Iraqi politician kidnapped in Kirkuk: official

0 Comments | AFP, November, 2003

KIRKUK, Iraq (AFP) — An Arab politician was kidnapped by gunmen in Iraq's northern oil capital of Kirkuk, a party official told AFP.

The gunmen grabbed Ismail Abdel Hussein al Aboudi, 38, who heads a local Arab party and sits on the city's council, as he walked to the city's municipal offices, his secretary Khaled Jassam told AFP.

"Three armed men, who were speaking Kurdish and were in uniform forced Ismail al Abudi to get into their vehicle around noon (0900 GMT) and they drove toward an unknown destination," said Jassam, who witnessed the attack.

Aboudi's deputy, Mohammad Hassan Mohsen, said he alerted US forces to the kidnapping and that they told him they "had no information on the identity of the kidnappers or their motives."

Kirkuk, 225...