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Kidnappers Strike Red Crescent's Iraq Office
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"I reiterated our determination to stand foursquare behind you and the Iraqi people in ensuring that your democracy is not destroyed by terrorism, by sectarianism, by those who wish to live in hatred rather than peace," Blair said.
Asked about Sunday's kidnapping, and whether the United States and Britain were responsible for the security breakdown, Blair responded testily.
"Who is creating the difficulty in Iraq today?" he asked. "Who is creating the challenges? Who is creating the bloodshed? Terrorists and former supporters of Hussein who are trying to destroy Iraq's new democracy."
The mass abduction Sunday was the third in Baghdad in just over a month. On Thursday, gunmen rounded up about 25 shopkeepers in a busy commercial district. And on Nov. 15, 150 employees were seized from a Ministry of Higher Education agency in Karrada. In both cases, the gunmen wore police or military uniforms, witnesses said.
Abu Kara, whose shop is near the Red Crescent office, said several dusty sedans and pickup trucks with tinted black windows pulled up Sunday morning. Some of the gunmen wore camouflage uniforms while others were in civilian clothes, he said. He quickly stepped into his shop, he recalled, but a couple of gunmen ordered him and three other employees outside and told him to sit on a small white chair outside his store.
"They placed a Kalashnikov to my head," he said. "They were afraid we would use our cellphones to call for help."
The gunmen passed the tall walls of the compound and entered the office through a glass door. They broke down locked doors and sought out the men. According to Ikabi, they stole nothing. Then they left.
"They didn't fire a single shot," Abu Kara said.
Down a short corridor on the first floor, Adnan caught a glimpse of what he considers the important part of what had happened. He walked into the office used by his father, who was in charge of distributing the charity's drugs. On his desk were papers and orange folders, the signs of a busy day interrupted.
That's when Adnan spotted the gray-and-black cellphone with the silver key chain. It showed 12 missed calls.
He picked it up and stared at it. Then it rang.
Adnan answered.
