IRAQ HOSTAGES....

[madeline_con]

IndyStar.com

January 7, 2007


LAPORTE, Ind. — Facing mounting debt and with no news of her husband, the wife of kidnapped businessman Jeffrey Ake had started bankruptcy proceedings for the water bottling company he founded and ran until he was abducted in Iraq in April 2005.


http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070107/LOCAL/70107002

Tape shows Americans held hostage in Iraq
By Hannah Allam - McClatchy Cairo Bureau
Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, December 28, 2006


BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Four American security contractors and an Austrian co-worker who were kidnapped in southern Iraq six weeks ago appear to be in good physical condition in a videotape that was shot two weeks after they were taken captive.

The footage, which hasn't been made public, is the first proof that all five men survived their abduction Nov. 16 in an ambush in the town of Safwan. The clip was shown to McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad Tuesday night on condition that the provider's name and other identifying details be withheld for security reasons.

(snip)

The men identify themselves as John Young, 44, of Kansas City, Mo.; Jonathan Cote, 23, of Gainesville, Fla.; and Bert Nussbaumer, 25, of Vienna, Austria.

(snip)

http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/99508.html
Here's a link here to the audio portion of the tape:


http://www.amhersttimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3802&Itemid=27

An archaeologist was released 12/18/06...

Less than six months after she received word that a violent group had targeted her for abduction, archaeologist Susanne Osthoff was kidnapped in northern Iraq in late November.

UPDATE: Susanne Osthoff and her driver were released on Sunday, December 18.

http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/osthoff/index.html