About 70 freed after mass Iraq abduction (105 reported deaths Wed)

[maddezmom]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Kidnappers released about 70 people snatched in a mass abduction by suspected Shiite militiamen who answer to a key backer of the prime minister — a sign the militants went too far and Iraq's leader may be yielding to intense U.S. pressure to crack down on sectarian violence.

But Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki clearly has more work to do. Iraqi police, hospital and morgue officials reported 105 new violent deaths Wednesday; 54 of the victims were tortured and shot, their bodies dumped in Baghdad.

~snip~

Meanwhile, the quick release of many of the captives — less than 24 hours after the abductions — was surprising in a country where hundreds of Iraqis have been kidnapped, murdered and dumped in streets or rivers each month. In two recent mass kidnappings, both of about 50 people, the victims were never heard of again.

more;http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061116/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[aquart]

1. Thank God. Any god handy.

I didn't think any of them were coming back.

[lapfog_1]

3. Yeah, but I had a small tinfoil hat thought.

Suppose you wanted to off 1 to 5 people of the opposition, all of whom work at this ministry and are part of the unity government. How to get rid of them all at once? Simple answer: Kidnap everyone where they work, separate your victims, after the inevitable public pressure to release the hostages, let the the vast bulk of them go, and kill off your victims. In the chaos and confusion, it might be days before there is an accounting of who survived and who is still missing... and once noticed you simply say "We released everyone as asked for by our own leader and given the general surrounding chaos, why anything might have happened to X"

Otherwise, why bother going to such elaborate lengths to kidnap all these people and NOT kill them?

[aquart]

4. Oh, honey. If you want to kidnap 5 in Iraq, you just take them.

And leave them in pieces in a ditch. Anyone has access to the damn uniforms, obviously, and rival factions have rival death squads.

You go and try to prove who killed who. Don't expect to be able to get life or health insurance, though.

[lapfog_1]

6. While that is the impression that we're left with here.

But why go to the effort to kidnap 75 or more? Only to let most of them go.

And then there is this in the LBN...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2617508

[AIJ Alom]

2. Good. These innocent people are the foundation with which to

rebuild Iraq. The intellectuals are very important.

It is however unfortunate that 54 more souls ended up dead on the streets in Baghdad. Sure does sound like Manhattan doesn't it, Pete King (R-3CD-NY) ?

[aquart]

5. You think these intellectuals will survive till the end of this? Not in Iraq.

[4dsc]

7. are you sure??

Last night a reported from CNN in Bagdad, was reporting this story wasn't true..

Is the media covering up the truth here??

[4dsc]

8. are you sure??

Last night a reported from CNN in Bagdad, was reporting this story wasn't true..

Is the media covering up the truth here??

[maddezmom]

9. According the Minister of Higher Education it's true

BAGHDAD, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Kidnappers who seized dozens of men from a ministry building in Baghdad on Tuesday tortured and killed some of their hostages, the Minister for Higher Education said on Thursday, citing the testimony of freed hostages.

"There are a number of people who were killed, they are employees and guards," Minister Abd Dhiab told Reuters, adding that around 70 hostages had been released out of around 150 staff and visitors originally seized by men in police uniforms.

more:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2617508