With a member of Egypt's diplomatic mission held hostage by Iraqi militants, reports Dina Ezzat, Arab capitals were re-evaluating the idea of providing military assistance to Iraq Mohamed Mamdouh Helmi Qutb, a member of Egypt's diplomatic mission in Baghdad, was released late Monday night, following strenuous negotiations between his kidnappers, and high level Egyptian, Iraqi and other Arab contacts. Egyptian officials declined to reveal details of the deal that resulted in Qutb's release, just five days after he was taken hostage. "The important thing," said one Baghdad-based Egyptian official, "is that his life was saved, and that we managed to get out of this very delicate situation peacefully." Qutb's kidnapping on 22 July, from his secured house in Baghdad, sent shock waves through many Arab capitals, and especially those that were considering the possibility of responding positively to repeated requests -- by both the American administration and the caretaker Iraqi government -- to contribute troops to help improve the stability and security of chaotic Iraqi towns. Qutb was taken hostage just as temporary Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi was concluding a Cairo visit during which President Hosni Mubarak, top Egyptian officials and the Arab League secretary-general all received him. "I think we are making a very strong comeback to the Arab world and the Arab League, and I was very much encouraged by what I heard," Allawi said at a joint press conference with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa on 22 July. In this and previous statements during his two-day visit, Allawi stressed the need for the Arab League and Arab capitals "to help Iraq". He insisted that "sending Arab and Muslim troops to assist the multinational forces in establishing security in Iraq, and providing necessary political backing to the efforts of the Iraqi government", was the way by which Arab countries could be helpful to Iraq at this crucial juncture. Moussa told reporters that he had promised Allawi that he would convey this request to every Arab capital. "We are going to consult on this issue," Moussa said, but "this does not mean that any decision will be made soon." That lack of commitment, said Iraqi officials, was not what Allawi was expecting. "We were hoping for more committed language. If the Arabs are serious about helping us, then they need to stop patronising us about having foreign troops, and start contributing some troops themselves," said a senior Iraqi official who asked that his name be withheld. According to this official, Allawi was much more impressed with what he heard from Egyptian officials who spoke of intentions to provide training for Iraqi army and police officers, and to seriously consider sending troops to Iraq within a certain UN-related context. That sort of talk, however, might have been exactly what catalysed the Ossodullah ("Lions of God") militant group to take Qutb hostage in the first place; despite the fact that Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit has consistently said that sending Egyptian troops to Iraq was never in the cards. "I said it last week [before Qutb was kidnapped], and I am saying it again: Egypt has no intention whatsoever to send troops to Iraq." Egyptian sources in Iraq, meanwhile, doubted that Cairo's publicly announced stance had anything to do with the kidnapping. "Qutb was kidnapped from his house, which is based in a remote and very secure part of Baghdad. His address was only known to a limited number of people, which indicates that the kidnappers had been following him for quite some time, and that they planned to take him hostage even before Allawi came to Cairo," said one source. According to this source, intensive contacts with the kidnappers took place via "several religious and tribal Iraqi figures who were pleading with the Ossodullah group to release Qutb on the basis of confirmations made by Abul-Gheit about Cairo not planning to send troops to Iraq". The source also said, "Iraqi mediators were also stressing that Qutb is not a collaborator, since he is not in touch with the American forces in Iraq." Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly from Baghdad by telephone on Wednesday, Qutb said the kidnappers told him they did not want any troops to be sent to Iraq. He said the kidnappers had misinterpreted statements made by Egyptian officials as a declaration of Egyptian intentions to send troops to help the Americans. It was essential, Qutb said, that Abul-Gheit issue a clear-cut statement declaring that Egypt had no intention whatsoever to send any troops to Iraq. With the current instability, Qutb said, that was the wisest course for any Arab country. "I don't think [sending troops] will help, but what will help is if all concerned countries help enable the Iraqis themselves to bring stability and security to their own country." Iraqi officials seemed all too aware of the negative impact Qutb's kidnapping would have on its relations with Arab capitals. "We know how governments tend to panic when their citizens are kidnapped," a senior Iraqi Foreign Ministry source told the Weekly. "We saw it with the Philippines, when they pulled their troops out after a Filipino was kidnapped. But we do hope that Arab governments realise that what they have at stake in Iraq is much higher." Iraqi officials condemned the kidnapping and vowed to step up security measures to prevent the kidnapping of any other Arab or foreign diplomat. Allawi has also called on Cairo not to give in to the threats and demands of the "terrorists". A senior Egyptian official said, "defining who is and isn't a terrorist was up to the Iraqi government; for our part, we have to worry about our people, and to make sure that we are not going to have any more citizens kidnapped." Qutb is one of two Egyptians who were being held hostage in Iraq at the same time. A labourer, Mohamed Ali Sayed, was also taken hostage about ten days ago. Presidential spokesman Magid Abdel-Fattah said Egypt was doing everything possible to secure his release as well. Previously, two Egyptian drivers had been taken hostage and released. One was let go after the Saudi Arabian company he worked for agreed to suspend its activities in Iraq and pay the kidnappers ransom. In fact, Ossodullah abducted Qutb just four days after he was widely photographed celebrating the driver's release. The timing of Qutb's kidnapping, however, and the subsequent kidnapping of two Jordanians in Iraq on Monday, said Arab diplomats, had to be linked to Allawi's regional tour and statements made during it. "The Iraqi groups that oppose the caretaker government and view it as a puppet government installed by the Americans were obviously alarmed by Allawi's tour, and the warm receptions he appeared to be receiving. These groups decided to send a warning to every Arab capital," said one Cairo-based Arab diplomat. "No warning could have been more alarming than the kidnapping of a member of the Egyptian diplomatic mission in Baghdad," he said. According to this and other Arab diplomats, the kidnapping prompted some Arab foreign ministries to initiate "reassessments of the situation in Iraq, and how far relations should be stepped up with the Allawi government". One Baghdad-based source said the few Arab diplomatic missions operating in Baghdad were imposing new, tighter security measures for their members. Many of those in Arab diplomatic missions were also changing their locations, and sending the few family members who had been accompanying them back home. Qutb was due to arrive in Cairo on Wednesday evening, though he would not discuss whether his mission in Iraq had ended. Informed Baghdad-based sources told the Weekly it was "highly unlikely that Qutb will work in Iraq for much longer. If he comes back to Baghdad," the source said, "it will probably be just to finish up a few things and then leave for good."
