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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Islamic militants in Iraq take 12 Nepalis hostage |
| 2004-08-20 |
| An Islamic militant group said it had taken 12 Nepali men hostage for cooperating with US forces in Iraq, in a statement posted on Islamist websites today. "A group of heroic mujahedeen (Islamic fighters) managed on the night of August 19-20 to take 12 people affiliated with a Nepali company captive," said the statement signed by the military command of the Army of Ansar al-Sunna. The statement, whose authenticity could not be independently verified, listed the names of the 12 'infidels,' who it said had been helping "United States crusader forces to fight Islam." The statement did not say where the 12 were abducted but the group promised to publish their pictures shortly "so that they will serve as a lesson to others." The claim, posted on a website carrying the group's name and on at least one other Islamist site, said the Nepalis had been operating via a Jordanian company called Besharat and Partners. Meanwhile, a senior foreign ministry official in Kathmandu said this evening the government had no information about the abduction. "We have not yet received any information on the abduction of 12 Nepali workers in Iraq," the official, who does not want to be quoted, said. "Officially, we have barred any Nepalis to go to Iraq," he said. "However, Nepali passport holders seem to have gone to Iraq via India and Kuwait or some other Middle East countries," he said. "We don't have our own embassy in Iraq yet, however, we will try to find out under what circumstances the Nepalis were taken hostage," he said. The US had requested Nepali troops to be sent to Iraq for peacekeeping purposes but the government has not yet conceded to the request. Some half a million Nepalis are working in 40 countries including Malaysia, South Korea, US and Europe and annually remit about a billion dollars to the country. About 100,000 Nepalis are working in the Middle East, according to labour ministry officials. |
| Posted by:TS(vice girl) |
| #2 Especially with their Terrorist Slicer and Dicer Tool. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-08-20 9:29:17 PM |
| #1 Decidedly bad karma, here. Nepal is known for exporting young men to Britain to become Ghurkas. And Ghurkas have a noteworthy reputation. http://www.army.mod.uk/brigade_of_gurkhas/history/ It is not considered wise to cross a Ghurka. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2004-08-20 9:23:45 PM |