AQIM Disavows Responsibility for Lives of Austrian Hostages

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Last Updated (Monday, 29 November 1999 19:00) Written by Evan Kohlmann Wednesday, 09 April 2008 19:00

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated an April 7, 2008 communiqué issued by "the Al-Qaida Network in the Islamic Maghreb" (formerly known as the Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat, GSPC) complaining that “for the third time, the deadline of the ultimatum given to Austria by the mujahideen over its civilian hostages has expired, but Austria continues to act recklessly with a total lack of respect for the lives of its kidnapped civilians.” According to the statement, the AQIM is now offering to exchange the lives of the two Austrian hostages for the release of two Muslim residents of Vienna prosecuted for distributing jihad propaganda on the Internet—and the immediate withdrawal of a token Austrian military delegation from international peacekeeping duties in Afghanistan.

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