AFGHANISTAN/USA: Italian Foreign Minister Massimo Dalema says no group has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of two Italian soldiers in Afghanistan

Italian Foreign Minister Massimo Dalema says no group has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of two Italian soldiers in Afghanistan. Dalema is in town for the United Nations General Assembly. Two Italian military personnel were believed to have been kidnapped in western Afghanistan, and police Sunday (September 23) said they were searching for the pair and their two Afghan staff. Also Sunday, the Italian Foreign Minister, Massimo Dalema, in New York for the 62nd annual United Nations General Assembly, held a press conference to brief reporters on the situation. Dalema said he does not want to jump to conclusions about who is responsible for the Italians disappearance. "There are no claims, there are declarations from the Taliban spokesperson who says they are not responsible. I believe that at this time, its better to not make any confusion, especially for us that we have the responsibility to operate with the Afghan authorities and with our allies to save our two nationals," said Dalema. At a meeting at the U.N., Afghan President Hamid Karzai told participants he had information about where the Italians were and would pass the information to Italian authorities, said U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad. The two missing Italians, with their Afghan driver and translator, drove through a police checkpoint in the Shindand district of Herat province on Saturday, and they have not had any contact with anyone since, said Gen. Ali Khan Hassanzada, chief of police criminal investigations in western Afghanistan. An official from the Italian embassy in Kabul said the Italians last spoke with officials at their base on Saturday night during "routine contact." The Italian military in Herat was trying to reach them again. Kidnappings by independent criminal gangs have increased around Afghanistan in recent months following reports that foreign governments have paid large ransoms to free kidnapped citizens. For now, the Italian Foreign Minister says his government is using all their resources to find out more information.

ITN Source | September 24, 2007

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