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Journalism of Courage
The hostage crisis was back on the radar tonight when for the first time since they abducted seven truckers over a month ago, including three Indians, the Iraqi kidnappers said they were ready to ‘‘release’’ the hostages if their employer halted operations in Iraq.
The employer, Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport Company (KGL), was expected to react later tonight but company sources said this was a demand that has ‘‘already been agreed upon’’ when talks broke last.
Today’s statement, therefore, took KGL officials by surprise as they set about trying to ‘‘verify’’ the tape.
For its part, New Delhi, given the protracted see-saw on the issue, was cautious in its response—Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said in Colombo that he had ‘‘heard about the reports.’’
In a tape broadcast on Al-Arabiya Television network at 8.30 pm (IST), the group calling itself the Holders of Black Banner said it was prepared to release all the seven hostages provided KGL stopped its operations in Iraq and withdrew its staff.
The tape had footage of the seven hostages which includes, besides Indians Antaryami, Sukhdev Singh and Tilak Raj, the three Kenyans and one Egyptian.
A voice over said the ‘‘black banner brigade of the Islamic Secret Army’’ was ready to release the hostages on the ‘‘binding condition’’ that KGL stops its Iraq operations and withdraws all its staff from Baghdad. It’s learnt that the group is said to have put aside some of the other demands apparently after a ‘‘request’’ from a senior Indian diplomat.
KGL sources said what has been described as the ‘‘binding condition’’ by the group was something to which the company had agreed. Right at the start of its negotiations with Iraqi tribal leader Sheikh Hisham Al-Dulaimi, the company made it clear that it had put a halt to its operations in Iraq.
The company has since maintained that it did not have any permanent post in Iraq and that the number of its transport contracts for Iraq were only a few which it was willing to abrogate for the release of the hostages. However, the negotiations had failed to yield any result with the kidnappers withdrawing from the settlement at the last moment. It’s learnt that KGL had opened a new negotiating track, other than Dulaimi, during the past week after its two earlier attempts through Dulaimi failed. The principal issue of concern is understood to have revolved around the finances demanded for a settlement.
Earlier in the day, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah said its government was sparing no effort to secure the release of the hostages. While sounding hopeful on the safety of the hostages, he indicated that the abductors will not stand to gain much by harming innocent people belonging to friendly countries. ‘‘We are working very closely with the governments of India, Kenya and Egypt on the matter and hope to be successful in our endeavour to get the hostages released.’’
