Iraqi Government aware of hostage deal, wrongly seized millions: Qatar

DOHA, Qatar (Kurdistan24) – The government of Qatar on Thursday denied trying to pay ransom money this month to secure the release of 26 Qataris abducted in Iraq a year and a half ago by unidentified gunmen, issuing a complaint regarding millions of dollars “wrongfully” seized by Baghdad.

On Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi suggested the funds were part of a deal to free the hostages without Baghdad’s approval.

The 26 Qataris, including members of the country’s ruling royal family, were abducted during a hunting trip in southern Iraq in 2015. They were released last Friday.

“The Qatari government sent its envoy to Iraq and asked to bring a private plane,” Abadi said.

Officials opened the bags after spotting anomalies under x-ray only to discover they contained millions of dollars and euros in cash worth $500 million, according to an Iraqi source.

“This money was brought in without the approval of the Iraqi government,” Abadi added. The Prime Minister also questioned where the money was heading.

“Hundreds of millions to armed groups? Is this acceptable?” he asked.

Qatar said the deal to secure the recent release of a hunting party kidnapped in southern Iraq went ahead with the “full knowledge” of Baghdad and disputed the money was destined for armed groups.

Qatar’s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, told Doha-based Al Jazeera late on Wednesday Baghdad was aware the money was sent “to support the authorities in the release of Qatari abductees.”

“Qatar has provided funds to Iraq in an official, transparent, and public manner,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

“Qatar did not deal with armed groups outside the authority of the (Iraqi) state,” he added.

Qatar and Iran were involved in negotiating the release of the hostages alongside the simultaneous evacuation of people in four besieged towns, two Shia and two Sunni, in northern and southern Syria.

These areas included the villages of al-Fua and Kefraya in Idlib Province from which the victims of the April 15 bombing originated.

Prime Minister Abadi took a strong stance against the act, stating that “allowing [the Qataris] to deliver large sums of money to armed groups in Iraq, and perhaps also to terrorist groups, would fuel the war.”

It is unclear what Iraq plans to do with the confiscated money.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany