Closure at the Port of Palm Beach is huge. If the suspicious containers were strategically placed to damage the ship and its occupants, it would fall under threats made months ago, but evidentally still hot on their agenda.
Iraqi abductors put forward new demand
The little known Iraqi militant group Black Flags which has abducted three Indians put forward a new demand on Wednesday.
The three Indians -- Antaryami, Tilak Raj and Sukhdev Singh -- are among six people taken hostage by the group.
Sheikh Hesham Al Dulaimi, who had announced himself as a negotiator, said the abductors want an assurance from India in writing that the three Indians are poor people who went to Kuwait in search of jobs and are not working for occupational forces.
The abductors have reportedly insisted that the words 'occupational forces' must be used and not allied or American forces. (snipped)
http://us.rediff.com/news/2004/jul/28hostage.htm