IRAQ: An Islamist militant group yesterday threatened to behead three kidnapped relatives of the Interim Iraqi Prime Minister, Mr Iyad Allawi, unless the assault on Falluja was halted.
Mr Ghazy Allawi (75), a first cousin of the prime minister, his wife and their daughter-in-law were seized on Tuesday night as they walked from their house to a car in the Yarmouk neighbourhood of Baghdad.
Between six and eight gunmen captured the three and drove off with them. One police source said there had been a short gun battle.
Yesterday a militant group posted an internet message, saying they would be killed within 48 hours unless the US military assault on Falluja was called off and prisoners were freed. "If the agent government does not meet our demands within 48 hours, we will behead them," the message from the group Ansar al-Jihad (Supporters of Holy War) said.
The kidnapping came a day after the military launched its assault on Falluja under Mr Allawi's approval. Since taking power at the end of June, the interim premier has faced a torrent of death threats, often several a day. In an interview earlier this year, he said his staff had uncovered a plot to fill a sofa with explosives before delivering it to his office.
Some government sources said only two relatives, Mr Ghazi Allawi and his daughter-in-law, had been taken, but other spokesmen and the internet message referred to three people.
Mr Allawi's office said the government would not give in. "This is yet another criminal act by terrorists and will not thwart the determination of the government to combat terrorism," it said. As well as the dozens of high-profile kidnappings of foreigners, hundreds of Iraqis have been kidnapped for ransom in the past year, often the children or relatives of wealthy businessmen or professionals. In most cases families have been forced to pay thousands of dollars to see their relatives again.
Ransoms are rarely demanded for foreigners, who typically face a far worse fate. At least 35 have been beheaded so far, mostly foreign truck drivers or contractors working with the US military.
Three Jordanian truck drivers kidnapped on a main road near Falluja last week were freed on Tuesday, their families said. The men had appeared on a video urging their government not to let Jordanians work with the US military in Iraq. One of their colleagues, also a Jordanian, was killed during the kidnapping.
A French government spokesman said the offensive in Falluja made efforts to free the two French hostages, Mr Christian Chesnot and Mr Georges Malbrunot "particularly difficult". The two journalists disappeared on August 20th along with their Syrian driver.