BAGHDAD, 14 July 2004 — A militant group led by Al-Qaeda ally Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi killed a Bulgarian hostage and vowed to execute a second Bulgarian it was holding within 24 hours, Al-Jazeera television said yesterday.
The Qatar-based channel said the group had issued a videotape of the execution but did not broadcast it.
The execution came after the United States and the Iraqi interim government expressed disappointment over a statement by a Philippine government official that Manila would pull out its troops from Iraq “as soon as possible” to save the life of a third hostage — Filipino Angelo dela Cruz.
“We certainly noted the remarks and are disappointed to see remarks like this at a time when Iraq is fighting for stability and peace,” said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher in Washington.
“We’re awaiting clarification on exactly what that announcement might mean in terms of Philippine withdrawal,” he said.
Boucher said US Ambassador to Manila Francis Ricciardone had met Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo following the remarks by Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Rafael Seguis.
Seguis went on Al-Jazeera early yesterday to appeal for the life of dela Cruz and pledged the 51-member contingent of Filipino troops in Iraq would be withdrawn “as soon as possible.” Insurgents have said they would kill the truck driver by Monday evening if the Philippines did not agree to pull its troops by July 20. The government on Monday restated that its troop commitment ended Aug. 20.
When questioned by the newscaster to explain the phrase “as soon as possible”, Seguis said a pullout would come according to the government’s commitments. It appeared the statement may have been deliberately ambiguous in a bid to save dela Cruz, and the government did nothing to clarify the issue. “Let us leave the government to do what is necessary to save the life of an innocent Filipino and to uphold our nation’s interest,” presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said.
A senior Philippine army officer said it would take only three days to withdraw the troops, with US logistical help.
The militant group, the Iraqi Islamic Army-Khaled bin Al-Waleed Corps, said in a video shown late Monday on Al-Jazeera that it had done everything possible to prove it wanted to spare the life of dela Cruz. There was no word on the fate of dela Cruz.
Mowaffaq Abboud, an adviser to Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari, declined comment on Manila’s stance, but said the government opposed concessions to kidnappers.
