- Two East Jerusalem Arabs working for a U.S. company on
reconstruction projects in Iraq were kidnapped yesterday by a little-known
Iraqi group calling itself Ansar a-Din.
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- The group said the two would be released in exchange
for Sunni and Shi'ite prisoners held by U.S. forces in Iraq.
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- Israel learned of the kidnapping through an Iranian TV
station report in which the two men were interviewed and documents identifying
them as Israelis - including a Maccabi HMO card, an Israeli driver's license
and even an Israeli supermarket discount card - were displayed.
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- One of the men was identified as Nabil George Razouk,
30, from a prominent Coptic Christian family in Jerusalem. His family huddled
at home last night, with a representative occasionally stepping out to
talk to reporters, hoping they had information on the man's fate.
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- The other hostage was identified as 33-year-old Ahmed
Yassin Tikati. However, with more than 200 Tikatis in the Israeli population
registry, Foreign Ministry officials last night said they were having difficulty
locating his family.
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- The Ansar a Din claimed the two men were "agents"
of the "Zionist enemy" but made no demands of Israel, nor did
the group issue an ultimatum threatening the men's lives.
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