On the hostages in Iraq

In a press conference, the Muslim scholars commission in Iraq said that it had helped in the evacuation of more that 300 Russian workers and allowing them to reach Baghdad, while the Chinese embassy announced the release of one Chinese hostage. For its part, the Danish foreign ministry stressed that one Danish businessman was kidnapped.

In a later development, it was announced in al-Najaf yesterday the release of a Canadian of a Syrian origin called Fadi Fadel and handing him over to the office of Muqtada al-Sader in the city. Fadi was kidnapped on April 8th.

Meantime, the Czech news agency announced the release of three Czech journalists who were held as hostages in Iraq since last Sunday.

The police chairman in al-Basra said that unidentified persons disguised in Iraqi police costumes kidnapped one American businessman of Jordanian origin from al-Rasheed hotel in southern Iraq.