Minneapolis man raises ransom for 4 Americans kidnapped in Iraq

Mark Koscielski
By Patrick Condon, Associated Press
Last update: July 05, 2007 – 6:06 PM
A Minneapolis man who went on his own intelligence-gathering trip to the Middle East after his friend and three other American security contractors were kidnapped said Thursday he has a plan to secure their release.
The four Americans, along with an Austrian colleague, were kidnapped Nov. 16 in southern Iraq when their truck convoy was ambushed.
Mark Koscielski, a Minneapolis gun-shop owner who is friends with Paul Reuben, one of the contractors, said Thursday in a radio interview that he, other friends, and family members of the four Americans had raised about $150,000 they hope to use as a ransom to obtain their release.
Reached later by phone, Koscielski refused to divulge any details of his plan, which he's dubbed "Save 5." He said he and family members of several of the contractors would release further details at a July 14 press conference in a Minneapolis suburb.
"We may have a way to get these guys back in a peaceful way," Koscielski told The Associated Press. Koscielski traveled on his own to Kuwait in March in what he has described as an intelligence-gathering trip, and on his personal Web site he's been highly critical of efforts by the U.S. government to rescue the hostages, who were employees of Crescent Security Group Inc.
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