Abducted Italian women may be in Fallujah

AFP ^ | 9/17/04

[TexKat]

ROME (AFP) - Two young Italian women kidnapped in Iraq last week have been taken by their captors to the flashpoint city of Fallujah, according to an Italian newspaper that quoted non-Italian intelligence services.

The Corriere della Sera said aid workers Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, who were taken at gunpoint from their Baghdad offices along with two Iraqi colleagues on September 7, "may have been taken to the Sunni Muslim stronghold of Fallujah, which is inaccessible to coalition forces."

"The report, passed on by the intelligence service of a foreign country, is apparently backed up by information picked up in recent days by Italian diplomats," it added Friday.

Corriere della Sera also said an Iraqi Kurdish leader, Jalal Talabani, had reported that the two Italian women might be in Fallujah.

The report emerged as US forces again mounted deadly air raids against the city, where hospital sources said at least 32 people were killed, many of them women and children.

Italian diplomats have been very active in trying to win the release of the two women, who are both aged 29 and worked for a non-governmental organization in Baghdad, as well as their two Iraqi colleagues, Ali Abdul Aziz and Manhaz Assam.

[TexKat]

The Corriere della Sera said that Italian hostages Simona Pari (pictured) and Simona Torretta have been taken by their captors to the flashpoint city of Fallujah.(AFP/File/Andreas Solaro)

[DonnerT]

Kidnapees are human shields for their rathole safe houses.

Look for them to pull the remains of these ladies out of the next hideyhole we destroy. They already use Iraqi civilian men, women and children.

Zarquawi is trying to lure us into a Blackhawk down situation. I hope it is soon. Somehow I don't think the results will be quite what he expects.