More kidnappings in Iraq

An unidentified group claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of the secretary general of the Iraqi Christian Democratic party, Minas Ibrajim al-Yousefi, by the end of January in Musil and called for the withdrawal of the American forces in order to release him.

Mrs. Ronak said that her husband al-Yousefi made a telephone call with her and his children to tell them that his kidnappers demands the "departure of the American forces from Iraq and drawing a timetable to that withdrawal to be replaced by the UN."

Ansar al-Sunnah army announced in a statement on the Internet the kidnapping of one Iraqi working as a translator for one American company working in a military base to the west of Baghdad.

In its statement, Ansar al-Sunnah army explained that the translator Abdul Masieh Jurges is working with the American Titan company in "Ein al-Assad" base and that Titan company is responsible for recruiting most of the translators working for the American army.

In London, the Italian foreign minister Fini refused negotiations with what he called criminals who kidnapped the Italian journalist Juliana Segrena, but he stressed political and diplomatic efforts to release her.