Iraq hostages 'freed by police'

[ThsMchneKilsFascists]

All of the hostages seized in a raid by gunmen on a Baghdad higher education facility have been released, Iraqi officials say.

A government spokesman told the BBC that the hostages were freed in a number of police raids across the city.

Gunmen dressed in uniforms similar to those worn by Iraqi police abducted dozens of people.

Five top officers were later arrested - including the police chief of Karrada district where the abductions occurred.

more

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6149110.stm?lsm

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. Very good news!

[lapfog_1]

2. If I was a Sunni engineer or academic...

I would be LEAVING. The hand writing is on the wall, these people are going to be the Jews of Iraq... hunted down and persecuted... And as the party responsible for making this happen, we are going to have to allow them political asylum status here in the US... just as did for many Vietnamese 30 years ago.

[Eugene]

3. Great news!

"They wore uniforms recently issued to officers which were thought to be difficult to copy."

It was an inside job by militia-linked police.

This is the moment of truth for Nouri al-Maliki.
Either he clamps down on the Shiite militias
or he closes ranks with them. He cannot
continue to deny that they are a problem.

[al bupp]

5. That was likely the point, sir

We'll see if he excretes or gets off the throne, to paraphrase a saying.

[uppityperson]

4. glad they were released.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. apparently just some of them

:(

There were varying estimates of the number of people kidnapped, but it appeared that at least 50 were seized one of the largest mass abductions in Iraq. Authorities said as many as 20 were later released, but said a broadcast report that most hostages were freed appeared to be false. The assault came on a day that saw at least 117 people die in the mounting disorder and violence gripping the country.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2653227

[Eugene]

7. Iraqi gov't: 'About 40' hostages freed (AP)

Iraqi gov't: 'About 40' hostages freed

By BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press
Writer 47 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Higher Education Ministry said Wednesday that "about 40"
people abducted from its offices had been released. No official was able to say
how many were still held captive.

Government ministries have given wildly varying figures on the number of kidnap
victims in the assault in central Baghdad Tuesday, with reports ranging from a
high of about 150 to a low of 40 to 50.

"The (Higher Education) ministry confirms the release of a group of employees,
guards, visitors who were kidnapped yesterday. The information available to the
ministry indicates that the number of the people released as of Wednesday
morning is about 40. There is another group that is still held," the ministry
said in a statement.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061115/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq