Hostage Freed After Philippine Troops’ Departure

A Philippine truck driver held hostage for two weeks was freed Tuesday after his government met kidnappers’ demands that it withdraw its small contingent of soldiers from Iraq, rejecting criticism from the U.S. and other nations that the concession might encourage terrorism.

Meanwhile, a roadside bomb exploded north of Baghdad early today, killing one U.S. 1st Infantry Division soldier. The soldier was killed by the bomb while on patrol in a Bradley fighting vehicle in Duluiyah, 30 miles north of Baghdad, U.S. officials announced.

That brought to 900 the number of U.S. military personnel killed since the beginning of military operations in March 2003, according to the unofficial count by Associated Press.

In southern Iraq, a high-ranking regional official in Basra was gunned down on his way to work in the latest of a wave of political assassinations that appeared to be aimed at crippling the nation’s interim government. In the wake of the attack, a vote scheduled for today to choose a governor for the Basra region has been postponed, officials said.

Angelo de la Cruz, a father of eight whose ordeal had captivated the Philippines, was released in front of the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Baghdad, an embassy guard said. He was transferred to the Philippine Embassy and is expected to leave Iraq today. His wife had been awaiting word of his release in neighboring Jordan.

In the Philippines, a jubilant President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo reported that De la Cruz was in good health after being held by a little-known militant group that identified itself as the Iraqi Islamic Army-Khaled bin Waleed Corps.

“Every life is important. Angelo was spared, and we rejoice.... “ Arroyo said in a televised statement. “But our people must also know that will not always be the case. Innocents will come into harm’s way, and circumstances may not allow such a successful outcome.”

The Philippines has been criticized by the United States and other nations for striking a deal with the kidnappers to withdraw its 51 soldiers in exchange for the hostage’s release.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Tuesday that the U.S. was “glad” to see De la Cruz released unharmed but continued to oppose what Secretary of State Colin L. Powell has called “bowing to terrorists.”

“There are many other governments in the coalition who are holding firm, there are governments who are expanding their forces, there are governments like the Bulgarian government that in recent days have faced very similar threats, very similar attempts at intimidation, and yet who are standing up to fight terrorism and defeat terrorism,” Boucher said. “And it’s only by the actions of people like that that we’re ultimately going to defeat this enemy.”

The last of the Philippine contingent crossed the border into Kuwait on Monday, ahead of the kidnappers’ Tuesday deadline. The force had been scheduled to leave Iraq on Aug. 20.

“I made a decision to bring our troops home a few days early in order to spare the life of Angelo,” Arroyo told the nation. “I do not regret the decision.”

Sheik Jamal Hardan Alduleimi, an Iraqi tribal leader who helped negotiate the release, said the deal was struck for “humanitarian reasons. No money was paid to any side in these negotiations.”

Arroyo has been a staunch supporter of the Bush administration, participating in Washington’s war on terrorism and contributing a small number of troops to the U.S.-led forces in Iraq. But her popularity at home was so low that she won election in May with only 40% of the vote and could have faced widespread unrest if De la Cruz had been beheaded, as threatened, while Philippine troops remained in Iraq.

The plight of the 46-year-old truck driver elicited sympathy throughout the Philippines, largely because so many Filipinos have been compelled to leave their homeland to find jobs.

Today, more than 8 million Filipinos work abroad, Arroyo noted, providing an important source of revenue for the nation’s citizens. About 4,000 Filipinos have been working in Iraq, where one died this year in a mortar attack.

“For Angelo, our nation -- Muslim and Christian alike -- united around our compassion for an innocent in a world of danger,” Arroyo said.

“A father of eight, Angelo has become a Filipino everyman, a symbol of the hardworking Filipino seeking hope and opportunity,” she said.

De la Cruz has become such a celebrity that Philippine television produced blanket coverage, including footage of his wife in Jordan, his children in a government house at Clark Air Base and relatives at the family home in the impoverished town of Mexico, north of Manila.

After his release, De la Cruz spoke with Arroyo by phone. Later, the presidential palace released a videotape of her end of the conversation.

“I hope you are happy now,” Arroyo said.

“Yes, ma’am,” De la Cruz replied.

Arroyo now must face the question of where to draw the line in any future kidnappings. For years, insurgents operating in the southern Philippines have taken hostages for ransom -- and some have been beheaded.

Abductions are a growing problem in Iraq, where dozens of foreigners have been kidnapped in recent months, and several have been killed when kidnappers’ demands were not met.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari warned last weekend that the Philippines’ decision would set a “bad precedent” by “rewarding” terrorists.

After a two-week lull in violence following the hand-over of sovereignty to an interim national government, a spate of car bombings and assassinations has dashed hopes that violence would diminish once the U.S. accepted a reduced role.

In Basra on Tuesday, Hazim Tawfik Ainatchi, a top regional official, and two bodyguards were shot to death as they drove away from his home about 7:45 a.m.

Ainatchi was a deputy to former Basra Gov. Wael Abdulatif and had been serving on a 12-member council that took control of the region when Abdulatif left to become minister of state for provinces in the interim government.

Ainatchi’s white sport-utility vehicle was attacked at an Iraqi police checkpoint less than 150 yards from his home. Television footage after the attack showed shattered windows on the SUV and streaks of blood running down the door.

Some of the seven unidentified assailants were dressed in what appeared to be Iraqi police uniforms, officials said.

Ainatchi “was threatened three days ago, and we provided him with the necessary security and protection, but the gunmen attacked him during our shift change,” said Brig. Gen. Mohammed Kadhim Ali, the Basra police chief.

“The blood of the innocents will not go in vain, and we will identify the guilty ones and bring them to justice,” Ali said.

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Sanders reported from Baghdad and Paddock from Singapore. Special correspondents Atman Gaunim in Basra and Saif Rasheed in Baghdad contributed to this report.