30th November 2005, 04:41 PM
Being a native German speaker I have looked at the various news reports on Der Spiegel etc.
Bascially, Susanne Osthoff was not working in Iraq as an archaeologist at the time of her kidnapping, but was involved in delivering medicine and other aid goods to Iraq. She has worked as an archaeologist in Iraq in the past and has been conducting work on the looting issue of ancient sites in Iraq.
According to her family she 'fell in love' with Iraq and its people during her various field visits in the past, and developed a strong feeling (quote: 'almost fanatical') to help. She has brought aid goods to Iraq since before the current invasion, knows the country well and speaks fluent Arabic. She does have a 12 year old daugther, which is currently in a boarding school in southern Germany.
In the German press this is seen as Angela Merkel's first 'crisis test' and she will want to make a strong public impression so that she doesn't come across as too soft. That's why she is saying that they are not going to pay any ransome. I guess we will not really find out whether the German government is willing to pay a ransome to the kidnappers or not. As previously indicated on this thread the official EU policy is not to pay kidnappers.
However, that doesn't necessarily mean that they are not going to do it through secret diplomatic/ intelligence channels. In a previous case two or three years ago when ten tourists where kidnapped in Algeria it was rumoured in the German press that the German government did pay a handsome sum to the kidnappers (all but one walked free).
Having met some of the Archaeologists for Human Rights folks in jordan last year, I don't think that she is involved with them.
Hosty - if you need any translations into German for correspondence let me know.
T.
update: apparently Ms. Osthoff was warned by the German embassy in Baghdad that she was a target for kidnapping by al-Qaida and was urged to leave the country for her own safety, according to the "Tagesschau" homepage. She also received personal threats from elements associated with al-Qaida. However, she refused to leave and ignored the warnings, according to German embassy officials.
Bascially, Susanne Osthoff was not working in Iraq as an archaeologist at the time of her kidnapping, but was involved in delivering medicine and other aid goods to Iraq. She has worked as an archaeologist in Iraq in the past and has been conducting work on the looting issue of ancient sites in Iraq.
According to her family she 'fell in love' with Iraq and its people during her various field visits in the past, and developed a strong feeling (quote: 'almost fanatical') to help. She has brought aid goods to Iraq since before the current invasion, knows the country well and speaks fluent Arabic. She does have a 12 year old daugther, which is currently in a boarding school in southern Germany.
In the German press this is seen as Angela Merkel's first 'crisis test' and she will want to make a strong public impression so that she doesn't come across as too soft. That's why she is saying that they are not going to pay any ransome. I guess we will not really find out whether the German government is willing to pay a ransome to the kidnappers or not. As previously indicated on this thread the official EU policy is not to pay kidnappers.
However, that doesn't necessarily mean that they are not going to do it through secret diplomatic/ intelligence channels. In a previous case two or three years ago when ten tourists where kidnapped in Algeria it was rumoured in the German press that the German government did pay a handsome sum to the kidnappers (all but one walked free).
Having met some of the Archaeologists for Human Rights folks in jordan last year, I don't think that she is involved with them.
Hosty - if you need any translations into German for correspondence let me know.
T.
update: apparently Ms. Osthoff was warned by the German embassy in Baghdad that she was a target for kidnapping by al-Qaida and was urged to leave the country for her own safety, according to the "Tagesschau" homepage. She also received personal threats from elements associated with al-Qaida. However, she refused to leave and ignored the warnings, according to German embassy officials.