Philippine leaders await news of death threat hostage

The Philippine government was waiting for information today after making a direct appeal to the insurgents holding a Filipino hostage to spare his life.

The appeal came hours after Iraq’s interim president lashed out at guerrillas who have killed hundreds of Iraqis in recent months and promised to use a “very sharp sword” against anyone threatening Iraq’s security.

Philippine under-secretary of Foreign Affairs Rafael Seguis went on the Arab television station Al-Jazeera today in an effort to secure Angelo dela Cruz’s release.

Insurgents have said they would kill the truck driver by Monday evening if the Philippines did not agree to pull its 51-member peacekeeping force by July 20. The government yesterday restated that its troop commitment ended on August 20.

Seguis said today the Philippines would pull its troops out “as soon as possible”.

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.

The militant group, the Iraqi Islamic Army-Khaled bin Al-Waleed Corps, said in a video shown late yesterday on Al-Jazeera that it had done everything possible to prove it wanted to spare the life of dela Cruz, a 46-year-old father of eight.

Several explosions were heard in the Iraqi capital Baghdad today

At least one of the blasts appeared to have been triggered by a hand grenade tossed at a US patrol in central Baghdad, said Master Sgt David Larsen of the 1st Cavalry Division. No US casualties were reported.

In the northern city of Mosul, guerrillas hiding in an alley opened fire on a passing Iraqi National Guard patrol, killing one and wounding nine, authorities said. The guard forces counterattacked, killing one insurgent and wounding another.

In the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, Kurdish security forces captured 15 militants, including a man believed to be a senior leader in a local group linked to al-Qaida, an official in a pro-American Kurdish party said.

Among those arrested was a man identified as Hemen Banishiri, reportedly the second-in-command for the radical Kurdish group, Ansar al-Islam, said Saadi Ahmed, a senior member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s political wing.

Iraqi officials have been talking increasingly tough about those who continue to carry out attacks across the country – even though the two-week-old Iraqi government has discussed offering a limited amnesty to militants to put down the insurgency.

“Terrorism isn’t just killing and blowing up bombs, whoever threatens the ordinary life of the people is a terrorist,” President Ghazi al-Yawer told a news conference. “We have a very sharp sword ready for anyone who threatens the security of this country.”

Al-Yawer’s words appeared carefully chosen, reflecting a classical Arab symbol of might in the sword and threatening militants, some of whom have beheaded hostages, with their own chosen weapon.

Al-Yawer said the government planned to announce the amnesty soon, and he appealed to militants to seize the opportunity to lay down their weapons, or “there will be the sword.”

In Brussels, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari made his first visit to Nato headquarters since the handover of power to discuss alliance plans to help train his government’s fledgling military. Zebari has suggested the alliance could help with Iraq’s border security or with protecting UN operations in the country.

Zebari appealed for Nato to urgently begin its promised mission to train his country’s armed forces and provide other assistance including military hardware.

“We need this training … to be carried out as soon as possible,” Zebari said. “We are in a race against time, it’s a matter of urgency.”

Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the 26 allies would take a decision this month on launching the training mission.

Hundreds were detained in an Iraqi police sweep of suspected criminals in a Baghdad neighbourhood, police said.

The operation involved dozens of Iraqi police officers and was intended to crack down on “criminals, kidnappers and looters,” said Hussein Ali Kamal, the deputy interior minister.