Afghanistan - Kidnapper says hostage killed (Italian aid worker Clementina Cantoni)

Reuters | May 21, 2005 | Sayed Salahuddin

[HAL9000]

A man claiming to have kidnapped an Italian aid worker in Afghanistan told media overnight he had killed her, but a government spokesman said she was still alive.

Clementina Cantoni, 32, who works for the CARE International aid agency, was snatched this week when four gunmen stopped her vehicle on a central Kabul street and bundled her into a white Toyota car.

Timoor Shah, who has claimed in several conversations with media to be holding Ms Cantoni, said he killed her after President Hamid Karzai's government refused to accept his demands.

"We strangled her with a rope at nine o'clock last night," said Shah, who was contacted on Ms Cantoni's mobile phone number.

"I will not give her body to anyone," he said.

Mr Karzai's spokesman, Jawed Ludin, dismissed the man's claim and said Ms Cantoni was still alive.

The abduction raised fresh fears among Kabul's 2000-strong foreign community of Iraq-style kidnappings by anti-government insurgents, but officials said the kidnapper was Shah, the leader of a criminal gang.

In talks to media he listed different demands including the banning of a radio program deemed "vulgar", compensation for opium farmers who had to abandon their crop, and more Islamic education.

Sources close to the negotiations later said he was no longer insisting on those demands. But officials did not reveal what he was demanding instead.

"I killed her because the government didn't listen or accept my demands," Shah said overnight. He declined to elaborate, saying: "The matter is over."

Mr Ludin dismissed the claim, saying: "He is lying.

"He makes such comments in order to put pressure on the Government.

"I have assurances from the interior minister that she is alive. The talks are going on."

In his talks to media, Shah gave two ultimatums this week, but Government officials said Shah had told them he had not set any deadline.

Afghan officials said midweek that Shah's claim and demands were not credible and they doubted he was holding Ms Cantoni, but Interior Ministry spokesman Lufullah Mashal later said Shah was indeed the kidnapper.

However, there still appeared to be doubts. One official close to the investigation said there had been several claims of responsibility.

"We are taking them all seriously," he said.

Afghanistan has seen a surge in kidnap, including of children, for ransom since US-led forces ousted the Taliban in 2001.

Three UN election workers were kidnapped in Kabul in October and held for 27 days before being released unharmed.

[snarks_when_bored]

Here's a guy doing yeoman's work in the service of islam. I'm sure he and his parents and his cousins and his fellow muslims are very, very proud of him.

[Numbers Guy]

Put panties on his head.

[cripplecreek]

"I will not give her body to anyone,"


Translates to "I'm lying because we haven't made her or her loved ones suffer enough."

[OpusatFR]

Well, as long as he doesn't put panties over her head.......Beheading's ok.