The Hindu : International : Held for helping Americans, says Indian hostage

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 23, 2004

International

International

Held for helping Americans, says Indian hostage

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA, JULY 22 . Against the backdrop of intense behind-the-scenes activity, there are indications that progress has been made to seek the release of the three Indians kidnapped in Iraq.

Diplomatic sources said that Kuwait was the nerve centre of the preparations to get the three truckers, kidnapped yesterday, released.

Indian officials had established contact with the Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport Company, whose seven employees, including the three Indians were abducted.

The company, which is the largest transportation firm in the Emirate has issued a statement that it would do its utmost to seek the freedom of its abducted employees.

The kidnappers have threatened to kill each of the hostages every 72 hours unless their demands were met.

The Indians kidnapped are: Tilak Raj, Antaryami and Sukhdev Singh. Three Kenyans and an Egyptian national are also being held captive.

Company statement

The Kuwaiti firm's statement said that it would take "all appropriate measures to secure the release of the drivers who were detained in Iraq yesterday. It also urged the kidnappers to "free the drivers as soon as possible so that they could return safely to their families."

Analysts pointed out that an Egyptian national working for a Saudi Arabian firm was freed on Monday after the company withdrew from Iraq.

The abductors of Muhammad al-Gharabawi had last Thursday given Faisal al-Nahait Transport Company, the Saudi Arabian company, 48 hours to prove it had left Iraq, Al-Jazeera television had reported. On Friday, in a statement sent to the channel, the company said it no longer had vehicles in Iraq.

A Filipino driver, Angelo de la Cruz, was also released from captivity on Tuesday after the Philippine Government abided by his captors' demand that Manila should withdraw all its forces from Iraq.

Stepping up efforts to have its citizens released, the Kenyan Government today asked its citizens to leave Iraq. "We plead with the kidnappers to release the men so that they may be reunited with their families," Alfred Mutua, a Government spokesman for Kenya said at a news conference.

Given food

Arab television channels earlier in the day aired a fresh video of some of the kidnapped persons, including Mr. Raj.

"We are three Indians, three Kenyans and an Egyptian," Mr. Raj said.

"We are being given food and water and we are sitting comfortably."

Mr. Raj said that his group was being held because it was helping the Americans in Iraq.

The Egyptian driver, who has been identified as Mohammed Ali Sanad, criticised Americans by saying that "it is wrong to help the Americans. It is wrong to come to Kuwait. We want to go back home." A Kenyan who also appeared in the video criticised the U.S. and urged viewers not to visit Iraq.

"I've been sent to Kuwait for working, but I've been sent off to Iraq, which is not good. Iraq is a dangerous zone," he said.

"I wish to tell anyone not to come to Iraq," he added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International