Iraq - American and European Hostages Held Hostage: Company Head

Yonhap News (South Korea) ^ | June 21, 2004

[HAL9000]

(URGENT) American and European Hostages Held Hostage: Company Head

BAGHDAD, June 21 (Yonhap) -- European journalists and American workers are being held hostage along with the South Korean kidnap victim by an armed Arab insurgent group, the head of a South Korean trade company here said Monday.

In a telephone interview with the Yonhap News Agency, Kim Choon-ho, head of Gana General Trading Co., at which the South Korean kidnap victim Kim Sun-il has been working, said that there were some 10 other foreign figures being held hostage by the insurgent group.

The South Korean president of the Iraq-based foodstuff supplier claimed that some European journalists and American employees of a U.S.-based security firm were being held hostage along with his employee.

[MNlurker]

I'm at the point with this that I could live with us snatching known Al Queda/Zarquawi followers families from their homes and execute one on the web for each foreigner they kill.

Not the most civilized way to act, but I don't know if anything else would work anymore.

[Lijahsbubbe]

What this means though, is that the terorists are running out of arms, explosives and money

I agree. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Hostage taking is the least expensive and most easily exploited with the pleading videos and the severed heads. They are running a cheap propaganda offensive.

[txhurl]

This is all going horribly wrong real quick....damnit.

[SMARTY]

Well, that's the problem isn't it? The civilized world cannot do this or be seen to encourage this kind of brutality. The terrorists are fully aware of this and bank on in continually. It's the disadvantage we have always to operate with. It gives liars, thieves, murderers and such a terrific advantage. Add to this the duplicity of the mainstream media and it's a recipe for unnecessary harm, grief, destruction, death, waste, etc., all around. If nothing else, we need some assurance that the military has retained the stones to operate as needed.

[Florida_Freeper]

I was puzzled when I heard the terrorist's demands on the radio this morning. If I heard correctly, the terrorists do not want SK to send these additional troops.

So why wouldn't SK just say "OK, we will not send troops. Now give us our guy back"

Get him back and then send in troops.

[txhurl]

ping

[oceanview]

its not good, but they continue to lower their "target value" as time goes on. let's face it, if the Crips and the Bloods wanted to start kidnapping people in LA, where they are 50000 strong, we couldn't do much about it. And that's in our own country.

[txhurl]

bump to see if anybody's heard more on this

[txhurl]

Anything new on this? Is it being spiked? Jooheeyang, over in SK have you heard anything?

[Peach]

Haven't heard a word.

[musicman]

Geez...Since the pattern almost seems to be that the "terrorists" are doing the "capture" and the "beheading" video's one right after another,but pretending to "wait" 3-4 days between the 2 filmings, a thought came to me....

If they have 10 or more, I wonder if the terrorist "director" of the
"capture" and then the "beheading" video's, could possibly decide to get all 10 hostages "in the can" (i.e. say shoot the "capture" and "beheading" of all 10 in say one day or ASAP,) and then release them(the "captures" and then 3-4 days later the "beheadings" video's) one hostage at a time to drag their "new" terror out for say 10 weeks @ say one per week?.....

That would get all the "terrorists" work done.

They wouldn't have to set around for 10 weeks doing one hostage at a time increasing their chance of being "caught".

All they would have to do is make sure that the "video's" are delivered weekly, in what ever order they want, to create what ever "effect" they think would be best for them.

If they did do this over a 10 week period, it would make them look "unstoppable" and still on the job, while making the US more of a failure as each week passes for not being able to stop them.....

And they could close the "studio" and go to a safer location
and watch the "fun" of us trying to stop them, when they've already completed and done their "job" and moved on...

[HAL9000]

I've seen no confirmations or denials of the report.

AFP has referred to the other purportedly kidnapped Halliburton/KBR employees in their reports.

[HAL9000]

Mr. Kim Chun-ho seems to have some inconsistencies in his report -

Yonhap News -

Kim Kidnapped Possibly on May 30, not June 17, Vice Foreign Minister Says

SEOUL, June 23 (Yonhap) -- Kim Sun-il, the South Korean killed in Iraq, was likely kidnapped on May 30, not June 17, as earlier claimed by Kim's company boss, Vice Foreign Minister Choi Young-jin said Wednesday.

Initially, Kim Chun-ho, president of Cana General Trading Co., the company for which the Kim worked as an Arabic interpreter, reported to the South Korean government that he was kidnapped on June 17. He then revised this, first to June 15 and then May 30, Choi said.

[txhurl]

Thanks. Now everything's suspect.

Wonder if FNC knows about this last post of yours.

[musicman]

Boy Hal, your post to me REALLY makes the whole thing even
more strange. Mr.Kim.s "messenger boy" is "allowed" to see at least 10 other potential "beheading victims" as he tries to negotiate the S.Korean's release on June 17th...hmmmm.

What if they were all "captured" at the same time? It might take from May 29th-June 17th to "interview" them, let a witness from the outside "accidently" see all eleven ALIVE,
then maybe do as I said in my #31 post?

[txhurl]

I see your point, but it'd be nearly impossible to spike all news about this, especially if it all started May 30 or so.

At any rate, I'll watch this, there's some strange ducks paddling in the pond.

[Quilla]

Good morning, txflake. About an hour ago I heard mention of the other hostages on Fox & Friends. IIRC, E.D. speculated they may be selected one by one, offered as bargaining pieces, with new beheading threats by these terrorists. I want to say that she said 10-20 other hostages were being held, but in my rush to get to the office, I may have misunderstood.

The theory mentioned on this thread makes sense. These murderers know they are being hunted down by coalition forces. They may have filmed each hostage's statement, killed them, and photographed the dead bodies some time ago. They can disband, blend into the population, and make their demands from afar on their own timetable. Pretty horrifying scenario.

[txhurl]

Thank you very much....

[Eagle Eye]

What this means though, is that the terorists are running out of arms, explosives and money

Yeah, right....

[Eagle Eye]

Probably local hires or local subcontractors and not direct employees.