Two Italian Female Hostages Freed In Iraq

KFOX 14 | September 28 2004

FLASHBACK: Confusion over Italian hostages: Two seperate groups claim beheading

ROME -- Two Italian aid workers kidnapped in Iraq have been released. Italy's prime minister confirmed the two women have been freed and are expected to return to Italy Tuesday.

Also free are two Iraqis abducted at the same time. Italy's prime minister says all four have been handed over to the Red Cross in Iraq.

The release was first reported on Arab television network Al-Jazeera

Premier Silvio Berlusconi went before Italy's Parliament to give details of the release, and the assembly broke into applause. After three weeks of waiting, Berlusconi said there was "finally a moment of joy."

He thanked the intelligence agencies of Iraq's neighboring countries -- including Jordan, whose King Abdullah was visiting Rome Tuesday. He also said that the Italian secret services were involved in as many as 16 different negotiations, but gave no further details.

On Monday, King Abdullah said the two Italian women were still alive. He told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that Jordan was trying to locate the women, and that it was using all its contacts in Iraq to obtain their release.

The two women, Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, both 29, were kidnapped in Baghdad on Sept. 7.

There are conflicting reports about whether ransom money played any part in the hostages' release.

Earlier Tuesday, a Muslim leader from Italy arrived in Baghdad and met with a local Muslim group to push for the hostages' release.

Last week, two militant groups claimed responsibility for the abductions and demanded that Italy withdraw its troops from Iraq. The same two groups claimed to have killed the women. The Italian government said the claims were unreliable.

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