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Kidnapping of Romanian Journalists in Iraq: An unusual affair

Manuela Paraipan - 7/1/2005

It was a shock for Romanian society and government to hear the announcement that three journalists were kidnapped in Iraq. Romania has troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, but it was the first time when Romanian civilians were taken hostages. Marie-Jeanne Ion, a reporter for Prima TV, Sorin Miscoci, her cameraman, and Ovidiu Ohanesian, a reporter for the daily Romania Libera, were kidnapped on 28 March on the streets of Baghdad. It now appears that they were victims of a plot by the two businessmen of Arab origin who had organized and financed the trip: Mohammed Munaf, their guide and translator, played the role of the fourth hostage for 55 days, while his business partner, Omar Hayssam, was apparently pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Omar Hayssam has been jailed since April, charged with various financial felonies, but the Prosecutor's Office has also accused him of terrorism. Mohamed Munaf is still in US custody in Baghdad.

Apparently, Omar Hayssam's bizarre plot was to unblock his bank accounts – frozen as part of an unrelated financial investigation – pay a fictitious ransom, and become, when the hostages were released a "national hero"; also, his interest was to win an auction for 25,000 ton of sugar in Iraq. He offered to sponsor the journalists and to help them meet few Iraqi officials with the aim of making him a positive lobby. Nonetheless, his plans somehow felt apart. Once in Iraq, Mohammed Munaf was not able anymore of controlling the group of kidnappers, and from the testimony of the Romanian journalists there were times when Munaf himself thought he would be killed. Now, he was either a very good actor or his understanding with the group of kidnappers did not work.

In Romania, the Secret Services revealed the fact that Omar Hayssam together with other Arabs and Romanian businessmen financed terrorist organizations with $40 million.

In Iraq, more than 90 people were arrested in this case of kidnapping; some were Munaf's relatives and others were part of a network specialised in kidnapping.


The mistery of eliberation

President Basescu said, "the Romanian state did not negotiate its present or future, foreign affairs policy." He further declared that the whole action of liberation was a "100%" Romanian work. Then, why did he thank to the Muslim and Arab community in Romania and elsewhere? Why did he thank Egypt? Why did he refuse to answer when asked about Syria's role in solving the crisis? If, Syria did not help Romania, then he could clearly said so, but both he and the Foreign
Minister who made an unexpected short trip to Damascus during the crisis refused to give details about Syria's obvious role. It is also foolish to think that a bunch of the Romanian secret services officers acted in Baghdad without the consent and support of the coalition services. But, if President Basescu had recognized the support the secret services received, then he and the services would not have been the heroes of the day. That leads to an alternative scenario to the official version; what if the plot was organized by the Romanian secret services, as the nationalist Senator C.V Tudor believes, or at least the services knew about the plan, yet they let the journalists risk their life in Iraq. The fact is that Omar Hayssam was under tight surveillance since 1997, because of his close ties with the Syrian secret services; then how come that the plan of kidnapping escaped the vigilance of the professional Romanian secret services? It's either that they are not professional, or they are as the President said but they have put at risk the lives of Romanian civilians in order to be among the heroes.

The secret services spokesperson told the media that Hayssam used five cell phones and they knew only about two of them. Thus, according to their logic he must have talked with Munaf about the plan of kidnapping the journalists using the other three cell phones. There had been much talk about the kidnapping before they did it, by the time people in Bucharest and Baghdad had been plotting this diversion, very dangerous for the three journalists and for the Romanian state as well. In case Munaf was in this too - which is unbelievable for the journalists - then his calls had been recorded too before leaving, just like all the other Romanian and foreign members of the Hayssam group. It would be completely illogical for the secret services to have done otherwise.

If it were not about a serious problem, the excuse with the five mobiles would have provoked laughs. But, then again Hayssam was held in custody and accused of terrorism because the same secret services intercepted his conversations with Munaf about the kidnapping. The Romanian secret services should work a bit at the story; otherwise people may think they are some poor liars.


The reaction of the political class

The Alliance PNL – PD which is now governing Romania, declared that the liberation was "a great success of the Romanian politics" and a prove for our partners in NATO that we can solve responsible our problems.

Dan Voiculescu, the leader of the Conservator Party proposed the withdrawal of the Romanian troops from both Iraq and Afghanistan. He declared "if the international treaties that we signed and our partners will continue to demand our presence, then we should replace the Romanian troops with a military force built after the model of the French Foreign Legion. These forces will be paid by the Romanian state and will fight under the Romanian flag, but it can have soldiers of various citizenships."

The nationalist extremist leader C.V. Tudor considers the kidnapping as a "scandalous diversion". He believes, as some other journalists and political analysts that the whole affair was a diversion of the Romanian secret services. He did not blame the journalists who were merely victims of the struggle for power within the secret services, but the fact that they trusted a controversial Syrian businessman dragger the whole country into a nightmare for almost 2 months.

"I wanted to give a helping hand and I have written to Muammar al-Qadhafi the President of Libya, but when I have come to understand what the affair is about, I did not involve myself any longer, saying that we, the Romanians are some uncommon persons; in the sense that we have managed to compromise communism, capitalism and terrorism. I knew for almost a month that the three journalists are in Syria. [..] It is good that they are home (journalists) because we are talking here about four humane lives, but it would be good for the population of Romania to know who mock them for two months. From my point of view, this is the worst diversion from the history of the Romanian secret
services."

The Social Democrat Party (PSD) the one who sent the Romanian troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, now adopts a more nuance position asking for a clear timetable of the troops withdrawal. Also, Mircea Geona, the President of the Party and the former Foreign Affairs Minister asked the Commission for Arbitration and Moral Integrity of the Party to analyze the relations of Omar Hayssam with the Party.


In June 2003, the Romanian Parliament agreed to send 800 Romanian soldiers in Iraq. On June 19 the minute proves that there was no debate regarding this very important legislative act of Romania. At the time, both chambers agreed without any abstentions to send 678 soldiers in Iraq. A week later, President Ion Iliescu asked the Parliament to send other 122 soldiers in Iraq. Again, not one member of the Parliament opposed the idea and there was no debate on the issue.

Would anyone call this a responsible decision based on open debate? Hardly. But, Romania is well known in Europe and US to be the straw man, the "Yes, Sir" country without asking too many questions.

The whole affair, beside the sufferance's of the journalists and of Munaf is odd. It also reveals the serious disorders of Romania, as a democratic state, as a state of law. We have secret services, which protected the interests of the Arab and Romanian mafia for years. The prove is the fact that the secret services knew about Hayssam's felonies for at least ten years, but until now he was never accused or arrested for stealing from the national budget, or for supporting various terrorist networks. If these information's are a decade old,
then why was he allowed to continue?

The Truth and Justice Alliance of PD and PNL promised six months ago when they came to power to make visible changes in justice, secret services, on a social and economic levels. Said and done. We have not heard yet of any pragmatic plan to reform the justice system which is deeply flawed, the secret services ensures their piece of pie by saving the journalists, or at least pretending to do so; on a social level in six months Romania passed through several waves of endearments and the next wave is due to happen in July; thousands of people lost their jobs and the much waited foreign investments are nowhere to replace the old industries and the minimum wage is still 3, 200,000 lei, meaning $114 when the monthly expenses together with the taxes due to the state are more than $100 per month. No wonder the majority of the population is so dissatisfied with the political class. As, journalist Mircea Dinescu said "15 million of people live at the limit or even under the limit of decency in Romania, while only 8 million are part of the middle and upper social class."

On the political level it may be too soon for a major change to be noticed, but the slogan of President Basescu's campaign and his promise to the Romanians who voted for him: "I will help you live better," is far from being a reality.

For once I have to agree with Senator C.V Tudor and say that indeed, the Romanians were capable of compromising the communism, terrorism by ignoring the Arab mafia and now the capitalism and its frame, a democratic, liberal state.


By MP&Agencies


Movie of the kidnapping

27 March – President Basescu visit to Iraq. During that visit he declared that the Romanian troops would not be pull off from Iraq; not until the Iraqi government will ask this particularly.


28 March - An unknown group kidnapped three Romanian Journalists together with an American citizen of Iraqian descendence, Mohamad Munaf; shortly after the announcement of their kidnapping, Omar Hayssam, a Syrian business man established in Romania, the one who financed their trip appears in mass-media saying that he was called from Iraq by the kidnappers who requested 4 million $ to release them.

30 March – Al Jazeera broadcasts videotape it has received with the Romanian taken hostages in Iraq. Marie Jean Ion, the journalist from Prima TV and the only woman from the group emphasized that the kidnappers did not ask money. In the same day the Romanian public discovers that Omar Hayssam has had close ties with PSD, the party who governed Romania under President Iliescu's mandate. Hayssam is a controversial businessman, suspected of having harmed the national
budget with millions of dollars. Hayssam proposed the trip to all three journalists, offering to obtain the visas and to pay their expenses in Iraq.

31 March – Reuters Agency broadcasts pictures with the Romanian journalists, standing and holding their passports and identity cards. Mohammed Munaf, friend and partner of Omar Hayssam did not appear in those pictures, at that time.

2 April - The Romanian journalists were transferred into a different location, in the cellar of a house, where Florence Aubenas and Hussein Hanoun, her translator were among others. In the same day in Romania, a TV post (OTV) spreads the rumor that the journalists were freed.

Journalists from the written and spoken press stayed all night long on the Otopeni Airport. Later on, in the morning President Basescu denies the information and calls it "an intoxication"

5 April – the Prosecutors Office held Omar Hayssam in few old dossiers. The announce on Hayssam's investigation was made by the Romanian Presidency; a prove that his arrest was related with the journalist's case.

Between 6 and 10, the mass media investigates Hayssam's relations with PSD, and with Senator Ion Vasile, Marie Jean father who was in good relations with the Syrian business man. Also, Marie Jean apparently brought several of Hayssam's firms to advertise on Prima TV where she worked.

On the 10th on unofficial channels appeared information's that after two weeks of captivity, the negotiations began with the group of kidnappers.

11 April - President Basescu announces that the journalists are alive and treated as well as possible under the circumstances.

12 April – Mile Carpenisan, correspondent for Antena 1 television in Iraq, declares that the "journalists were freed on the 4th of April and the whole business, is a dirty one." Immediately, President Basescu, as head of the crises cell – as it was named the small group of people, who leaded the negotiations, said that the press is intoxicated, worse that it was at the 1989 Revolution.

17 April – Sheikh Fadlallah the religious leader of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Islamic party and armed wing makes an appeal to the kidnappers asking them to release the Romanian hostages.

20 April - Antena 1 TV sustains that according to some high positioned sources from the Secret Services, the Romanian journalists are in the hands of a different group, a more dangerous one;

22 April – The kidnappers sent an ultimatum, asking for the withdrawal of the Romanian troops in 4 days. Otherwise they will kill the hostages; the group identifies itself as "Mu'adh Bin Jabal" Brigades.

24 April - in Bucharest and all over the country, manifestations have taken place as sign of solidarity with the journalists and with Mohamed Munaf's family from Romania.

26 April – The Director of Prima TV was called and through an audiotape, the journalist asked the Romanian people and the authorities to intensify the manifestations, otherwise the kidnappers will began shooting them. Sorin Miscoci said that he would be the first one to be killed.

In the very same day. Al Jazeera broadcasts a new video tape with them; Sorin Miscoci was dressed in an orange suit, a color associated with death, and Ovidiu Ohanesian, correspondent for the newspaper "Romania Libera" appeared as beaten and with the head shaved.

27 April – The cell crisis asked the kidnapers to extend the date of the ultimatum. Senator Ion Vasile in a speech held in the Parliament asked his colleagues to show responsibility towards the life of three Romanians and that of Munaf. Since the kidnappers request was a political one, Senator Ion said that a political solution was needed.

Antena 1 TV has ordered a boring which showed that the majority of Romanians would want to see the troops from Iraq back home as soon as possible.

28 April – the Iraqi Islamic Party requests the immediate release of the Romanian journalists and of Munaf. The Council of Europe adopts a resolution asking the release of the Romanain journalists and that of the other hostages, Iraqi citizens or otherwise held in Iraq.

The Secretary General of the Council of Muslims Clerics appealed to the humanity of the kidnappers asking them, in the name of Allah to set free the hostages.

2 May – President Traian Basescu confirms that the journalist are alive, and he stressed out that the authorities are doing their very best to solve the situation.

5 –7 May - President Basescu declares that the rising insurgency from Iraq may lead to the interruption of contacts with the group;

19 May – President Basescu declares that the situation is still the same and that he assumes responsibility for the manner the situation is being taken care of;

22 May – The Presidency and the Foreign Affairs Minister announce that the three Romanian journalists and their guide are in the custody of Romanian authorities in Baghdad.