Irish Government sends team of officials in hunt for Journalist
{{date|October 20, 2005}}

The [[w:Government of the Republic of Ireland|Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs]] Mr. [[w:Dermot Ahern|Dermot Ahern]] has announced that he will send a team of five officials to [[Iraq]] to secure the release of [[w:Kidnap|kidnapped]] journalist Mr [[w:Rory Carroll|Rory Carroll]].

The team will be lead by Antoin Mac Unfraidh, the former [[w:Ambassador|Ambassador]] to Iraq and will liase with the Irish Government's contacts in Iraq. 

Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs say they have been working through the night to try to gather information about Mr Carroll’s whereabouts.

[[w:Brian Cowen|Brian Cowen]], the minister for Finance, acting on behalf of the [[w:Taoiseach|Taoiseach]] said "I call on anybody who has any influence in that area to assist. We are trying to do all we can through our contacts".

The [[w:Taoiseach|Taoiseach]] [[w:Bertie Ahern|Bertie Ahern]] himself told [[w:BBC News|BBC News]] that he hoped the kidnappers would bear in mind he was "an Irish person not involved in any way" with the Iraqi conflict. "We in fact granted him a passport in Irish, in our own language, in order to ensure that he would use this in such a way that to emphasise his Irishness in cases of difficulty." 

Chairman of the [[Ireland|Irish]] [[w:Anti-War|Anti-War]] coaliton said that he was "entirely innocent of any crime against the Iraqi people", adding: "No cause will be served by keeping him in captivity or harming him in any way."

Carrolls editor at [[The Guardian|the Guardian]] [[w:Alan Rusbridger|Alan Rusbridger]] issued a statement saying that "He is in Iraq as a professional journalist - and he's a very good, straight journalist whose only concern is to report fairly and truthfully about the country. We urge those holding him to release him swiftly - for the sake of his family and for the sake of anyone who believes the world needs to be kept fully informed about events in Iraq today." 

All sides of Political debte in Ireland expressed condemnation of the abduction and support for the Governments efforts to secure the release of the 33 year old Journalist from [[w:The Guardian|The Guardian]].

==Previous related news== 
*{{Wikinews|title=Irish Guardian journalist reported missing in Iraq
|date=October 19, 2005}}

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/1020/carrollr.html
|title=Govt to send team of officials to Iraq
|author=
|pub=RTÉ
|date=October 20, 2005}}
<!-- Hint: If you are citing BBC News, leave the author blank and put "BBC News" in the "pub" parameter. -->

*{{source|url=http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=159767094&p=y597678xx
|title=Govt officials seek to locate kidnapped journalist Carroll
|author=
|pub=Ireland On-Line
|date=October 20, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4359396.stm
|title=Efforts to find missing reporter
|author=
|pub=BBC
|date=October 20, 2005}}

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[[Category:Journalism]]
[[Category:Iraq]]
[[Category:Ireland]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Missing persons]]
[[Category:The Guardian]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Middle East]]
[[Category:Brian Cowen]]
[[Category:Bertie Ahern]]
The Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Dermot Ahern has announced that he will send a team of five officials to Iraq to secure the release of kidnapped journalist Mr Rory Carroll.

The team will be lead by Antoin Mac Unfraidh, the former Ambassador to Iraq and will liase with the Irish Government's contacts in Iraq. 

Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs say they have been working through the night to try to gather information about Mr Carroll’s whereabouts.

Brian Cowen, the minister for Finance, acting on behalf of the Taoiseach said "I call on anybody who has any influence in that area to assist. We are trying to do all we can through our contacts".

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern himself told BBC News that he hoped the kidnappers would bear in mind he was "an Irish person not involved in any way" with the Iraqi conflict. "We in fact granted him a passport in Irish, in our own language, in order to ensure that he would use this in such a way that to emphasise his Irishness in cases of difficulty." 

Chairman of the Irish Anti-War coaliton said that he was "entirely innocent of any crime against the Iraqi people", adding: "No cause will be served by keeping him in captivity or harming him in any way."

Carrolls editor at the Guardian Alan Rusbridger issued a statement saying that "He is in Iraq as a professional journalist - and he's a very good, straight journalist whose only concern is to report fairly and truthfully about the country. We urge those holding him to release him swiftly - for the sake of his family and for the sake of anyone who believes the world needs to be kept fully informed about events in Iraq today." 

All sides of Political debte in Ireland expressed condemnation of the abduction and support for the Governments efforts to secure the release of the 33 year old Journalist from The Guardian.

*

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Journalism Iraq Ireland Politics and conflicts Missing persons The Guardian Europe Middle East Brian Cowen Bertie Ahern