With ransoms hefty, kidnappers most often target Iraqis

BAGHDAD -- The most likely kidnap victims in Iraq increasingly are Iraqis, with an average of 10 to 20 taken hostage every day for nearly three years, a US official in Baghdad said yesterday.

US Embassy spokeswoman Elizabeth Colton said freedom comes at a heavy price, with ransoms averaging between $20,000 and $30,000.

''It's huge," she said. ''There are a lot more Iraqis being held hostage in Iraq now than most people are aware of."

The puzzle is how Iraqis come up with such large ransom payments in a country where unemployment is estimated between 28 and 40 percent and the average monthly wage is about $100. Equally unclear is who the kidnappers are -- they have grown increasingly bold and now are striking in broad daylight.

Carloads of masked gunmen have driven up to several Baghdad businesses this month, charging through the doors and seizing employees inside. At least 90 Iraqis have been picked up in such mass kidnappings in March; there has been no word on any of the captives. Police say they are investigating who is behind the attacks, and whether they are linked. Some officials speculate that the assailants are insurgents running out of money.

''This is a blackmailing operation to secure funds," said Police Lieutenant Colonel Ali Rashed.

Kidnappings of foreigners, at least in recent cases, appear to be less about ransom and more about political demands.

Following the release yesterday of American reporter Jill Carroll, at least 13 Americans kidnapped in Iraq remain held, among at least 42 foreigners, the US spokeswoman said.

Some 430 foreigners in total have been kidnapped in Iraq since April 2003, Colton said.

Much of Iraq's chaos and violence revolve around sectarian tensions between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims. But in the kidnapping sweeps, Sunnis and Shi'ites seem to be equally picked up -- often together. ''This is not a sectarian issue," Rashed said.