Kidnappers of the 7 hostages extend the grace period, new demands, one Egyptian diplomat kidnapped in Baghdad
Iraq-Egypt, Politics, 7/24/2004

One Iraqi armed group yesterday kidnapped the third ranking man in the Egyptian diplomatic mission to Baghdad at a time when a group detaining 7 hostages in Iraq -- three Kenyans, three Indians and one Egyptian -- extended a period that was announced for a Kuwaiti company where the hostage are working for 48 hours but announced new demands in order to release them including releasing the Iraqi detainees in the Kuwaiti and American jails and compensating victims of the American bombardment of Falluja.

The Egyptian embassy in Baghdad announced yesterday that one of its diplomat is held as a hostage. This was after his picture appeared in a video tape broadcast by al-Jazeera TV surrounded by several gunmen.

The first secretary at the Egyptian embassy in Baghdad Bader Eddine al-Dasouqi said " yes, yes. it is him" in remarks to Muhammad Mamdouh Helmi Qutob, who is the third ranking man in the embassy.

Qutob was kidnapped by a group calling itself " Assad Allah groups" in retaliation to the " proposal made by Ahmad Nazif, the prime minister of Egypt to give his country's security experience to Iraq." Al-Jazeera said that Qutob talked in the tape saying that his kidnappers deal with him kindly, adding that the Egyptian embassy " does not deal with the forces led by the US, rather supports the Iraqis to rebuilding Iraq."

Meantime, to that effect " the black flags " groups which detain the four hostages said in a video tape broadcast by al-Jazeera yesterday said that "Kuwait and the Gulf" league, the Kuwaiti transport company should pay compensation for the families of persons killed in Falluja and Iraqis held in Kuwaiti and American jails should be released. They indicated that they extended the grace period to beheading the hostage due on Saturday until Monday.

Previous Stories:
  Cairo conference will not interfere in Iraq's internal affairs; Baghdad: neighboring states fight the US on our lands   (7/20/2004)
  Egyptian hostage in Iraq released   (7/20/2004)
  Bush, Allawi congratulate Mubarak on success of slipped disc surgery   (6/30/2004)

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