Freed journalists stuck at Iraqi border

Freed journalists stuck at Iraqi border

Agencies Amman

Two Indonesian journalists and a Jordanian driver freed by militants in Iraq were stuck at the Iraq-Jordan border on Tuesday, waiting for permission from Iraqi authorities to leave the country.

Meutya Hafid, 26, and 36-year-old cameraman Budiyanto, as well as their Jordanian driver, Ibrahim Abdel Khader, were abducted last week by militants outside Ramadi, west of Baghdad.

Militants in a videotape received on Monday said the three were released because of the "goodwill" shown by the captives and religious ties.

"The Indonesian government is trying to contact the Iraqi government to get permission for us to cross the border. But we are still waiting and the situation is not clear for us yet," Meutya told AP in Amman by telephone.

The border was closed for a week from Feb. 17 by the Iraqi government for security reasons during the Shiite Muslim mourning period of Ashura.

"We won't return to Baghdad, but we might wait at the border until we get the approval to cross into Jordan," Khader said.

"We were hoping that we would be able to cross over into Jordan today (Tuesday) but the Iraqis said the border will remain closed until midnight," he was quoted by AFP as saying after speaking on the phone with his brother, Ibrahim.

In a live telephone interview with their employer, Indonesian television network Metro TV, Meutya and Budiyanto said they were in good condition and thanked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for helping to arrange their release.

"Without your help, we may not have been released immediately," Meutya said in comments addressed to Susilo. "Thanks be to God, these people (captors) are those who struggle for faith," said Meutya.

"We are not their enemy. No one dared to touch me or Budiyanto. Their leader said if they touched me, they would be sentenced to death."

Meutya's cameraman, Budiyanto, said they were treated "very well" and that "there was no intimidation or pressure at all." "We were driven blindfolded to a location very far away from any residential area," said Budiyanto. "We stayed in a very small place in the remote desert where we were closely monitored and observed."

The three said they were abducted by three men, including one who had an AK47 assault rifle, while refueling their vehicle. A video delivered anonymously to Associated Press Television News in Baghdad apparently showed a militant releasing the journalists.

A masked person in the video, reading from a notebook, said, "Based on the goodwill they showed, and respecting the feelings of brotherhood and Islam between the two countries, and respecting the Indonesian anti-occupation role, we decided to release the two journalists without any conditions and ransom."

The Indonesian government was critical of the U.S.-led 2003 invasion of Iraq, and has refused to send troops to the country. Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim country.