An Islamist militant group in Iraq claimed responsibility for kidnapping an Italian journalist and threatened to kill her by Monday, following a kidnap claim from another group, according to an Internet statement. The statement, which was could not be immediately authenticated, was signed by a group calling itself the Jihad Organisation and threatened to kill Giuliana Sgrena by Monday if Italy did not withdraw its troops from Iraq. A group with a similar name, the Islamic Jihad Organisation, claimed on Friday to have also taken Sgrena and set a 72-hour deadline for Italy to remove its troops, but did not specifically threaten to kill her. "We in the Jihad Organisation ... announce that we will implement God's law (kill) on the Italian prisoner Giuliana Sgrena after 48 hours if the Italian government, headed by the criminal Berlusconi, does not announce it will withdraw (troops) from Iraq," said the statement dated on Saturday. "To the Italian people, it is time for you to know the truth about your criminal government that is still in Iraq," it said. "Your sons' blood is the responsibility of Berlusconi and his gang of Islam's enemies. Your army's continued presence in Iraq will bring about grave consequences and you will not be blessed with security as long as Muslims in Iraq are not living securely," it added.
