The Hindu : Front Page : Natwar Singh's appeal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 23, 2004

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Natwar Singh's appeal

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JULY 22. India today condemned the abduction of three of its nationals in Iraq and said it was making all efforts to seek their early release.

The External Affairs Minister, K. Natwar Singh, here in connection with the SAARC Council of Ministers meeting, told reporters that the hostages were "not combatants" but "innocent persons."

Mr. Singh spoke to the Iraqi Foreign Minister, currently in Cairo, and appealed to him to ensure the hostages' safe release. The Minister of State for External Affairs, E. Ahamed, spoke to Mr. Singh twice to brief him on the latest developments.

`Demands unacceptable'

"Our government is not there. No one can accept their demands. We condemn it in the strongest terms and hope this issue gets over quickly," Mr. Singh said.

The threat issued by the abductors would increase the anxiety and would not do any good, he added.

Ruling out the possibility of sending troops to Iraq in the light of the latest development, he said, "the question does not arise."

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