Iraqi militant group frees Indonesian hostages

Iraqi militant group frees Indonesian hostages

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Malang/Banyuwangi

An Iraqi militant group has released two Indonesian women
hostages who were handed over on Monday to the United Arab
Emirates' embassy in Baghdad, Abu Dhabi Television reported.

The United Arab Emirates state television station showed
footage of the two veiled women who appeared to be in good
health. A UAE diplomat said they would be handed over to the Red
Cross in Iraq.

"There is no Indonesian embassy in Iraq so we received them
for humanitarian reasons. We are now coordinating with the Red
Cross to hand them over," the diplomat said as quoted by Reuters.

Ministry of Indonesian Foreign Affairs spokesman Marty
Natalegawa welcomed on Monday night the news of the release of
the two women but said his office was still seeking confirmation
from the United Arab Emirates in Iraq.

"If the report is confirmed, the Indonesian government
welcomes this extremely positive development and we will make
arrangements for the speedy return of the women to their
families," he said.

The Indonesian government identified the two workers held
hostage in Iraq as Istiqomah binti Mirzad from Banyuwangi, and
Novitasari binti Sugito from Malang, both in East Java.

Two families in Malang and Banyuwangi on Monday welcomed the
return of the women.

"Thank God. I hope she will be sent back to Indonesia as soon
as possible," Sugianto, 32, Istiqomah's husband said.

"How could my wife be held hostage. She went to Iraq merely to
earn a living," he said.

"From her face and the clothes she wears in the photograph, I
am sure that she is my wife," he said.

Sugianto said Istiqomah left Banyuwangi seven months ago for
Jakarta. After spending over six months in a migrant worker
recruitment agency, she left Indonesia for Jordan in early
September. He recalled that his wife called him last month and
said that instead of heading to Jordan, she had gone to Iraq.

Separately, Sugito, Novitasari's father said he was overjoyed
to see his daughter released. "After watching television, I am
sure that she is my daughter," said Sugito in his house in Sumber
Manjing Wetan, Malang.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said Istiqomah
and Novitasari entered Iraq in September 2003 using passports
with fake names -- Rafida binti Anom for Istiqomah and Rafikah
binti Amin for Novitasari.

The minister also said that there were around 40 Indonesians
in Iraq, most of whom were domestic workers.

"It turns out that despite our warnings and the travel ban,
several migrant worker companies are still sending workers to
that country. They (migrant workers) enter the war-torn country
from Jordan and Kuwait," Hassan said after meeting President
Megawati Soekarnoputri at the palace.

Indonesia has banned its citizens from traveling to Iraq since
the United States and other countries of its coalition force
invaded the country in March 2003.

While most Indonesians including staff at Indonesia's Embassy
in Baghdad were evacuated to neighboring countries, some
Indonesian students decided to stay put.

According to Minister Hassan, Istiqomah was sent by worker
agency PT Sabrina, while Novitasari by PT Asami Ananda Mandiri,
both in South Jakarta.

PT Asami Ananda Mandiri admitted on Monday that it sent
Novitasari to Riyad, Saudi Arabia in May 2002, but denied further
responsibility, arguing that her two-year contract ended in May
2004 and that she should have returned to Indonesia.

"We are still checking on Novitasari's whereabouts with her
family in Malang, and with our foreign counterpart in Saudi
Arabia. The government should be held responsible if the worker
did not return home in May, 2004," president of PT Asami Saleh
Fahmi Alatas said.

PT Sabrina Paramita, meanwhile, said it had never sent a
worker identified as Istiqomah binti Mirzad. Anita, a staff
member of PT Sabrina, said she had checked all the data at her
company and had not found the name.

The two Indonesian migrant workers were held hostage last week
by the Islamic Army of Iraq, which is demanding the release of
cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir from detention in Indonesia. Ba'asyir
is being held for his alleged involvement in a series of
terrorist attacks.

Through his lawyer, Ba'asyir has criticized the kidnapping,
saying that Islam did not approve such actions and he had nothing
to do with the kidnappers. The Attorney General's Office earlier
said it would not release Ba'asyir.

Hassan said the hostage-takers had not made direct contact
with the Indonesian government regarding their demands and only
sent messages through the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television
station.