Three Romanian journalists were taken hostage in Baghdad just hours after the trio interviewed Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.

The three were abducted Monday night near their Baghdad hotel, officials said Tuesday — the latest journalists to be taken hostage in Iraq.

They were identified as reporter Marie Jeanne Ion, 32, and cameraman Sorin Dumitru Miscoci, 30, from Bucharest-based television station Prima TV, and Romania Libera reporter Ovidiu Ohanesian, 37.

Ion sent a message to her newsroom saying “Help, this is not a joke, we’ve been kidnapped.” Ion speaks fluent Arabic and is believed to have been in contact with her captors while she phoned into the newsroom to report the abduction. There have been no ransom demands or any other type of demands made as of yet.

As we’ve seen time and time again with abductions of journalists, most journalists are taken for ransom money and most likely this case is no different. Romania has become a strong ally of the United States and U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has called Romania a “strategic partner and an ally against terror” with 800 soldiers in Iraq.

Update:
The three were able to send out messages prior to being abducted as reported above. One of the journalists said the following over the phone.

“I heard her imploring the attackers not to kidnap them because they come from a poor country which won’t be able to pay the ransom,” [news editor of Prima TV Dan Dumitru] said.

This will not matter because in all liklihood the trio will appeal to nations whom have given out a ransom before (Libya, Saudi Arabia, Phillipines, France, Italy, etc.); a sad state of affairs where we are because ransoms are paid. A crisis center has been set up in Romania to handle the negotiation for the hostages release.

Update:
The trio have now appeared on video tape with a fourth, an Iraqi-American translator for the group. One colleague of the translator indicates the group is seeking a ransom. More here.

Other Coverage:
The Jawa Report
Diggers Realm
Hyscience

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Hyscience linked with Romanian Journalists Taken Hostage in Iraq
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