Jill Carroll, the United States journalist kidnapped in Iraq a month ago, said in a video broadcast on Thursday night that time was running out for the authorities to meet her captors’ demands. In black-and-white footage that she said was shot last Thursday, Carroll was pictured wearing an Islamic veil and reading a short message in a calm voice.
”I am fine. Please just do whatever they want, give them whatever they want as quickly as possible,” she said in the images broadcast on a private Kuwaiti television channel. ”There is a very short time. Please do it fast. That’s all.” The video was delivered to the channel along with a letter written by Carroll, the contents of which have not been divulged.
Carroll, a freelancer working for the US daily Christian Science Monitor was abducted by a little-known group who are demanding the release of all Iraqi women prisoners held in US and Iraqi jails.
In a separate development, an Egyptian diplomat was kidnapped on Thursday in Gaza City after armed men shot out the tyres of his car as he drove to work at the Egyptian mission. It is the first time in more than a dozen kidnappings that a diplomat has been targeted in Gaza and coincides with the visit of the leadership of Hamas to Cairo.
Hussam al-Mawsili was driven away by his captors in the city and police checkpoints throughout the Gaza Strip failed to locate him. The kidnappers were believed to be members of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, part of the Fatah movement of the Palestinian Authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas. The group made no comment on Thursday about the kidnapping.
Egypt has played a mediating role between the Palestinians and Israel and the US. In the past year it has been training Palestinian security forces.
Hamas won the Palestinian elections three weeks ago and is now preparing to establish a government. Mushir al Masri, a Hamas member of the Palestinian legislative council, criticised the kidnapping. ”This is an attempt to damage our relations with Egypt, embarrass Hamas and poison the atmosphere here as we try to create a government.” – Guardian Unlimited Â