The Iraqi police had witnesses to the attack on a Russian diplomatic car (in the photo), but they were unable to apprehend the attackers.
Photo: AP
| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
Kidnapping Friends
// Russian embassy car attacked in Iraq
Unknown assailants killed one employee of the Russian embassy in Iraq and took four employees hostage in Baghdad on Saturday. The terrorists have yet to make any demands. Experts think the most likely explanation for the attack is the desire to demand ransom. Observers also note the possibility that the kidnapping is connected with political pressure on Russia and that the kidnappers have ties outside Iraq.
Experts say that Saturday's attack was carefully planned. The Chevrolet Suburban off-road vehicle was besieged in the El-Mansur neighborhood of Baghdad, just 400 meters from the Russian embassy. According to witnesses, the vehicle stopped at the curb at about 2:00 in the afternoon at the grocery store nearest the Russian embassy. It was blocked by a car and a minibus of unknown makes. The attackers opened fire with machineguns. It is not known whether the Russian returned fire. There was a t least one member of the embassy security service among them. Within moments, the attackers had seized third secretary of the embassy Fedor Zaitsev and embassy employees Rinat Agliulin, Anatoly Smirnov and Oleg Fedoseev from the Chevrolet, forced them into the minibus and sped off.
Only guard Vitaly Titov was left at the scene. Witnesses say that, when security personnel from the Russian embassy reached the bullet-riddled vehicle, Titov was still alive. He died of his wounded before the arrival of doctors, however. Kommersant has learned that Titov is survived by a wife and small son in Moscow.
The El-Mansur neighborhood is adjacent to the so-called green zone of Baghdad, which the Americans have turned into an unassailable fortress and enclave of comparative calm in a city largely given over to Islamic militants. The American military and Iraqi police arrived at the scene of the crime within a few minutes, but they were unable to follow the trail of the kidnappers.
A report came out of Baghdad yesterday morning that the Russians had been freed. Col. Falah al-Mohammedawi of the Iranian Interior Ministry stated that they “were freed at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday after special forces of the Iraqi Interior Ministry stormed the kidnappers' hideout in the suburb of Jadriya, southeast of Baghdad.” The Arabic-language satellite television channels Al-Arabiya and al-Jazeera, citing high-placed sources in Iraq, also reported that the four Russians had been freed. The Russian Foreign Ministry was slow to respond to those reports. “We have yet to receive new information,” Igor Markov, press secretary of the Russian embassy in Iraq stated. A few hours later, head of the press service of the Iraqi Interior Ministry Gen. Adnan Abdul Rahman made a statement denying the earlier information received from his subordinates. “It's not true,” he told Reuters.
At the same time, an operations center was set up at the Russian Foreign Ministry to coordinate efforts to free the kidnapped embassy employees. “The center is working in close cooperation with the appropriate Russian agencies,” the ministry stated. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov spoke by telephone with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zibari. The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Zibari said that “the president of Iraq, the prime minister and the appropriate Iraqi organs are taking action to attain the speedy release of the four employees of the Russian embassy in Baghdad taken captive.” He emphasized that “Russia is an ally of the country of Iraq and the tragic incident that has occurred has not left Iraqi society indifferent. Various representatives are prepared to come to their aid.”
In particular, the Council of Muslin Theologians of Iraq has urged the release of the Russian embassy workers. “The Council calls on the kidnappers to release the Russian diplomats immediately, in consideration of the position of Russia, which has supported the Iraqi people's right to freedom and sovereignty,” a statement by that influential Iraqi Sunni organization reads.
Public statements are the only way to influence the kidnappers as long as their identity and goals remain unknown. The special services view ransom as the goal of the kidnapping. The majority of kidnappings in Iraq so far have had mercantile motives. In the chaotic conditions in that country, kidnapping has become a relatively easy way to make money. Since the regime of Saddam Hussein was overthrown by the United States in April 2003, thousands of Iraqi and more than 200 foreigners have been kidnapped. As a rule, the kidnappers make political demands as well when foreigners are involved, but later settle for money alone. The last a time a member of the embassy of the United Arab Emirates was kidnapped by members of the Banner of Islam group, their demand that the leaders of the Emirates' diplomatic mission leave Iraq was met. Abu Dhabi claims that no ransom money was paid for the release of the hostage.
This scenario is undermined by the fact that the kidnappers of the Russians have not yet shown themselves. Kidnappers usually make statements within the first day after the seizure of hostages. In addition, Iraqi kidnappers prefer to “work with” representatives of European countries of citizens of the wealthy Persian Gulf states. They achieve a far-reaching public reaction in the hostage's native country in the first case, and Arab monarchs are generous with their petrodollars when it comes to saving their citizens' lives.
Russia does not fit in either category. The kidnappers could be led by other motives, however. A source close to the Iraqi government told Kommersant that the attack on the Russian diplomatic mission could serve the interests of Washington, which does not like Moscow's policy on Iraq or what it sees as the excessive activeness of the Russian special services in Iraq. Washington is also annoyed by the image of itself Russia is fostering as a friend of Iraq that, unlike its foreign occupants, wishes it well. Following this line of thought, the incident on Saturday is meant to remind Russia that the danger in Iraq threatens everyone and it would be better to maintain a lower profile.
But, in the opinion of the Kommersant source, a more likely explanation is provided by the Iraqi people. Public opinion there is that only Iran has any perceptible influence on the domestic situation. The Iranian regime is capable to enflaming or pacifying its neighbor, which is also predominantly Shiite. For the Iranian agents swarming in Iraq, it is not difficult to organize a kidnapping. If this is really the case, Tehran should soon announce that Iranian diplomats have made great efforts and successfully freed the Russians, who will be handed over with fanfare. That would be a clear indication of who is really in charge in Iraq. It would also be a sharp reminder to the Russians of the vast capabilities of their Iranian “friends,” whose attitude toward Russia depends exclusively on that country's position on the Iranian nuclear crisis.
Alexander Reutov
All the Article in Russian as of June 05, 2006
|
|
|
