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01/11/2004
UN appeals for release of Kabul kidnap trio
The UN has issued an appeal for the immediate return of its three staff members, which included a woman from Northern Ireland, kidnapped in Kabul last week.
The three UN relief workers – Annetta Flanigan, from Co Armagh, Shqipe Hebibi, from Kosovo, and Angelito Nayan, from the Philippines – were abducted on October 28. The militant group holding them, the Army of Muslims, has said that it will execute their captives if prisoners in Afghan jails and in Guantanamo Bay are not released.
As the trio had been warmly received by Afghans, it was difficult to understand why they had been seized, a UN spokesman in Kabul said. The relief workers had been "working towards prosperity, reconstruction and peace in this country”.
The spokesperson added: "We worry about them, about their medical and physical conditions, and about their emotional wellbeing.
“All three require medical attention and the best response to such a situation is their immediate release – the most heartfelt wish of the parents, brothers and sisters, husband, friends and colleagues of Annetta, Lito and Shqipe.”
The spokesperson told a press briefing that the three, while coming from very different backgrounds, “have at least one thing in common – their commitment to serve people who can benefit from their knowledge and expertise”.
The Afghan authorities, he said, “are working very hard with the resources available to them and they have the support of their international partners throughout this process”.
The BBC has reported that the kidnap gang have split the three up in order to frustrate any rescue attempts.
(gmcg/sp)
The three UN relief workers – Annetta Flanigan, from Co Armagh, Shqipe Hebibi, from Kosovo, and Angelito Nayan, from the Philippines – were abducted on October 28. The militant group holding them, the Army of Muslims, has said that it will execute their captives if prisoners in Afghan jails and in Guantanamo Bay are not released.
As the trio had been warmly received by Afghans, it was difficult to understand why they had been seized, a UN spokesman in Kabul said. The relief workers had been "working towards prosperity, reconstruction and peace in this country”.
The spokesperson added: "We worry about them, about their medical and physical conditions, and about their emotional wellbeing.
“All three require medical attention and the best response to such a situation is their immediate release – the most heartfelt wish of the parents, brothers and sisters, husband, friends and colleagues of Annetta, Lito and Shqipe.”
The spokesperson told a press briefing that the three, while coming from very different backgrounds, “have at least one thing in common – their commitment to serve people who can benefit from their knowledge and expertise”.
The Afghan authorities, he said, “are working very hard with the resources available to them and they have the support of their international partners throughout this process”.
The BBC has reported that the kidnap gang have split the three up in order to frustrate any rescue attempts.
(gmcg/sp)
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Straw welcomes release of British hostage
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28 October 2004
Three foreign workers kidnapped in Kabul
A woman holding dual British-Irish nationality is among three foreign workers kidnapped in Afghanistan today. The trio – including a Kosovar woman and Filipino man – were assisting with the presidential elections when they were kidnapped at gunpoint in the capital Kabul this afternoon.
Three foreign workers kidnapped in Kabul
A woman holding dual British-Irish nationality is among three foreign workers kidnapped in Afghanistan today. The trio – including a Kosovar woman and Filipino man – were assisting with the presidential elections when they were kidnapped at gunpoint in the capital Kabul this afternoon.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:Low cloud, mist or fog at first will clear through the morning to leave a dry day with some prolonged sunny spells through the afternoon. Maximum temperature 21 °C.Tonight:Dry with clear spells for most places through the evening and overnight will allow the odd mist or fog patch to form. Coastal low cloud spreads into northern counties. Minimum temperature 9 °C.
