European Governments Paying Ransoms In Iraq

The Times of London reports in spite of public denials France, Italy and Germany paid $45 million in deals to free nine hostages abducted in Iraq:

All three governments have publicly denied paying ransom money. But according to the documents, held by security officials in Baghdad who have played a crucial role in hostage negotiations, sums from $2.5 million to $10 million per person have been paid over the past 21 months.

WHAT THEY PAID

FRANCE $25 million

Florence Aubenas: held for 157 days, freed June 2005. Ransom $10 million Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot: freed December 2004. Ransom $15 million

ITALY $11 million

Giuliana Segrena: taken February 2005, freed March 2005. Ransom $6 million Simona Pari and Simona Torretta: taken September 2004, freed 20 days later. Ransom $5 million.

GERMANY $8 million

Susanne Ostloff: taken November 25, 2005, and freed three weeks later. Ransom $3 million

Rene Braunlich and Thomas Nitzschke: taken January 24, 2006, and freed on May 2. Ransom $5 million.

WHAT THEY SAID

FRANCE

When Florence Aubenas was freed in June 2005 a government spokesman, Jean-François Cope, said: “There was absolutely no demand for money. No ransom was paid”

ITALY

On January 30 this year Gianfranco Fini, then Italian Foreign Minister, denied that Italy paid between $6m and S10m to free Giuliana Sgrena. “Italy did not pay any ransom to obtain the freedom of Giuliana Sgrena in Iraq or any other hostage. There is never a quid pro quo”

GERMANY

Frank Walter Steinmeier, the German Foreign Minister, was asked if paying a ransom for Susanne Osthoff had compromised the security of other German hostages. He replied: “The problem is not ransom payments, but the reporting of them.” That was seen in Germany as indirect confirmation that ransoms were paid

This is so outrageous. At best the ransom payments can only encourage more kidnappings.