New hostage crisis occurs in Iraq after release of Filipino

A new hostage crisis occurred in Iraq on Wednesday just one day after the kidnapped Filipino was released, with a militant group saying it had abducted six foreigners in Iraq, including three Indians, two Kenyans and an Egyptian.

The group also threatened to behead them if the Kuwaiti firm for which they work does not pull out of the country, the Dubai-based al-Arabiya news channel said.

However, none of those countries was part of the multinational forces in Iraq.

"We announce we have captured two Kenyans, three Indians and one Egyptian. We tell the company to withdraw and close its offices in Iraq," said one masked man belonging to the group called "Black Flags."

The captors also demanded that India, Kenya and Egypt withdraw their personnel from Iraq, vowing to behead one hostage every three days if the Kuwaiti firm does not leave Iraq from 8 p.m. local time Wednesday (1600 GMT Wednesday).

"We have warned all the countries, companies, businessmen and truck drivers that those who deal with American cowboy occupiers will be targeted by the fires of the Mujahedeen," the group said in a statement, adding "here you are once again transporting, goods, weapons and military equipment that backs the US Army."

The video also showed an Egyptian who said his name was Mohammed Ali Sanad pleading with his company to leave.

The statement came a day after militants released Filipino hostage Angelo de la Cruz after his country complied to their demand and pulled its 51-member force out of Iraq.

Iraqi and US officials sharply criticized the pullout, saying it would encourage militants to take more hostages to force trucking companies and other contractors to leave Iraq.

IRAQ'S NEIGHBORS ADDRESS SECURITY CONCERN, CONDEMNING TERRORIST ACTS

Countries neighboring Iraq on Wednesday addressed security concern of the violence-ravaged nation by agreeing to hold a meeting of interior ministers in Iran.

According to a communique issued after a foreign ministers' meeting of Iraq's neighbors in Cairo, "foreign ministers of Iraq's neighbors welcomed a proposal by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiar al-Zibari to convene a meeting of interior ministers and security officials of neighboring countries to address Iraq's security concern."

"The ministers expressed their concern about the continuing unstable situation in Iraq and its negative impact on the success of the political process," the communique said.

Top diplomats of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Turkey, Iran and Egypt attended the one-day meeting, joined by UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.

While expressing support for Iraq's efforts to reconstruct the country, the ministers also condemned all terrorist acts against civilians, governmental, humanitarian and religious institutions, international organizations and diplomatic missions operating in Iraq.

They reaffirmed the necessity of eliminating all terrorist and other armed groups "which constitute a danger to Iraq and neighboring states."

UN NOT TO RETURN TO IRAQ WITHOUT ASSURED PROTECTION

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Wednesday that his organization can not return to Iraq with a sizable team unless protection of the team can be ensured.

"Protection and security for the UN staff going back to Iraq, or for anybody for that matter in Iraq, is absolutely essential," Annan told reporters at a press conference in New York.

"Without that security, we can not really deploy any sizable number (of UN staff)," he said, adding that the world body can not risk again after the deadly bombing last year which killed Annan's special representative and 21 other staff members.

He said that with the dangerous security situation on the ground, what the world body can best do was to send a small-sized expert team led by his deputy Lakhdar Brahimi to help with the formation of the caretaker government in Iraq.

As for the return of a large-scale UN presence, assured protection will be indispensable, he added.

FREED FILIPINO HOSTAGE LEAVES IRAQ

Freed Filipino hostage de la Cruz left Iraq on Wednesday morning for Abu Dhab, the United Arab Emirates, to receive a medical checkup before flying back home.

There, he will get a reunion with his wife who has been staying in Jordan, awaiting his release, the ABS-CBN news channel reported.

After a brief halt there, de la Cruz will be on the way to the Philippines, the report said.

The 46-year-old father of eight was released Tuesday by his Iraqi captors after the Philippine government completed the withdrawal of its 51-member humanitarian contingent from Iraq on Monday.

De la Cruz was kidnapped in Iraq on July 7 by the militants who demanded the Philippine government to pull out the contingent one month before its original schedule on Aug. 20., or otherwise de la Cruz will be beheaded.

NEW INTERNET THREATS

Bulgaria and Poland were under fresh pressure on Wednesday, with an Internet statement from a group claiming to be the European wing of al Qaeda threatening the two countries with

attack unless they withdrew from Iraq.

"To the crusader Bulgarian government which supports the Americans, we ask you for the last time to withdraw Bulgarian forces from Iraq or we will turn Bulgaria into a bloodbath," said the statement. Its authenticity could not be confirmed.

"To Poland and the despicable Prime Minister Marek Belka, withdraw your forces from Iraq or you will hear explosions ripping through your country when we want," the statement added.

Poland has 2,400 troops around south central Iraq while Bulgaria has 455 troops in the same area.

Source: Xinhua