Posted on 09/21/2004 11:57:57 PM PDT by burlywood
Iraq's justice ministry has said that one of two female scientists held in US custody will be released.
It said the move was not linked to the demands of kidnappers who have reportedly killed two Americans and who have threatened to kill a British man.
Militants on Tuesday killed the second American, Jack Hensley, according to a statement on an Islamist website.
They renewed a threat to kill Briton Kenneth Bigley, the last hostage, if female prisoners were not freed.
A justice official told the BBC that Rihab Rashid Taha, a biological weapons scientist nicknamed Dr Germ during Saddam Hussein's rule, would be released as part of a review of her detention.
However, the US state department said it did not know of any such plans. Ms Taha and another woman scientist are held by US authorities,
US President George W Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair have refused to negotiate with the kidnappers.
The three men, all civilians, were kidnapped on Thursday by militants claiming to be from the Tawhid and Jihad group, headed by al-Qaeda suspect Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
The son of Mr Bigley, the British hostage, has appealed to the UK government to give in to the militants' demands.
The first hostage to die, American Eugene Armstrong, was seen in a video released on Monday being killed by a masked man - said by the CIA to be Mr Zarqawi.
The US embassy later recovered Mr Armstrong's body.
On Tuesday the group said it had killed the second American. A body is reported to have been found.
Earlier on Tuesday, President Bush condemned the killing of Mr Armstrong.
"We all stand in solidarity with the [remaining] American that is now being held captive," he said during a meeting with Iraqi interim leader Iyad Allawi
US authorities say the two woman scientists are the only women in their custody in Iraq. They were both allegedly involved in former leader Saddam Hussein's weapons programme.
UK authorities have said there are no Iraqi women in jails under their control.
Tawhid and Jihad claims to have killed at least six hostages in Iraq, the first one being American Nick Berg, who was beheaded in May.
More than 100 foreigners have been abducted by insurgents in Iraq over the past 17 months, as part of a campaign to destabilise the US-backed interim government and drive foreign troops out of the country.
They include two French journalists who were abducted almost a month ago and two female Italian aid workers, along with two of their Iraqi colleagues, who were kidnapped on 7 September.
Um... something isn't right with this...
Thats it. Nuke iraq. They obviously don't want what we're giving them.
They should put a bullit in her brain.
Whats crazier is I heard from John Loftus is that one of these ladies was going to crack and spill over Iraq's germ warfare program.
All we need to do is let them out. Ugh.
huh????
One thing that is wrong with this story is that the people mentioned were not killed, nor even beheaded. They were murdered! And murdered by islamofascist scum, Or as I like to call them, Dirtsacks.
I vote for beheading...with a dull knife...videotaped...and sent to Al Jazeera TV. Then smear pig fat over her body and dump it on a Fallujah street.
prisoner6
Dirtsacks? That's being overly kind, IMHO.
Confirmed via Fox News
Iraq is being run by morons.
I said it before, I'll say it again. Bush should have followed the Japanese occupation policy, not make up his own. :(
How profound...a well thought out solution/S
A rat caught in a trap will do anything to get out. Officials in Iraq better wise up or they will be under the same yoke as before.
A short quip of anger. Excuse me. But Iraq is being run by Iraqis who do not seem to get the picture. Negotiate with Sadr 5 times, then let him free! Let Dr Germ free! Sooner or later they'll want Saddam to go.
I feel the same way. But we are better than that.
It could just be a rumor to stir the pot - but if this is true and if they do do a release - I'm sure the stink won't be easily forgotten. (Nor all the lives this might put in danger from on out) Don't any of these sickening leaders remember why the policy was not to deal with these terrorists?
And if true - you can't help but wonder - where did all the cowards come from - ?
Two Americans die - then comes the Brit - and - and - the story comes out - interesting
Where will it go from here - ?
Yeah, this doesn't add up at all. If the source isn't some loon (though I'm positive the MSM vouches for all its sources. Hahahahahaha!), then there's some strange game being played we may not understand for some time to come.
Makes no sense.
Thanks, pal. Now I've got "Livin' La Vida Loca" running through my head.
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