German police commandos stormed the Iraqi Embassy in Berlin on Tuesday evening, freeing two captives and bringing a peaceful end to a hostage-taking by an unknown Iraqi dissident group seeking Saddam Hussein's ouster. Police said five people were detained.
Earlier, German police said two people had been injured in the embassy. "Iraqi opposition members tried to force their way into the embassy and then there were shots from the embassy," a police spokesman told Reuters. Another police spokesman at the scene confirmed two people had been injured and said that the number of hostages taken at the embassy was believed to be less than 10, but among those held was thought to be the Iraqi ambassador.
A group calling itself the Democratic Iraqi Opposition of Germany issued a statement in German saying it was launching a "peaceful and temporary" action to press its demands for an end to the rule of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
"In the name of the Iraqi people and their legitimate leadership, the Iraqi opposition, we declare that the liberation of Iraqi soil begins today. We are taking over the Iraqi embassy in Berlin and with this the first step in the liberation of our beloved fatherland."
Baghdad denounced the takeover as an act of terrorism and accused what it said were "American and Zionist intelligence services of masterminding the assault." In a statement, the Iraqi foreign ministry called on Germany "to take measures quickly to oust the mercenary terrorists from the embassy building and protect our employees from this act of terrorism."
In Dubai, a person claiming to be a member of the group told Al-Jazeera television by telephone that they wanted "to liberate the land of Iraq." "We are determined to free Iraq working from inside as well as outside, and you will all hear news very soon," said the member.
"I reject the words 'occupation or assault' (of the embassy), the operation aims to free the land of Iraq, that's all," the opposition member added, according to AFP.
In London, a spokesman for the Iraqi National Congress — a leading umbrella group for opponents of Saddam — said the group had no knowledge of the embassy incident. According to AP, He believed the Iraqi Democratic Opposition of Germany was a new group, founded several months ago. He added the Iraqi opposition "has never resorted to any violent action outside the country against the regime."
(Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
