapprove and reject the sending of Italian troops to Iraq and demand their withdrawal through a brave decision, following the decision taken by the Spanish government which withdrew its troops and maintained friendly relations with the Iraqi people".

On the fate of the two hostages in case of not responding to the abductors' demands, the sources said "we cannot specify their fate, but the consequences for Belrusconi's failure to respond to our demands will be unwholesome".

Meanwhile, Al-Rai al-Am has learnt that the "Italian government had sent a high-level official to the Syrian capital, Damascus. The official arrived at Damascus airport in the beginning of last weak on board of a special flight to discuss the possibility of moderate Muslim scholars mediating with the abductors in order to release the two Italian hostages."

The sources revealed that the Italian official was Nicola Calipari, who is responsible for external security in the Italian government. He met the director-general of an important Islamic congregation for 90 minutes during which the religious scholar informed him that he had no idea who were the abductors for him to mediate. He said such a "request should be addressed to the Syrian authorities, given the fact that the issue is that of sovereignty and he is only an ordinary citizen with no prerogatives to take a decision of this sort."

According to the sources, the Syrian religious scholar reminded the Italian official that the Islamic congregation he was leading had issued a statement denouncing the abduction of the two hostages and calling for their release.


SBD