Iraq insurgents claim to have killed US hostage

A STATEMENT signed by an Iraqi insurgent group said yesterday in an internet posting that it had killed a kidnapped US security consultant.

The claim’s authenticity could not be immediately verified.

The statement, posted on an Islamic militant web forum, did not identify the hostage and provided no pictures, video or other evidence he had been killed. It said pictures of the slaying would be released later. The US Embassy said it had no information to confirm the claim.

It was the first time in more than a year that an insurgent group announced the slaying of an American hostage.

The Islamic Army in Iraq said it had killed “the American security consultant for the Housing Ministry”, after the United States failed to respond to its demand of the release of Iraqi prisoners.

A video issued by the group was broadcast on Tuesday on Al-Jazeera showing the hostage - identified as Ronald Schulz, 40, an industrial electrician from Alaska - sitting with his hands tied behind his back.

The group yesterday blamed President George Bush for failing to respond to its demands.

“The war criminal Bush continues his arrogance, giving no value to people’s lives unless they serve his criminal, aggressive ways. Since his reply (to the demands) was irresponsible, he bears the consequences of his stance,” the statement said.

“Therefore the American security consultant for the Housing Ministry was killed after the end of the deadline set to respond to the Islamic Army’s demands.”

Another insurgent group, the Swords of Righteousness, has set a Saturday deadline, threatening to kill four Christian humanitarian workers abducted two weeks ago, including an American, two Canadians and a Briton. A French aid worker and a German citizen are also currently being held by kidnappers.

Iraq has seen a sudden surge of kidnappings of Westerners in the past month after a relative lull. The last time insurgents announced the killing of American hostages was on September 21, 2004, when al-Qaida in Iraq said it had killed Jack Hensley, a civil engineer from Marietta, Georgia, and Eugene “Jack” Armstrong, formerly of Hillsdale, Michigan. They had been abducted days before along with British engineer Kenneth Bigley, who was also killed.

Yesterday, a suicide bomber detonated a belt of explosives on board a bus in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing at least 30 people.

Another 40 were wounded in the blast, which happened as the vehicle was departing for a Shi’ite city in the south of the country.

Most of the dead were in the bus, which was gutted by fire, and the rest were gathered around a nearby food stall, police said at the scene.

Kindi hospital said at least 37 had been injured.

The blast occurred a week before national elections, and officials had warned of a surge in violence ahead of the balloting. Several other explosions rumbled through the capital this morning.