Kidnap fears for Germans missing in Iraq

Two Germans have been missing in Iraq for almost a week, German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier confirmed today.

“We cannot rule out that it was a kidnapping by force,” he told reporters at an EU meeting in Brussels.

“Of course we hope there is going to be a good outcome on this and needless to say we are doing all that we can to ensure that…it ends well.”

Mr Steinmeier said the two had been missing since February 6, adding that a special crisis panel within the German foreign ministry had been set up to work on their release. He declined to give further details and did not identify the two.

Speaking in Berlin, foreign ministry spokesman Jens Ploetner declined to answer a question on whether or not there had been contact with any hostage-takers.

“The highest priority is the health and safety of the German citizens,” he said. “We are refraining from releasing any information that we fear could make our efforts more difficult.”

He said there were some 100 German citizens in Iraq, including embassy personnel.

German media, citing various government sources, reported the missing as a 60-year-old German married to an Iraqi doctor and their roughly 20-year-old son, who have lived in the country for years.

Several media outlets in Germany, including state ARD television, said they were kidnapped, but that no contact has been established with the hostage-takers. Berlin’s Tagesspiegel daily reported the son was employed at the Iraqi foreign ministry.

It was not immediately possible to confirm the reports.

Three Germans previously taken hostage in Iraq were released unharmed.

Last May, two German engineers were freed after 99 days in captivity in Iraq. The German government has never confirmed reports that it paid a ransom to win their freedom. Another German was released in December 2005 after being held for three weeks.