Deal Close to Free British Hostages in Iraq

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Deal close to free British hostages in Iraq

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA – 39 minutes ago

BAGHDAD (AP) — An Arabic Web site says a deal is in the works for the release of five British hostages in Iraq and that one of them could be freed "very soon." The Saudi-owned site Elaph quotes a leader of the extremist Asaib Ahl al-Haq group as saying a video recently sent to the British embassy showing one of the hostages is part of the deal.

The report quotes a mediator identified only as Abu Ali.

A senior aide to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki acknowledged Saturday that contacts are under way to release the Britons, but denied a deal had been struck.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. A senior Shiite lawmaker says the contacts picked up pace two months ago.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hwK_CSpBxsNuVUEaDuOwmSSCiqGwD976UNAG2

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Specifically, the release of some al-Sadr people in prison is part of the deal

"There is an agreement between Britain and the US and our group," Abu Ali, a leader of the Shiite Iraqi movement claiming to hold the hostages, said in an interview with Arabic online newspaper Elaph published on Thursday.

"One of the hostages will be released very soon after the British side carries out its promise to us to convince the American side to release 10 of our leaders," he said.
...
"If things go well, another hostage will be released very soon as well, in exchange for a group of Sadrist detainees," Abu Ali said in a reference to supporters of the anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

Among the men the group wants released from US custody in Iraq are Laith al-Khazaali, also known as Abu Sajjad, Hassan Salem, Rahim Al-Shamoosi, Saad Sewar, and a Lebanese explosives expert named Ali Mussa Daqduq.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iXN2F7Ub7-1UiEc7WhnK67nApfQg

[tomm2thumbs]

2. I guess negotiating with terrorists is back in vogue

Not sure that will bode well with what's going on in Juarez, Mexico et al.