Iraq…Hostage Crisis Gets Bloodier

BAGHDAD, September 23 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Casting doubts on who calls the shots in war-ravaged Iraq, conflicting statements issued by the interim government and US authorities on the release of a detained Iraqi female scientist settled Thursday, September 23, by not releasing her as the United States insisted.

The decision not to release Rihab Taha minimized chances of freeing a British hostage who was abducted along with other two Americans by a militant group that demanded the release of all Iraqi females detained by US troops in the country.

The two Americans were beheaded, and Kenneth Bigley begged British Prime Minister to save his life through a videotaped message posted on the Internet.

The gloomy picture surrounding the spiraling crisis of hostages in Iraq, meanwhile, turned bleaker with reports about the killing of two Italian female aid workers kidnapped two weeks ago.

No Release

Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi took the decision not to release Taha, who is being held by the US occupation forces in Baghdad, Iraqi secretary of state for security Kassem Daoud said Thursday.

“The prime minister (Allawi) decided to not release Dr Rihab Taha,” he said in an interview on BBC radio.

He denied that the decision had been taken under pressure from the United States. “I don't see any pressure,” he said.

The statement, however, followed conflicting declarations from both sides.

An Iraqi judge Wednesday approved the release of Rihab Taha, nicknamed “Dr Germ” for her involvement in biological weapons development under Saddam’s regime.

Nuri Abdelrahim Ibrahim, a spokesman for the Iraqi justice ministry, said Wednesday the Iraqi government considered Taha is no longer a threat to national security and that she can obtain a conditional release if a bail is paid.

But later in the day a US embassy spokesman in Baghdad insisted there were no plans for the imminent release of either Taha or Huda Amash, another female scientist who worked on the weapons programs, known as "Dr Anthrax".

The pair are detained by US-led forces rather than Iraqi authorities and are allegedly the only women known to remain in US custody.

Briton’s Plea

Meanwhile, the kidnappers who beheaded two Americans let a Briton make a desperate videotaped plea, while another group claimed to have executed two women Italian aid workers.

British engineer Kenneth Bigley begged Blair to meet the kidnappers' demands.

“I need you (Blair) to be compassionate as you always said you were ... I don't want to die ... Please, please release the female prisoners that are held in Iraqi prisons,” Bigley said, breaking into tears.

His face was blurred on the grainy footage, which could not be immediately authenticated, but previous claims by Tawhid and Jihad group on its decapitation of Bigley's two US colleagues earlier this week turned out to be true.

The ghostly organization, which has already claimed executing several other foreigners and perpetrated dozens of deadly attacks over the past year, has demanded that all women detained by US-led troops in Iraq be freed.

Later Wednesday night, the hostage's son, Craig Bigley, read a poignant message to his captors.

“Thank you for letting Ken make his appeal. All of the family are very grateful to you for his message...We have heard what you say, and want to continue listening to you. You have proved to the world that you are committed and determined.”

US Accused

Speaking to BBC radio, Bigley's brother Paul accused the US-led military of “sabotaging” the slim hopes of release that had emerged after the Iraqi government announced it could soon free one of two women known to be in US custody.

“The fact on the table now is that nobody has to negotiate with anybody about anything,” he said.

“All the powers have to do now is allow the Iraqis to conduct their own internal affairs the way they should be doing.”

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw conceded there was little hope of obtaining Bigley's release, saying London would stand firm on its refusal to negotiate with the kidnappers.

Execution

The spiraling kidnapping drama continued to capture the world's attention with the purported execution of Italian aid workers Simona Pari and Simon Torretta, both aged 29.

A group calling itself the Jihad Organisation said early Thursday in a statement posted on the Internet that it had “slaughtered” the two women, who were working for the non-governmental organization “A Bridge to Baghdad.”

The same group had claimed their September 7 abduction, demanding Italy withdraw its 3,000 troops from Iraq.

But Italian officials said they had doubts about both statements and were still trying to authenticate the claim, urging caution over the announcement of the deaths.

“We are evaluating the new statement. At the moment, we cannot say whether it is true or false,” an Italian embassy official in Baghdad told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on condition of anonymity.

The Italian daily La Repubblica voiced doubts, noting that the kidnappers had failed to issue any video footage of the women, as has been the case in other kidnappings.

If confirmed, however, the executions of the two would mark yet another escalation in the wave of kidnappings and murders which has plagued Iraq since April.

Last month, an Italian journalist working in Iraq was abducted by extremists and murdered several days later after Rome refused to bow to the demands to pull its soldiers out of the country.

Muslims and the Iraqi community in Italy have launched two separate appeals for kidnappers in Iraq to release two Italian aid workers "immediately and unconditionally".

Prominent Muslim scholar Yusuf Al-Qaradawi has vehemently opposed kidnapping and killing innocent civilians, urging the release of the two Italian hostages.

“Muslims are forbidden from kidnapping innocent people who have nothing to do with wars,” Qaradawi has said in a recent conference in Cairo.