Kenya Tells Citizens in Iraq to Go After 3 Are Abducted (to save hostages)

[UpInArms]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/23/international/africa/23keny.html

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 22 - Trying to save three Kenyan hostages threatened with execution by Iraqi insurgents, the government of Kenya acknowledged Thursday that it was following in the footsteps of the Philippines in ordering all its citizens in Iraq to leave.

The Philippines recently pulled its troops from Iraq, over the objections of the Bush administration, to secure the release of a Filipino threatened with beheading.

"We feel, like the Philippines, we have to look out for our citizens," a government spokesman, Alfred Mutua, said in an interview. "We don't want any of our citizens to suffer."

In Washington, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell criticized Kenya's response to the threat. "When you negotiate in this manner, all you do is encourage it," he said after a meeting with the Bulgarian foreign minister, Solomon Passy.

...more...

related story:

Violence Surges in Baghdad and Sunni Area to the West

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/23/international/middleeast/23iraq.html

BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 22 - Violence surged in the capital and in the restive Sunni triangle to the west on Thursday. At the same time, Kenya ordered its citizens to leave Iraq after kidnappers threatened to kill three Kenyan hostages.

The Kenyan action came two days after the Philippines withdrew its forces from Iraq ahead of schedule to meet the demands of kidnappers who had threatened to kill a Philippine hostage. It is unclear how many Kenyan citizens are in Iraq, but there are probably far fewer than the Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos who provide low-level services for soldiers and private contractors.

The pace of hostage-taking has quickened in recent weeks, challenging the new Iraqi government and reflecting an intensifying campaign against citizens whose countries provide troops or subcontracting work for the American-led military presence in Iraq.

The United States military announced that its forces had killed 25 insurgents during daylong clashes in Ramadi, 68 miles west of Baghdad. A statement from the First Marine Expeditionary Force said the firefight began about 3 p.m. Thursday with an ambush on a Marine convoy. The statement said 17 insurgents had been wounded, as well as 13 marines and one soldier.

...more...

[DulceDecorum]

1. WHAT, in God's name

is KENYA doing in Iraq?

But I am glad to hear they are leaving -- and I HOPE they have issued an appology to the people of Iraq.

Damn politicans.

[flordehinojos]

2. Like Manila, Kenya is refusing to be manipulated

By INSURGENTS; kidnappers; hostage takers OR THE UNITED STATES! It too has decided to take an "I" stand... as in "I will not stand on the side of your blood for oil war" or, as in I won't be coerced to stand on the side of a war that is immoral. No matter how much POWELL squeals Kenya has its own mind!
:thumbsup: