By Patrick Kerkstra and Nancy A. Youssef
Knight Ridder Newspapers
BAGHDAD, Iraq - There's a simple explanation for the kidnapping epidemic in Iraq, which grows worse day by day: The tactic works.
Whether their aim is political, financial or simply to terrorize, hostage-takers here often get what they want, Iraqi officials and security experts said Thursday.
<snip>The pool of targets has widened as well, to include women, journalists, wealthy and middle-class Iraqis and anyone - foreign or native-born - whom the hostage-takers deem as someone who cooperates with U.S. forces or the interim government.
<snip>While kidnappers might prefer to snatch Westerners, if only because they tend to fetch higher ransoms, Interior Ministry officials said everyone was at risk.
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