Iraq hostage release hoax

Kenyan ‘hoax’ minister not sorry

Kenya’s foreign minister has refused to apologise for saying that seven hostages seized in Iraq had been released on Sunday.
There has still been no sign of the truck-drivers – three Kenyans, three Indians and an Egyptian.

In a charged parliamentary debate, Chirau Ali Mwakwere insisted that what he had said had been true at the time.

When an opposition MP asked if this meant they had been freed and the recaptured, he refused to answer.

The BBC’s Wanyama Chebusiri in Nairobi says that both government and opposition MPs united to demand an apology.

When he refused, there were shouts of: “If you refuse to apologise, then resign.”

He also refused to reveal the source of his information citing “security reasons”.

Kenyan newspapers have demanded Mr Mwakwere’s resignation.

The East African Standard said his statement had been a “cruel hoax” and reported that Mr Mwakwere had been summoned by the president for an explanation.

‘Reckless’

The wife of one of the hostages said her celebrations had turned to anger.

“I will not take the government seriously any longer until I see my husband personally in this house safe and alive,” said Hidaya, wife of Salim Mohammed.

“If Mr Mwakwere cannot take the initiative to resign, then President Mwai Kibaki should sack him for such blatant and reckless display of incompetence,” the Standard said.

“Our foreign ministry and, by extension, the whole government have committed an unforgivable blunder and someone should answer for it,” said the Daily Nation in an editorial.
The Nation meanwhile reports that a Kenyan truck driver ordered by the Kuwaiti transport company which employed the hostages to drive to Iraq, has refused and returned home.

“As I speak to you now, 15 Kenyans are on strike in Kuwait, demanding their travel documents to come home,” the paper quotes Adnan Said as saying.

The kidnappers have threatened to kill the men if the Kuwaiti firm does not pull out of Iraq and if Kenya fails to remove all its civilian contractors who are working there.

A statement from the Indian government said the Kuwaiti employers and an Iraqi mediator who has been acting as a go-between with the kidnappers were still in touch and continuing talks.

But this could not be confirmed.

‘Optimistic’

On Sunday the mediator said the kidnappers had told him to pull out of the negotiations.

“I am withdrawing because I have reached no agreement with the [men’s employer] Kuwaitis,” Sheikh Hisham al-Dulaimi said.

The Kuwaiti and Gulf Link Transport Company told BBC News Online on Monday it had asked Mr Dulaimi to reconsider, and said it was still “optimistic” about a breakthrough.

“The kidnappers have made a lot of new demands. We have agreed to all their demands,” a spokeswoman said, refusing to go into details.

The lorry drivers were seized by militants calling themselves the “Black Banners” brigade.

The Indian government has appealed to its citizens to refrain from travelling to Iraq.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/africa/3530372.stm

Published: 2004/08/03 16:27:54 GMT

See? Polititians the world over are lying, backstabbing liars only out to retain their jobs (by lying) and feather their own nests. Did I mention that they lie too? Thank god I am an anachist…

Pity the poor families of those held hostage.

Flood.™