Italy rejoices as hostages are released

ROME -- A relieved Italy broke into celebrations Tuesday as Premier Silvio Berlusconi announced the safe release of two Italian women aid workers who were kidnapped in Iraq three weeks ago.\nSimona Pari and Simona Torretta, both 29, were handed over to the Red Cross along with two Iraqis who were abducted with them in Baghdad on Sept. 7. Four Egyptian workers abducted last week were also freed, according to their employer.\nThe Italians were expected to return to Italy soon, possibly Tuesday evening, Berlusconi said.\nThe Kuwaiti newspaper Al Rai Al Aam reported Tuesday that the women could be released by Friday in return for a $1 million ransom -- half of which it said was paid Monday.\nBut Berlusconi dismissed the report, according to the AGI news agency, saying, "They have been released only thanks to the humanitarian work of the Red Cross."\nAl-Arabiya TV, citing unidentified sources involved in the negotiations, also said no ransom was paid.\nThe Arab television network al-Jazeera showed dramatic images of the handover on an Iraqi road at dusk.\nBoth wore full black veils that revealed only their eyes. Then, each woman stripped away the head coverings and smiled broadly. Both appeared to be in good health.\nTorretta spoke in Arabic, saying, "Thank you very much. Goodbye. Thank you." Pari remained silent.\n"Finally a moment of joy," Berlusconi said. "The two girls are well and will be able to return to their loved ones tonight."\nThe Vatican said Pope John Paul II, who recently urged that all hostages held in Iraq be freed, expressed "great joy" over the release of the Italian aid workers.\n"His thoughts also go to the families and with them all persons of good will, thanking God for this humanitarian gesture," said papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls.\nThe two women were working for the aid agency "Un Ponte Per ..." ("A Bridge To ..."), and were involved in school and water projects.\nCrowds gathered near the women's homes in Italy and broke into applause as relatives waved to the them.\n"It's like being born again. It's the light after darkness," Anna Maria Torretta, Simona Torretta's mother, told AGI near her home in Rome. "I knew Simona would be back. I never stopped hoping."\nDonatella Rossi, the mother of the other hostage, smiled and broke into tears as she came out on the balcony of her house in Rimini, a seaside resort on the Adriatic. The hostage's father, Luciano Pari, said: "I am happy, very happy. I was hopeful, in fact I was sure."\nThe news of the hostages' release was first reported by Al-Jazeera. It was confirmed moments later by Berlusconi.\nThe premier read a statement in front of TV cameras, and then went before Parliament to give details of the release, with the assembly breaking into applause.\nThe prime minister thanked the intelligence agencies of Iraq's neighboring countries, including Jordan, whose king was in Rome on Tuesday. He also said the Italian secret services were involved in as many as 16 different negotiations, without elaborating.\nBerlusconi also thanked the opposition for backing the government in its efforts to release the two women -- a rare show of unity among Italy's traditionally squabbling politicians.\n"The whole of Italy -- majority and opposition -- has given a good show of unity," Berlusconi said.\nHowever, an opposition leader indicated the truce may be over, saying that the time had come again to rethink Italy's role in Iraq.\n"We have cooperated up to the moment of the release," said Fabio Mussi. "I think that now the center-left should put forth a request for a contingent pullout."\nDespite polls showing that most Italians opposed the conflict, Berlusconi has been a strong supporter of the U.S.-led war, sending 3,000 troops after the ouster of Saddam Hussein to help reconstruction in the country. The center-left opposition has opposed the conservative government's stance.\nThree Italian security guards kidnapped in Iraq were freed in a bloodless raid in April after a fourth security guard had been executed by the abductors. An Italian freelance journalist was kidnapped and killed in mid-August.