Three Romanian journalists kidnapped in Iraq expected back in Romania
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Three Romanian journalists kidnapped in Iraq were expected to return home Monday afternoon, a day after their release.
Television reporter Marie Jeanne Ion and cameraman Sorin Miscoci, both of Prima TV, and Ovidiu Ohanesian, a reporter from the daily Romania Libera, were captured in Baghdad on March 28 with their guide, American-Iraqi Mohammed Monaf.
The four were freed on Sunday. The three Romanians were to be flown to a military airbase outside Bucharest on Monday and were not expected to speak to the press after their arrival.
Monaf, who is married to a Romanian, has been transferred to U.S. custody, the Romanian president's office said in a statement.
"I was waiting for him ... He was taken (into custody) by the Americans. This is the procedure. Let's hope we see him soon,'' said Monaf's wife, Georget, in an interview with television news channel N 24.
A group calling itself Maadh Bin Jabal said in a videotape aired Sunday on Al-Jazeera television that it decided to free the hostages after an appeal by Romania's Muslims and a Saudi preacher, Salman Bin Fahad al-Oda.
Romanian President Traian Basescu, who headed a top-level crisis team that worked to free the hostages, said no ransom was paid and that Romania "did not negotiate its foreign policy.'' The kidnappers had threatened in a video to kill the hostages unless Romania pulled its 800 troops out of Iraq.
The president said the operation to free the hostages was carried out by Romanian intelligence agents, and that Romanian investigators were in Baghdad to work with Iraqi authorities in questioning suspects. "The operation is still ongoing, ... the case is not closed,'' he said.
Basescu did not elaborate on the hostages' release, and said more details would be available after the investigation was completed. He thanked Iraqi prosecutors and investigators, and also commended Romania's Arab community for helping in the negotiations.
Romanian newspapers praised the release. The daily Jurnalul National had the word "Free'' in Romanian, Arabic, French and English covering its front page, while daily Adevarul commented: "The hostages return today from hell.''
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