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Sunday Alamba / AP
People read local newspapers with the headline 'We've killed 7 foreign hostages' on a street in Kano, Nigeria, on March 10.
ROME/ATHENS — Seven foreign hostages kidnapped last month by a Nigerian Islamist group from a construction firm's compound have been killed, the Italian and Greek Foreign Ministries said on Sunday.
Al Qaeda-affiliated group Ansaru said on Saturday it had killed the hostages seized on February 7 in the northern state of Bauchi because of attempts by Nigerian and British forces to free them.
It published grainy photos purporting to show the bodies of a Briton, an Italian, a Greek and four Lebanese workers snatched from the Lebanese firm Setraco.
Foreign governments had not been able to confirm the killings until Sunday. Italy and Greece denied any attempt to rescue them had been made by any of the governments involved. Nigeria had no confirmation of the killings.
"Our checks conducted in co-ordination with the other countries concerned lead us to believe that the news of the killing of the hostages seized last month is true," an Italian Foreign Ministry statement said.
"There was never any military attempt to rescue the hostages by any of the governments concerned," it said, adding the president had sent his condolences to the Italian's family.
Security has become a top concern for oil and infrastructure companies across the region after gunmen loyal to al Qaeda's north African franchise stormed an Algerian gas plant in January. Up to 37 foreigners died during an attempted rescue mission by Algerian forces.
The risk posed by Islamists across west and north Africa has greatly increased since France sent troops to Mail to wrest control of its northern territory from al Qaeda linked rebels.
Islamist groups have also spread across the north and centre of Nigeria, Africa's top oil producer, where they have become the main security threat after an amnesty ended an uprising by armed groups in the oil-producing southeastern Niger Delta.
Britain said it was "likely" the Briton was killed along with the six others, with Foreign Secretary William Hague saying: "This was an act of cold-blooded murder, which I condemn in the strongest terms."
Greece confirmed its citizen was dead, adding the Foreign Ministry had informed his family. Lebanon declined to comment.
Nigerian authorities continued to say they had no evidence, after doubting the veracity of the Ansaru statement on Saturday.
"We have launched a full investigation to find out what has really happened, but for now we really cannot way whether this report is true or not," police spokesman for Bauchi state Hassan Mohammed Auyo said by telephone.
SECURITY THREAT
Western security officials say growing links between Nigerian Islamists and Saharan groups such as al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has led them to increasingly seek Western targets, rather than local security forces or civilians.
French intervention in Mali has also heightened the risk to Western interests in Nigeria, analysts say, and French oil major Total moved its staff from the Nigerian capital Abuja, where the main insurgent group Boko Haram operates, in January.
Kidnappings - including some targeting foreigners - have been rife in the southeast for many years, but the gangs there usually seek a payout and hostages tend to be released quickly, while Islamist kidnappings in the north are often fatal.
The hostage-taking at the compound in the remote town of Jama'are was the largest number of foreigners seized in the mostly Muslim north since an Islamist insurgency intensified two years ago.
Ansaru declared itself a separate group from Boko Haram in January, although security officials believe them to be closely linked.
Its full name is Jama'atu Ansarul Musilimina Fi Biladis Sudan or "vanguards for the protection of Muslims in Black Africa".
Ansaru was suspected of being behind the killing of a British and Italian hostage a year ago in northwest Nigeria during a botched attempt to rescue them by British and Nigerian forces. Britain has labeled it a terrorist organization.
It also claimed responsibility for the kidnapping in December of a French national, still missing.
Nigerian authorities are still looking for a French family of seven kidnapped in northern Cameroon and moved over the border by militants who said they were from Boko Haram.
Additional reporting by Inusa Jaba in Bauchi and Tim Cocks in Lagos
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
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It is now time to hunt down the animals and kill everyone of them, including their bloodlines. There should be no place on the planet safe for them or those who host them. The only way to stop bloodthirsty animals like this is total destruction of them and their habitat.
R.I.P.
It RIPs my heart out.
Islamic extremists aren't the brightest bunch, are they? Their activities invite Western military intervention on a massive scale instead of the niggling thorn in the side we were before. Killing Westerners, be it by flying airplanes into skyscrapers or taking hostages in oil facilities, only produces more of what they say they don't want in the first place: Western interference. We'd have been out of Iraq and Afghanistan many years ago, but for them. Isn't that what they say they want? Now they're inviting the French military into another Muslim country by kidnapping foreigners. How stupid are these guys?
They are simply devout Muslims following the word of Allah written clearly in the Quran for all to see. If we dont ban ISLAM it will "INFECT" every country on earth and enslave us all. Their GOD demands it.
It has little to do with religion, and everything to do with the continuing efforts by Western colonialists to gain control by force of the resources of these countries. Religion is simply used as a tool to recruit fighters to resist the colonialists. Has everybody forgotten Iraq where thousands of Iraqis were needlessly slaughtered by Western interests in order to gain control of their oil in a war that had been planned for years by the neocons? Ditto Libya and now other parts of Africa.
As far as 9/11, the truth as to who was behind it has yet to be revealed. The FBI never put bin Laden on its 10 most wanted list for 9/11 because it said it had NO hard evidence connecting him to it. Bush tried to prevent any investigation of 9/11, yielding finally to a watered-down one in response to intense pressure from the families of the survivors. Half the 9/11 investigators, citing Bush administration officials lying and other noncooperation, have called their own report a cover-up by that administration, with several calling for a new, independent investigation. A high US government insider, Dr. Steve R. Pieczenik, is willing to go before a grand jury and give it the name of a prominent US general who told him that 9/11 was an inside job involving Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Stephen Hadley, Elliott Abrams, and Condoleezza Rice amongst others (Google "Top US Government Insider: Bin Laden Died In 2001, 9/11 A False Flag"); and there are also some very strong indications that our false-flag-specialist ally may also have been deeply involved (Google "The Five Dancing Israelis Arrested On 9-11").
Your government lied to you about Tonkin Gulf (used to ramp up the Vietnam War), WMD in Iraq, Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman. Is it not conceivable that it might also have lied to you about 9/11, which just happened to provide the pretext needed to invade Iraq and Afghanistan, make war on Libya and to enact laws like the unconstitutional Patriot Act, all things long sought by the neocons?
John, your 9-11 paranoia reveals your wacky thinking.
Yup, Muslim garbage that needs eradicating. Worldwide that is! Islam is nothing but bad to the bone @!$%# anyway you look at it.
Push Compressed NAaural Gas NOW! It sells for only $1.69 in Pittsburgh, PA. It's better for engines, almost polution free, and we have over 200 years supply. Let them drink their OIL!
No more Blood for Oil!
Git the US out of the UB and the UN out of the US; AND git the US out of the ME and the ME out of the US!
Adam44,
Interestingly, as previously mentioned, half the 9/11 investigators, citing a pattern of lying and noncooperation by Bush administration officials, have called their own report a cover-up by that administration, with several calling for a new, independent investigation. Certainly, they knew far more about 9/11 than either you or I. Were they suffering from paranoia also?
Your government greatly appreciates gullible folks like you who will believe anything it tells them. Such gullibility led to the needless deaths of over 59,000 American troops in the Vietnam War and over 4,000 in Iraq. Just keep on believing the fairy tales your government feeds you. It could cost the life of a family member of yours.
Islamist extremist groups are beyond human compassion or humanity. They should be destroyed. They don't think before they act, they are barbaric killers.
"Al Qaeda-affiliated group Ansaru said on Saturday it had killed the hostages seized on February 7 in the northern state of Bauchi because of attempts by Nigerian and British forces to free them."
Have to start killing animals from oil rich Sunni rulers of House of Saud, UAE, Qatar and other Sunni Arab League nations, who have been inventing these Sunni Islamic killer gangs; fund them; and export them through their Salaffi and Wahhabi mosques all over the world!
It is not going to happen. Realistically, in order to do what you want we need to wipe out Nigeria, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia... to name a few - half the muslim countries on earth.
No farideh we need to wipe out all the muslin countries in the world.....
What an evil thing to say. When the Nazis carried out such evil acts, the world condemned them. All religions are meant to be good. Those that go to the extreme with their beliefs, distort the religions to suit their own agendas. We shouldn't hate an entire religion for the acts or beliefs of some. Education helps lift people from poverty and idle hands that evil awaits. I'm American and wouldn't want to be hated by other countries because our ex-President killed thousands of innocent people in Iraq claiming there were WMD. The 911 Commission proved that and we were dooped. People who have such hatred and evil in their hearts need to get therapy.
The Muslim are the new Nazi's. Look what they are doing in Denmark. The Jews there are being told not to go to public schools, they cant wear the Jewish hats outside the home, the Muslims will beat them to death for doing so.
Its getting just like Denmark all over Europe. ISLAM is a NIGHTMARE for a free country and we just keep letting it grow. We will all end up in civil war before long because of it. Just watch and see. It will start in Europe. THEIR GOD DEMANDS IT. Just read the Koran, its all right there.
The leaders of the free world are letting the fox into the hen house and we are all hens.
News flash - They believe in the same God that we do. There is no difference "Allah" means God in Arabic and it's the same one. They have a different Prophet who is Muhammed. Hate is an evil sin in all our religions and pretending to know about what the Qur'an says in your interpretation is just another way to perpetuate the hate and keep the fires burning. Our Old Testament is very similar to the Qur'an and if you know how to read Arabic, you'll quickly see the similarities. It's up to every individual to stay within the lines and not to become fanatical. Blaming an entire race or religion for the evil of "some", is ignorant. Our Holy Crusades have more blood on our hands than they do and I choose not to forget that. It wans't my fault and it's not yours either but continuing the hatred will be.
Wise Thinker, YA, dem nasty Christians are killin and blowin up Muslims ALL over the world daily.
NOT, Reed Jihad Watch. Even secular Turkey has now over a thousand Honor Killins a year. They really know how to keep their women folk in line. And if they can't kill a Saturday person, a Sunday person will do. If they can't kill either, bombin a SHIA Mosque and killin a couple dozen SHIA will subvice. LOL!
I broadly agree with you. Hope the following one will be a simpler way to deal with problems.
1. Fountainheads of Islamic extremism and rampage all over the world are Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. They are responsible for 80 percent of problems.
2. To weaken them, remove sanctions on Iranian oil to crash oil prices. This will weaken Iran too.
3. Don't get in between Shiites vs Sunni fights. Let them kill each other or else they come after us. They have to kill some body! Keep away from Iran and Syria.
4. Have patience, then select the remaining ones to eliminate.
Another day, another atrocity. This time in Nigeria. Once again radical Islamic terrorists are perpetrating kidnapping and mass murder. Moslem extremists are waging wars of aggression around the globe for world domination and to eliminate all religions other than their perverted version of Islam. They will kill every man, woman and child standing in their way. They will murder every Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Confuscist, Jew, Atheist and even non-radical Moslem they can get their filthy hands on in order to frighten the rest of the population into submission. The good people and the decent nations of the world must defeat radical Islam if we want to preserve civilization.
They are simply devout Muslims following the word of Allah written clearly in the Quran for all to see. If we dont ban ISLAM it will "INFECT" every country on earth and enslave us all. Their GOD demands it.
The Quran tells them they will be rewarded for their genocide and murder of infidels. Thats what drives them. ISLAM and the words in the Quran. Its really that simple. You want ISLAM growing in your neighborhood?
I'm not afraid of Islam or the Boogie Man either. You can only let hurt you what you believe in. I don't believe in VooDoo either. Grow up and stop being such bigots. We have laws and freedom of religion in the U.S. Our founding fathers suffered so that we could have these freedoms. By you trying to exercise your hate, you're trying to deny others of their freedoms. We live in harmony in NY and I suggest you learn to do the same before becoming like Archie Bunker. It's 2013.
Islam is not even a true religion.
Here, Hear!!!
But fountainheads of problems like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and some more were invented by the British!
They have been kept alive on the map by the US, British, French, and others!
Iraqi wars saved oil rich Sunni rulers like House of Saud, Kuwait and some more.
"It published grainy photos purporting to show the bodies of a Briton, an Italian, a Greek and four Lebanese workers snatched from the Lebanese firm Setraco." Ansaru said these.
Even in Libya: British, French and Italians jumped the gun and gave new life to Sunni Islamists!
Pay backs with video on Mohammed as excuse were: Benghazi, embassies of British, French and some completly ransacked.
So STOP DANCING AS OIL COMPANIES, ARMS INDUSTRY, CHRISTIAN RIGHT, EXTREMIST JEWISH LOBBYS DICTATE!
Half problems solved.
Islam will eventually be banned in this country. Too bad it has to get worse before we realize this.
Islam is a religion of peace. Sure, and they prove it over and over again.
Isn't it strange that Islam is so adamant about not being represented in any negative way,but never make an attempt to put a leash on their own miscreants representing the worse in mankind?
Have you ever seen Islamic missionaries?
Oh right, they cannot preach without violence.
They are called terrorists.
Followers of Islamic cult start with "love" and "peace" and later they tear everything they touch to pieces.
Look at Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Yemen, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia and other places!
It's a mystery to me why anybody would visit this waste of a continent, much less let any of the residents come here. A real shame they were ever brought here in the first place.
Sounds pretty racist. Why blame all of Africa for the infection of radical Islam? Other continents are infected too, including Europe.
America, love it or leave it. Maybe Cuba or Somalia would suit you. If reincarnation exists, you're coming back as a very poor African Muslim starving in the desert..........be careful what you say and how you behave in this life. The next one will bite you good.
"very poor African Muslim starving in the desert.........."
Why are these poor muslims starving in the desert, while muslims in the next door desert drive Rolls Royces?
Because Islam doesn't believe in charity.
Islam has to go...if its breeding this type of follower.......
ISLAM is a NIGHTMARE. The scourge of the WORLD. Always has been, always will be. It will be the catalyst that starts WWIII as everyone accepts this CANCER as the new NORMAL.
Sooner the better.
It will be liberation for sane Muslims, minority sect/tribe Muslims, females and non-Muslims!
I am amazed why all are not joining together all over the world in the liberation movements against Islamic extremists!
More Infidels slaughtered by Muslims and ISLAM in the name of Allah. Lets build more Mosques in the U.S. and Canada!
Morons...
I find it extremely disturbing that out of all the comments there is but one that does not espouse "wiping them out" attitude. No one seems to care that petrochemical companies we probably paying a penny on the dollar and destroying the environment in the process. We made a demon out of Chavez because he decided that the oil companies could only keep 70% of the profits instead of the 85% they had been making.
We have seen this country and it's corporate puppet masters do just this for the past 125 years, so I doubt that it's any different now. And how anyone could say this is a "Christian" country after reading these comments, it's quite apparent that is nothing more than smoke and mirrors to mask what really happens in this country!
I don't approve of the "wipe 'em all out" type comments but how do you know those are made by Christians? That's kind of a bigoted assumption in itself. p.s. no, i am not a Christian myself.
Good point and anyone including Hillary Clinton that said Wipe them off the map when she referred to Iran, is disturbed. Animals fight to defend their territory or eat but humans hate and kill for sport and fun. This isn't a football game, it's lives we're talking about. Every life is precious and how many thousands or millions were wasted in Iraq for the "wrong war" that we were dooped into believing because of alleged WMD? Anyone who takes a life will have to eventually make amends with their maker. The same goes for the so called leaders who send others to do their dirty work. That includes terrorists who black balled and entire religion that so many here now hate and feel threatened by. That too is a sin and no sign of a true Christian.
There is a lot of money to be made in this "war on terrorism" bandwagon. And when there is a lot of debt, joblessness and possible poverty, is some countries, it helps to join those "clueless overly excited Yanks", as one guy put it, "on their perpetual hunt for O'Hama El-Theda Chaliban". This guy, with a big turban and a big beard, sending out continuous stream of grainy photos and videos, is either under your bed, somewhere in Brooklyn or somewhere in Bahuja in Bokina Faso (the latter is a real country in West Africa...look it up yee of too-little global knowledge).
There must be a poster somewhere that reads, "Jobless? No problemO! Join national security, domestic surveillance , international espionage and fights against terrorism. Great job, great status, great benefit, great way to learn about other cultures and great way to see the world! And MSNBC will advertise for us!" :))
Everybody celebrating, "American freedom, democracy and justice! Especially Graham crackers and McCain malarchy".
Now will anybody in the Republican party be attending the new Pope's initiation ceremony? That keeps up late at night...kindly report immediately.
If you are dumb enough to go to Africa expect the worst and you won't be disappointed.
Which is worse: Kidnapping and murdering innocent people in cold blood, or posting angry messages on an internet forum about wanting such killers wiped out? Kind of amazing that some people see them as equally egregious.
F#*k 'em ALL
Obviously a Harvard Graduate.............Trailer Park trash.
As much as I hate to see innocent hostages killed by Islamists, maybe this will spur the rest of the world to begin a real eradication plan to purge the civilized lands of the poison that is Islam. One can only tolerate a politically correct response for so long until rational thought takes over and a real plan can be put in place. We cannot continue to allow this menace to terrorize any longer.
I'm sure the fanatical terrorists are saying the exact words as you in reverse. Two wrongs don't make a right and wishing that kind of evil on anyone should make you wonder about yourself. Therapy is a good thing. Who brought you up and where? Sounds like a heartless family in a barn. Disgusting.
I agree with William. At some point the world will tire of being terrorized by radical muslims and will wake up to it. Just that day may not come in our lifetime.
The killing of innocent non combatants will bring you no closer to your goals.
This just shows the world you have no respect for human life.
You have an enemy yet you do not engage them.
Instead you show your frustration by killing innocent people.
Freeing these people would have sent a much stronger message to the world.
Showing you have compassion and understanding.
this would show the world you are victims in need of support.
Instead you reinforce the governments position that you are vial creators that need exterminating.
Compassion will win you support.
Support will give you a chance to argue your case on a global scale.
Tyrannical behavior will bring more suffering and end any chance you have to reach out to the world at large.
Nat, there are no innocent Muslims. Compassion will only earn you death in Islamic areas. Why would they need to be freed as you say when they don't cherish freedom as we do. You are not making good points Nat. The Muslim would just cut your head off while your turning the other cheek!
May Allah drop a drone on their houses. Peace (pieces?) be with them..I must believe the world is getting tired of the radical islamists.
This woman, Samira Ibrahim, an Egyptian women's rights activist was supposed to be honored by the State Department tomorrow in Washington receiving the International Woman of Courage Award. Scheduled to attend Secretary John Kerry and First Lady Michelle Obama, who is set to laud her for challenging Egypt's so-called virginity test where women were abused by government doctors.
Now there's no question Miss Ibrahim has shown bravery but she's also shown something else. Anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism. At the attack in Bulgaria last summer that killed five Jews Miss Ibrahim tweeted "Today is a very sweet day with a lot of sweet news."
Last August she quoted Adolf Hitler. "No act contrary to morality, no crime against society, takes place except with the Jews having a hand in it."
And when a mob attacked the U.S. Embassy in Cairo last September 11th Miss Ibrahim tweeted "Today is the anniversary of 9/11, may every year come with America burning."
Amazing right, that this woman, this woman was chosen by the U.S. State Department to be honored? "The Weekly Standard" edited by Fox News guy Bill Kristol who first exposed the madness and today the State Department surrendered.
The article above says it all about Islam.
These people need Jesus!
Lets call these people what they really are: "Misguided Savages!" I can imagine these Africans and those working along with them, trying to justify their actions as settling old scores from the colonial era - This is what the CIA coined awhile back as the "Blow-back Effect" -
Africa, Asia and parts of Europe are facing such groups, and it doesn't matter what we call them - If history is invoked in the grand scheme of things in the 21st century, the blow-back effect becomes apparent! Still, the taking of innocent life is condemned by Humanity - Ransoms, threats and the killing of people will never correct the situation! I'm personally praying for a day to come when common people all over the globe rise up against, ALL UNJUST & INHUMANE ACTS!!!