China calls for safe release of Iraq hostages

Khaleej Times ^

[wk4bush2004]

BEIJING - China responded to Iraqi insurgents’ demands that it ban Chinese from going to Iraq saying on Friday it had already warned its nationals against travelling there and called for the safe release of eight Chinese hostages.

“Before this, the Chinese government had already issued many warnings to its citizens requesting them not to go to Iraq,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday night.

“The eight Chinese people were on the way out of Iraq when they were kidnapped. They should be safely released as soon as possible,” it said.

In a video seen by Reuters on Friday, Iraqi insurgents who have threatened to kill the eight Chinese hostages told the Chinese government they would treat them “mercifully” if it banned all Chinese from going to Iraq.

The men were abducted earlier this month and China ordered its embassy in Iraq to push hard for their release after a 48-hour deadline set by their captors for an explanation of why they were in the country passed on Thursday with no word of their fate.

[wk4bush2004]

So, the communists are willing to threaten Taiwan and go to war with the US but they're too chicken to go in and get their hostages? Interesting.

[Marano NYC]

China has its own problem with Muslim rebels in the West. I find it interesting that Iran would sign commercial deals with two countries that have Muslim rebellions. I guess that they have figured out that one can't feed a country with Korans.

[Last Dakotan]

Headline should read: China Discovers Terrorism /sarc

[LurkedLongEnough]

And BOLO for four Chinese nationals headed to Boston.

Signaled by hostage takings?

[FreeInWV]

No, thats not cost effective for them. Their style is more to grab a mullah and congregation from Kashmir and bang bang bang bang bang!