Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Friday, January 6, 2006
Gunmen extend Jordan hostage
deadline
DUBAI, January 6 (Reuters) — Iraqi militants have extended a deadline to kill a
Jordanian hostage if Amman does not free a failed woman suicide bomber, Al
Arabiya television said on Thursday.
Al Arabiya aired a video from the little-known group, the Hawks Brigade, showing
abducted embassy driver Mahmoud Salman Saaidat pleading with his government to
secure his release. The Arabic channel did not say how long the deadline had
been extended by.
“The group extended the deadline in response to a plea made by his [the
hostage's] Iraqi wife and to a request made by some armed groups,” Dubai-based
Al Arabiya said.
Saaidat was kidnapped in Baghdad late last month and Al Arabiya showed a video
of him appealing to his government to quit Iraq and free Sajida Atrous Rishawi,
who said on Jordan Television in November that she had tried to blow herself up
alongside her husband in hotel bombings in Amman.
Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attacks, which killed 60.
“I ask God and then the government of Jordan to look upon me with mercy and
exchange me with the detainee Sajida Rishawi...,” said the hostage, shown on the
latest video with two armed men standing behind him.
“Why this delay in measures. Am I an enemy, am I not a Muslim?” Saaidat said.
Jordan said it would not give in to the kidnappers' demands, but said it was
sparing no effort to release Saaidat.