Meanwhile, there is still no word on the fate of the 2 Italian women and two Iraqi aid workers who were kidnapped in Baghdad on September 7. The Italian Foreign Minister is touring Gulf countries, he says in an effort to free the hostages and to recover the body on an Italian journalist killed by kidnappers more than a week ago. Meanwhile, Democracy Now! has obtained a videotaped interview with one of the hostages. It was filmed in February of this year. Filmmaker and activist Francis Anderson filmed the interview with Simona Torretta in the Baghdad office of the Italian aid organization A Bridge to Baghdad.

• Simona Torretta, being interviewed in February 2004. Courtesy of Francis Anderso.
  “My name is Simona Torretta, and I’m working for an Italian N.G.O. called A Bridge to Baghdad, Un Pont Per. A Bridge To Baghdad has been working here since 1992 after the first Gulf War, and we are working in the country in several sectors, like water and sanitation, health education. So we don’t only provide stuff, materials good for the people, but we are trying even to support them and develop some kind of development program, and supporting develop the civil society in the country.”

That was Simona Torretta speaking in February to filmmaker Francis Anderson. She is currently being held hostage, along with Italian Simona Pari and Iraqis Raad Ali Abdul Azziz and Mahnoaz Bassam. We will hear more of this interview later in the show.