Freed journalists stuck at Iraqi border<\/p>\n
Agencies
\nAmman<\/p>\n
Two Indonesian journalists and a Jordanian driver freed by
\nmilitants in Iraq were stuck at the Iraq-Jordan border on
\nTuesday, waiting for permission from Iraqi authorities to leave
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
Meutya Hafid, 26, and 36-year-old cameraman Budiyanto, as well
\nas their Jordanian driver, Ibrahim Abdel Khader, were abducted
\nlast week by militants outside Ramadi, west of Baghdad.<\/p>\n
Militants in a videotape received on Monday said the three
\nwere released because of the "goodwill" shown by the captives and
\nreligious ties.<\/p>\n
"The Indonesian government is trying to contact the Iraqi
\ngovernment to get permission for us to cross the border. But we
\nare still waiting and the situation is not clear for us yet,"
\nMeutya told AP in Amman by telephone.<\/p>\n
The border was closed for a week from Feb. 17 by the Iraqi
\ngovernment for security reasons during the Shiite Muslim mourning
\nperiod of Ashura.<\/p>\n
"We won't return to Baghdad, but we might wait at the border
\nuntil we get the approval to cross into Jordan," Khader said.<\/p>\n
"We were hoping that we would be able to cross over into
\nJordan today (Tuesday) but the Iraqis said the border will remain
\nclosed until midnight," he was quoted by AFP as saying after
\nspeaking on the phone with his brother, Ibrahim.<\/p>\n
In a live telephone interview with their employer, Indonesian
\ntelevision network Metro TV, Meutya and Budiyanto said they were
\nin good condition and thanked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\nfor helping to arrange their release.<\/p>\n
"Without your help, we may not have been released
\nimmediately," Meutya said in comments addressed to Susilo.
\n"Thanks be to God, these people (captors) are those who struggle
\nfor faith," said Meutya.<\/p>\n
"We are not their enemy. No one dared to touch me or
\nBudiyanto. Their leader said if they touched me, they would be
\nsentenced to death."<\/p>\n
Meutya's cameraman, Budiyanto, said they were treated "very
\nwell" and that "there was no intimidation or pressure at all."
\n"We were driven blindfolded to a location very far away from any
\nresidential area," said Budiyanto. "We stayed in a very small
\nplace in the remote desert where we were closely monitored and
\nobserved."<\/p>\n
The three said they were abducted by three men, including one
\nwho had an AK47 assault rifle, while refueling their vehicle.
\nA video delivered anonymously to Associated Press Television News
\nin Baghdad apparently showed a militant releasing the
\njournalists.<\/p>\n
A masked person in the video, reading from a notebook, said,
\n"Based on the goodwill they showed, and respecting the feelings
\nof brotherhood and Islam between the two countries, and
\nrespecting the Indonesian anti-occupation role, we decided to
\nrelease the two journalists without any conditions and ransom."<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government was critical of the U.S.-led 2003
\ninvasion of Iraq, and has refused to send troops to the country.
\nIndonesia is the world's largest Muslim country.<\/p>",
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