Jordan Times
Thursday, September 2, 2004
Jordanian's abduction still not confirmed - spokesperson
AMMAN, September 2 (JT) - The Foreign Ministry on
Wednesday could not confirm that a citizen was kidnapped in Iraq, but said the
embassy in Baghdad was following up on the issue.
“Embassy officials in Baghdad began contacting Iraqi groups and organizations to
find out if Jordanian citizen Alaa Haswa was kidnapped over the past week,”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ali Ayed said. News reports said Haswa has been
abducted in Iraq by a gang who demanded ransom for his release. Ayed told The
Jordan Times that the ministry was informed by the family of Haswa that he went
to Iraq on Aug. 20 and was due to return home a week later. He said the family
had received a phone call on Aug. 27 saying that their son along with an Iraqi
friend were being held in Iraq by an armed group.
Agence France-Presse quoted news reports that the kidnappers threatened to kill
Haswa — an employee of the Ministry of Municipal affairs — unless his family pay
JD100,000 within three days.
Meanwhile, Ayed said the Jordanian embassy was still trying to secure the
release of citizen Nidal Kanani, who went missing in Iraq since early August.
Kanani was reportedly kidnapped by armed men near the town of Ramadi, west of
Baghdad. Kanani's family said the kidnappers had demanded $10,000 ransom for his
release. The government has been able to ensure the release of eight Jordanians
who were kidnapped in Iraq in July and August.