KGL ready to resume talks with Dulaimi

Two days after negotiations to free the three Indian hostages broke down, back-channel efforts through some Iraqi contacts were initiated today by the captives’ employer, reviving hopes of ending the crisis.

KGL Transport Company — which pulled out of talks accusing abductors’ negotiator Sheikh Hisham al-Dulaimi of ‘‘playing games’’ — today renewed its call to the kidnappers to ‘‘officially’’ name their representative for the negotiations. KGL spokesperson Rana Abu-Zaineh said the company would be ready to resume talks with Dulaimi if he gets ‘‘authorisation’’ from the kidnappers ‘‘through a letter or a TV statement’’.

‘‘Some old Iraqi friends have started talking to them (the abductors),’’ Zaineh said over phone from Kuwait. Pointing out that these new mediators were intervening on behalf of the company, Zaineh added that the abductors had so far not responded to KGL’s proposal for deputing a new negotiator or holding direct talks. The CMG, headed by MoS for External Affairs E. Ahamed, held two extensive rounds of meetings. The government is also in constant touch with Indian missions in Iraq and Kuwait, sources said.