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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH
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To: Johannes Pilch who wrote (568982)4/26/2004 9:17:32 PM
From: tejek  Read Replies (1) of 769670
 
Kidnapped Italians 'will be killed in five days'
27 April 2004

An Arab television channel yesterday broadcast a video of three Italian hostages captured in Iraq this month and said an accompanying letter contained a threat to kill them unless Italians protested against their government's policies in Iraq.

The men are seen in the video shown on Al-Arabiya eating from a large pot with their fingers. They are bearded and their faces look drawn. It was not clear when the video was made.

The men, who were working as private security guards, were kidnapped on 12 April as they took a taxi from Baghdad. A fourth Italian who was abducted with them was later executed.

Al-Arabiya said that with the tape it received a letter from an Iraqi armed group calling itself the "Green Brigade" in which it threatened to execute the hostages unless Italians staged "a huge demonstration". It urged them to "call on your government to withdraw its troops from our country and we give you five days ... [or] we will kill them without any hesitation".

The government of Silvio Berlusconi has been a strong ally of the US and some 3,000 of its troops have been deployed in Iraq. Before the war the Italian public turned out for huge marches opposing the invasion.

Initial comments from the centre-left opposition, which opposed the war, said Italy should hold firm against the kidnappers. Giovanna Melandri, a former left-wing minister, said: "What's important to stress in these hours is that no giving in to the kidnappers is possible."

news.independent.co.uk
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