Many countries prepared to pay to secure releases

Published on Wednesday 29 July 2009 22:06

WHILE the British government has remained steadfast in its refusal to meet the ransom demands of kidnappers, other western countries have chosen to pay to secure the release of their citizens.

It is understood several major European governments, including Germany, France, and Italy, have paid out tens of millions of pounds in recent years to secure the safe release of nationals taken hostage in Iraq and Afghanistan.

There have been reports that several other governments have taken similar steps, including Canada, Jordan, Romania, Sweden and Turkey.

The trend is not exclusive to nations, however. It is understood several US companies with significant reconstruction interests in Iraq have exchanged money – disguised as expense payments – for businessmen taken hostage.

The issue has prompted much political debate, with those in Germany who oppose payments claiming they serve only to strengthen the kidnapping industry and jeopardise German nationals based in Iraq.