[ppi] [ppiindia] mujahidin atau perampok?

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Sebelum ini juga ada berita2 mengenai dibayarnya uang terhadap sandera yang 
"dibebaskan".  Salah satu negara yg telah membayar sandera tsb. adalah kuwait 
untuk pekerja2-nya yang "dibebaskan" beberapa minggu yang lalu.




http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/nm/20040929/wl_nm/hostages_ransom_dc


Ransom Payments Seen Fueling Iraq's Hostage Crisis

Wed Sep 29, 7:24 AM ET   World - Reuters 
 

By Luke Baker 

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The release of two Italian aid workers in Iraq (news - web 
sites) has raised hopes other hostages may soon be freed, but reports that a 
large ransom was paid may only feed the burgeoning hostage crisis. 

The two Italians, Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, both 29, were freed on 
Tuesday after three weeks in captivity. 


They had been seized along with two Iraqi colleagues from a central Baghdad 
office in a brazen attack witnesses described as very organized and probably 
carried out by a criminal gang. 


Italy rejoiced in the women's freedom on Wednesday, but there were reports a 
substantial ransom had 


been paid. 


Gustavo Selva, an Italian lawmaker, told French radio a ransom of around $1 
million -- a sum already mentioned in Arabic media reports in recent days -- 
had been handed over. 


"In principle, we shouldn't give in to blackmail but this time we had to. 
Although it's a dangerous path to take because, obviously, it could encourage 
others to take hostages, either for political reasons or for criminal reasons," 
Selva told RTL. 


"The sum ($1 million) is probably correct," he added. 


Earlier this week, one of Kuwait's most respected newspapers, Al-Rai al-Aam, 
first raised the possibility that the two Simonas might be freed for cash, 
saying the kidnappers wanted $1 million, down from an initial demand for $5 
million. 


Senior Iraqi officials and foreign security consultants say ransom payments 
will only encourage further abductions, while pushing up captors' financial 
demands. 


"The reason for the acceleration in kidnappings is simply because ransoms are 
being paid, that's it," said Sabah Kadhim, a spokesman for Iraq's Interior 
Ministry. 


"As a government, we discourage the payment of any ransom. But we have 
information that kidnappers are being paid, perhaps not directly by 
governments, but via other channels, through clerics and others who have 
contact with the kidnappers. 


"You can understand why they pay, but it fuels the problem." 


HOSTAGE-TAKERS' HEAVEN 


Around 130 foreigners have been seized in Iraq in a wave of abductions that 
began in April. Most of them have been released, but around 30 have been 
killed, some by beheading. 


Over the past year or more, hundreds of Iraqis -- doctors, surgeons and 
prominent businessmen -- have been kidnapped by criminal gangs who demand 
ransoms of up to $100,000. 


Now, with so many easily-identifiable foreigners in Iraq, criminals appear to 
have branched out, targeting more lucrative Westerners and foreign workers as 
well as locals. 


Kadhim estimates that about 90 percent of the kidnappings in Iraq are carried 
out by criminal gangs, who then trade the captives on to militant Islamic 
groups and other factions. 

   



"If the criminals don't get their money within 72 hours or so, they sell them 
up the chain to other groups," said a British security consultant who has been 
operating in Iraq for a year. 

"There's vast amounts of money being paid, whether it's by companies, families 
or governments. It's a very, very good business," he said, speaking on 
condition of anonymity. 

Working in the kidnappers' favor is Iraq's security disarray, along with 
everyone's preference for secrecy. 

"Iraq is in chaos, it's a very murky environment, which suits criminals down to 
the ground," said the consultant. "Also, the people paying the ransom don't 
want publicity and nor do the criminals, so everything is clandestine and 
nothing gets out." 

He expects kidnappings to continue for many months, with plenty of Western 
targets available. The campaign might only stop if all foreigners were to leave 
the country, he said. 

Aware that it has a crisis on its hands, the Iraqi government has formed 
specialist hostage negotiation teams, helped by the FBI (news - web sites), CIA 
(news - web sites) and other agencies. But it's an uphill struggle. There isn't 
even a criminal database in Iraq. 

Meanwhile, the ransom payments not only fund criminals' lifestyles. Kadhim 
believes some Iraqi clerics have profited from acting as intermediaries in 
talks with kidnappers. And the security consultant said some of the money fuels 
the insurgency. 

"There's evidence the cash gets split, with militants getting a share. $1 
million buys quite a few RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades)," he said. 


 









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