India Says Iraq Hostage Situation 'serious'

NEW DELHI, July 23 (AFP) - Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh Friday described the crisis involving Indians being held hostage in Iraq as "serious" and warned it should be dealt with sensitively.
"I don't want to give any false hopes. It is a serious situation and has to be dealt with in a sensitive manner," Singh told reporters at New Delhi airport after returning from a trip to Pakistan.
Singh said New Delhi so far had no contact with the group holding the seven men of three nationalities including three Indians.
"It does not look like they are a political group from the look of it. There are various groups operating there and are taking advantage of the situation in Iraq.
"'Take a hostage and ask for ransom' seems to be their game," Singh said, adding New Delhi was "doing whatever can be done" to end the crisis.
He added the Indian government was in touch with families of the three truck drivers in their northern Indian hometowns in Una and Ropar.
In contrast with the sombre tone of Singh, his deputy, Edaepakath Ahmed, was more upbeat, telling reporters earlier the Kuwait-based transport company for which the hostages work, had assured the Indian embassy in Kuwait they were "willing to do everything necessary to ensure the safety and release" of the captive men.
"This is a very positive indication. I am optimistic," Ahmed said.
One of the demands of the militant group, which calls itself Black Flags, is the trucking company, Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport, should withdraw from Iraq and close its offices there.
If it fails to do so, a hostage would be killed every 72 hours starting Saturday, the group warned.
The group has delivered video material to a number of media groups showing armed and masked militants surrounding the seven truck drivers -- three from India, three from Kenya and one from Egypt.
Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport issued a statement Thursday calling for the hostages' release, saying the drivers only carried cargo for Iraqi businesses.
"We implore the abductors of the drivers to free them quickly so they can return to their families safe and sound," it said.
Ahmed said a crisis management group consisting of senior officials has been set up in the foreign ministry under his chairmanship to monitor the developing situation.
He said the government in May decided to suspend emigration clearances for workers headed for Iraq and also advised Indian workers against going to the war-torn country.
Ahmed said another demand of the kidnappers, that the hostages' governments pull troops out of Iraq was not relevant as India has sent no forces to that country and has no plans to reverse its decision.
"The demand of the kidnappers bear no relevance to India's well known and principled position as has been made clear to parliament (that) India will not send its troops to Iraq," the minister said.
He added India had always held the people of Iraq in "high esteem".
"We have had the best of relations with the people of Iraq therefore it is a matter of surprise for the people of India to see Indians taken as hostages," he said.
The Indian hostages have been identified as Antaryami, who uses only one name, Tilak Raj and Sukhdev Singh.
The minister said the Indian government was also in touch with the governments of Egypt and Kenya, as well as with the families of the three men.
It would "spare no effort to secure the early release of hostages and their safe return home", he added.