November 8, 2005

TENS OF THOUSANDS MARCH IN CASABLANCA

Nov 7, 12:15 PM (ET)

CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) - Tens of thousands of Moroccans marched through Casablanca to demand the release of two Moroccan Embassy employees reported kidnapped in Iraq and threatened with execution.

Demonstrators chanted "No to terrorism" and "Islam is a religion of love, not hatred" during Sunday's march. The Moroccan government has condemned the kidnappings and called for the hostages to be released without any conditions.

"All Moroccans feel targeted by this kidnapping," said Mohamed Benhammou, one of the march organizers.
Abdelkrim el-Mouhafidi, 49, and Abderrahim Boualam, 55, disappeared Oct. 20 while driving to Baghdad from Jordan, where they had gone to pick up their paychecks.

In statements on Internet, al-Qaida in Iraq claimed responsibility for kidnapping the two men and said it had sentenced both to death after convicting them in an Islamic court. The statements could not be independently confirmed and it was not known where the two hostages were being held or what had happened to them.
Al-Qaida in Iraq warned last week that foreign diplomats must leave or face attacks.

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