January 24, 2005

Pray For The Release Of This Man

João Vasconcelos, Brazilian kidnapped in Iraq

The question I asked in an earlier post is beginning to be answered. Below is the latest on the kidnapping of the Brazilian citizen in Iraq. Once again, interesting sections are highlighted:

Reuters AlertNet - Brazil appeals for kidnapped engineer's release

Brazil appeals for kidnapped engineer's release
24 Jan 2005 16:10:02 GMT
Source: Reuters

SAO PAULO, Brazil, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The Brazilian government joined the family of a Brazilian engineer kidnapped in Iraq last week in appealing for his release while it tried to make contact with his abductors on Monday.

Joao Jose Vasconcelos, 49, was kidnapped on Wednesday after his convoy was attacked near the central Iraqi city of Beiji. On Saturday, Arab satellite television said a group calling itself the Al Mujahideen Squadrons (Saraya al-Mujahideen) had claimed responsibility for the ambush, in which two other people were killed.

"The Brazilian government joins the humanitarian appeals made by Mr. Vasconcelos's family and (his) company with the hope that this lamentable episode ends as soon as possible," Brazil's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The company Vasconcelos was working for in Iraq, Constructora Norberto Odebrecht, said it had yet to hear from the kidnappers.

The abduction has hit a nerve in Brazil, where most people were vehemently against the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and were largely unaware any Brazilians were in the country.

Odebrecht had been hired to repair a power plant near Beiji. According to local news reports, Vasconcelos was ambushed on his way to the airport, where he was to fly home to Rio de Janeiro for a vacation.

His sister, Isabel, appealed to his kidnappers on Sunday, saying Vasconcelos was well-liked in Baghdad and Beiji and a friend of the Iraqi people. Local media also painted a picture of a man interested in Iraqi culture and life.

The married father of three used to regularly send his family photographs showing the daily life of Iraqi people -- "the other Iraq" not seen on television. And Vasconcelos would always give his friends in Iraq T-shirts of Brazil's champion soccer team and bring back paintings by Iraqi artists for his home, local newspapers said.

"We want to see the Brazilian government scream like the French and Chinese and governments of other countries did," Vasconcelos's brother-in-law, the Lebanese-born Ghassan Khouri, told O Globo newspaper.

"Brazil was never in favor of war, and now its own son is a victim of one."

I really, really hope this man gets released by his captors. Or, even better, that he gets rescued by coalition troops. It sounds like his heart was in the right place.

I am curious as to what the brother-in-law means when he says that he wants the Brazilian government to "scream". Does that mean beg for mercy? I seriously doubt many Brazilians will be happy to see their government to that.

Update: I just got done listening to the statement made by the victim's sister, which can be heard (in Portuguese) here. In it, she appeals to the decency (my word) of the kidnappers. Think about that for a minute.

Also, it appears, according the Brazilian press, that their government is taking a more hard line on this case. In talking with a Brazilian friend, however, it appears that the people of Brazil are putting most of the blame on the US.

Once again, please, please pray for the release of João Vasconcelos.

Posted by Andrew on January 24, 2005 11:17 PM.