Posted on 07/28/2004 2:25:26 PM PDT by mhking
Militants have executed two Pakistani hostages they were holding in Iraq, says Al-Jazeera television.
The group, calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq, announced it had kidnapped two Pakistanis working for US forces and had sentenced them to death because their country was discussing sending troops to Iraq.
In a new videotape sent to the station the men said they had carried out their threat, the station reported.
The newsreader said the video showed the corpses of the two men, however the station did not show the footage.
The kidnapped men were identified by Pakistan as engineer Raja Azad, 49, and driver Sajad Naeem, 29.
The group said it had released the Iraqi driver, Omar Khaled Selman, after it was clear he had been duped by the Pakistanis.
The militants released a video showing Selman describing his ordeal.
He said: "After interrogation, they charged us all with all the death penalty, and then they postponed mine and carried out the death penalty for the two Pakistanis because it was clear that they were spies."
"After further interrogation with me, they found out that I was only a driver and they released me,» he said on the video broadcast on Al-Jazeera.
Militants have kidnapped more than 70 foreigners here in recent months in an effort to push countries out of the coalition, deter others from joining and disrupt reconstruction efforts here.
The three men had been gone missing Friday, after a convoy of trucks they were traveling in was attacked.
Pakistan's president and prime minister had appealed for the hostages' release, saying they were poor men just trying to support their families.
The men's families also pleaded for their release in the name of Islam.
Pakistan, an Islamic nation of 150 million people and a member of the U.N. Security Council, has been a key ally of the United States in its war on terror in Afghanistan, but the country's leadership has been less supportive of the US role in Iraq.
In June, Iraqi insurgents kidnapped and threatened to behead another Pakistani, Amjad Hafeez, but he was later freed.
Food for thought.
Philippines are strong, though in a different way. They had Communist terrorists, now they have Muslim terrorists, the same people. The country is not rich so there are always poor people who are happy to get $200 and a pair of shoes to become a terrorist or militant. It is the same in South America, in Asia, in Sri Lanka. What can you do? Try to wipe them out militarily and there are just as many willing to take the $200 and pair of shoes.
Never fear! John Edwards said tonight HE is going after these terrorists.
As Chris Matthews said: "Edwards threatening Osama is like Pee Wee Herman threatening Luca Brazzi"!
Best line of the night at the Convention.
ROFL!!
wtf is going on? why can't we get these f-ers. An ambush, more kidnappings. Shouldnt these convoys be accompanied by troops?
Let's see... There's TV, movies and music. If I step away from these, isn't the saying that I'll inevitably step toward a demon? |
I keep thinking: If only Israel would remove itself from "occupied territories" then the moslems would be a peaceful lot. (sarcasm)
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