Gang kidnaps US citizens for blackmailing: Iraq minister
The Iraqi defense minister says three American nationals who disappeared in Baghdad recently were kidnapped by an “organized gang” known for carrying out such abductions for “blackmail.”
Khaled al-Obaidi said the kidnappers spotted the three Americans as they repeatedly visited the same place.
“An organized gang spotted them coming repeatedly to this place, which, I believe, is suspect,” al-Obaidi said, adding the group carries out "kidnapping and blackmail operations.”
However, he stopped short of identifying the gang.
The three men are reportedly employed by a contracting company that works for General Dynamics Corp, under a larger contract with the US Army. According to CNN, the three were identified as two Iraqi-Americans and one Egyptian-American.
Gunmen abducted them last week as the three were visiting a house in Dora neighborhood, south of Baghdad. Unconfirmed reports said that an Iraqi translator was also seized along with the American citizens.
They are the first American nationals to be kidnapped in Iraq since the withdrawal of American forces in 2011.
There has been no claim of responsibility for the abduction and the fate of the Americans remains unknown.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday ahead of a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi that the US was working with Iraq on the issue.
“They are really investigating this. He [Abadi] is looking at it. He was not able to shed light on the who, where or what and they are still trying to get all of that piece together,” he added.
Kerry also said he had asked Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for Tehran’s assistance on the issue.
Kerry said he asked Zarif “if Iran knew any way to provide help or if there were some way they could have an impact on getting the right kind of outcome.”
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