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Russia To Pursue Killers in Iraq

It looks as if Russian special forces are entering the fray in Iraq in response to the deaths of four Russian hostages in that embattled country. Islamic terrorists in Iraq have become quite well-known for their tendency to kidnap and kill foreign hostages, the murdered Russians were working at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad when they were seized. In response to the event, Russian President Vladimir Putin ? already dealing with Islamic extremism at home in the form of Chechen rebels ? ordered Russian security forces on Wednesday to pursue the killers.

In a wire flash to news agencies from the Kremlin, ?The president has ordered the special forces to take all necessary measures to find and destroy the criminals who killed Russian diplomats in Iraq.? Russia and France were among the countries that opposed the coalition military campaign, led by the United States and United Kingdom, that toppled former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Mr. Hussein is on trial for war crimes before a tribunal in Baghdad. The taking of Russian hostages and the murder of them was widely expected to bring Baghdad and Moscow closer together.

Iraq?s Ambassador to Russia, Abdulkarim Hashim Mostafa, stated that the ?Mujahideen Shura Council?, the group responsible for the abductions of the Russians, was ?representative of the Saddam Hussein regime?, despite their being foreign Arabs, because they are opposed to the ongoing efforts to restore peace and stability to Iraq in the wake of Saddam Hussein?s rule and frequent terror attacks. The attack on the Russian embassy which in turn led to Russia?s now getting involved took place June 3.