IRAQ: COALITION SPECIAL FORCES HAVE RELEASED THREE ITALIAN AND ONE POLISH HOSTAGE HELD BY IRAQIS

Record ID: 648479

  • Title: IRAQ: COALITION SPECIAL FORCES HAVE RELEASED THREE ITALIAN AND ONE POLISH HOSTAGE HELD BY IRAQIS
  • Date: 8th June 2004
  • Summary: (W5)BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JUNE 8, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE OF MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA AROUND ITALIAN CONSUL FABRIZIO NICOLLETTI 0.04 2. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) ITALIAN CONSUL FABRIZIO NICOLLETTI, SAYING: "The minister of foreign affairs said a joint operation by the coalition forces who thanks to the information they got from our intelligence here in the field, they were able to do this kind of job and to obtain and to release our, the three Italians, who are safe and sound and for the time being that is all I can say to you." 0.40 3. SLV MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA 0.47 4. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (French) NICOLETTI, SAYING: "I am only talking about the Italians we had the Italians now they are free." 1.07 5. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) NICOLETTI, SAYING: "They are safe and in good hands" (answering reporter's question on the state of health of the freed Italians) "I don't have any information but they are pretty ok. But I repeat, it is nothing official that I am giving you and there is a General Sanchez as chief of coalition forces is going to have a press conference very soon..so information is going on somewhere else in Baghdad. (answering question on time of the release) It happened around 4.30 Baghdad local time (answering question about whether they had gone to the Italian embassy) No." 2.14 6. WIDE OF MEMBERS OF MEDIA WITH THE CONSUL 2.17 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 23rd June 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD,IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVA5EKP638AFQ2D9SPM04WK496VQ
  • Story Text: Special forces from the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq
    have freed three Italian hostages held for almost two
    months and a Pole abducted a week ago, authorities and the
    military said.




    The Italian consul in Iraq, Fabrizio Nicoletti, said
    in Baghdad on Tuesday (June 8) that three Italian hostages
    released earlier that day were "ok".

    The news of their release came earlier from the Italian
    Foreign Minister Franco Frattini in Italy.

    The consul said they had been freed by coalition forces
    near Baghdad and that no blood was spilled during the
    operation.

    "The minister of foreign affairs said a joint operation
    by the coalition forces who thanks to the information they
    got from our intelligence here in the field, they were able
    to do this kind of job and to obtain and to release our,
    the three Italians, who are safe and sound and for the time
    being that is all I can say to you," Nicoletti said.

    Nicolletti said the freed hostages were "safe and in
    good hands".

    The commander of Polish troops in Iraq said coalition
    special forces freed the three Italians and Jerzy Kos,
    manager of Polish company Jedynka, who was seized on June 1.

    Four Italians working for a U.S. security firm were
    abducted on April 12 near Baghdad.

    One of them was shot dead after Italy refused to bow to
    demands to withdraw its 2,700 troops from Iraq. Footage of
    the other three was shown on Arabic satellite channel Al
    Jazeera last week. One of them said they were being treated
    well.

    Al Jazeera also aired a statement from the kidnappers,
    calling themselves the Green Battalion, urging Italian
    people to demonstrate against the policies of the United
    States and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

    Masked gunmen seized two Polish and five Iraqi staff from Polish
    Jedynka's offices near Baghdad a week ago. One
    Pole escaped but Kos had remained captive.


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