$2 Million Ransom Reportedly Paid for Hostage
A $2-million ransom freed West German hostage Alfred Schmidt, and a similar payment could release Rudolf Cordes, his fellow kidnap victim in Lebanon, within days, Beirut’s As Shiraa magazine said Friday.
As Shiraa, which broke the news last November of U.S. arms-for-hostages dealings with Iran, is close to the radicals in Beirut.
“The release of Schmidt was the result of a deal in which the kidnapers received $2 million. The second German hostage Rudolf Cordes will be freed with the coming days in return for a similar amount,” it said.
The West German government and Schmidt’s employers, Siemens, have both denied paying a ransom to free Schmidt. Bonn insists his release was unconditional, a position it reiterated Friday.
“There is no deal of this kind--either past or planned,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman declared when asked about the magazine report.
Schmidt and Cordes were kidnaped in Muslim West Beirut in January after police arrested suspected aircraft hijacker Mohammed Ali Hamadi, a Shia Muslim Lebanese, at Frankfurt’s airport.
Schmidt was freed Monday after his kidnapers said they had received guarantees and assurances from Bonn, which they did not specify. A number of knowledgeable sources have speculated that the assurances concerned the case of Hamadi.
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