US talks tough on hostage-taking

The United States has issued the first in a series of co-ordinated statements vowing not to make concessions to hostage-takers in Iraq.

While the 31 nations in the US-led coalition of peacekeeping troops share the suffering of the families of hostages “we reaffirm our solidarity with the Iraqi people”, the US statement said.

“We are united in our resolve to make no concessions to terrorists,” said the statement read by State Department spokesman Richard Boucher in Washington.

Many of the 30 other nations who are part of the postwar campaign will issue similar statements in the days ahead, Boucher said.

The clear aim is to convey a message to the hostage-takers that they will not succeed in using threats and murder to force the exit of peacekeeping troops.

ThE co-ordinated campaign to signal terror groups there will be no “weakening of resolve”, as the US statement phrased it, is the result of consultations among the coalition governments.

“We’re committed to making sure that the perpetrators of terrorist acts against our citizens and soldiers are brought to justice,” the statement said.

“We understand that conceding to terrorists will only endanger all members of the multinational force, as well as other countries who are contributing to Iraqi reconstruction and humanitarian assistance,” it said.

The statement also made the point that the troops were in Iraq with the consent of the United Nations.

As for companies responding to hostage-taking by withdrawing from Iraq, the US official said: “We have recognised all along that companies, even countries, have to make decisions based on the safety of their personnel sometimes. We recognise that. We don’t object to it.”

However, Boucher said, “the policy position of governments here is not to make any concessions to the terrorists and to encourage people to stay involved, as we are staying involved, in helping the Iraqi people reconstruct their country”.