Eight More Seized in Iraq as Rash of Kidnappings Continues

[BeyondGeography]

By EDWARD WONG
The New York Times

Published: September 24, 2004

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Sept. 24 — Six Egyptians and two Iraqis have been seized by gunmen while they were performing work for a cellphone company, an official with the company said today, adding to a continuing rash of kidnappings.

The official, who gave his name only as Mohammed, said the kidnappings "are not politically motivated" but were carried out for financial reasons, presumably alluding to the possibility of a ransom demand.

<snip>Six of the employees of the Egyptian cellphone company Orascom — four Egyptians and two Iraqis — were seized near Falluja on Wednesday as they installed telecommunication towers, the official said.

The two others, both Egyptian senior engineers, were kidnapped Thursday night as they worked on software development in their office in an upscale Baghdad neighborhood just east of the equally affluent Mansour section, where two Americans and a Briton were kidnapped this week.

<snip>More than 100 foreign hostages have been seized since April; most have been released but around 30 have been killed, according to Reuters.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/24/international/middleeast/24CND-IRAQ.html?hp

[hadrons]

1. it's Kerry's fault .....

he's encouraging it by what he said yesterday :eyes: