| Canada reiterated Thursday that its citizens should leave strife-torn Iraq, two days after a Canadian woman who had been held hostage for 16 days in Iraq regained her freedom. For several months, Ottawa has recommended that its citizens not travel to Iraq and has urged any of its citizens, including humanitarian workers, to leave the country. "Canadians are reminded that they should not travel to Iraq under any circumstances and that all Canadians in Iraq, including humanitarian aid workers, should leave," the government said Thursday. "There is no Canadian Embassy in Iraq at this time, and the government of Canada has an extremely limited capacity to provide assistance to Canadian citizens in distress in Iraq," the government added. A 38-year-old woman of Iraqi origin, Fairuz Yamulky, was freed on Tuesday after being held hostage for 16 days after persuading one of her abductors to free her, according to media reports. According to Canada's Foreign Ministry, about 100 Canadians are currently working in Iraq. |