ATHENS - Three Dutch marines who were captured after a botched evacuation mission in Libya last month arrived in Athens early Friday on a Greek military transport plane, and the Netherlands said no concessions were made to Libya for their freedom.
The helicopter crew -- two men and a woman -- arrived at Athens Airport shortly after 6 a.m. (0400GMT, 11 p.m. EST Thursday) after Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Dollis flew to Tripoli late Thursday to pick them up. Twelve Greek evacuees from Libya were also on board the plane.
Dollis had met on Thursday morning in Athens with top Libyan diplomat Mohamed Tahir Siala, an envoy of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, and a Greek Defense Ministry official told The Associated Press the handover was agreed during the meeting.
However, while the initial agreement was for the three to be returned Thursday, the Libyan side later wanted the day changed to Friday, a Greek government official told the AP. Negotiations continued after Dollis landed in Tripoli shortly before 10 p.m. (2000 GMT, 3 p.m. EST) Thursday, with the Greeks insisting the handover be done that night, the official said.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations, said the Libyan side did not make any specific demands to the Greeks. He did not specify who was conducting the talks on the Libyan side.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels at a European Union summit, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the Netherlands did not pay any ransom or make any other concessions to Libya to secure the release of the three marines.
"We are very glad that our three soldiers have been released. Sixteen million Dutch are looking forward to welcoming them back home," he said, adding he was grateful for the help provided by Greece and Malta.
"Did we pay money? No. Did we make concessions from the Netherlands to Libya? No," he said.
The marines, in good health, smiled as they walked down the ramp of the plane.
"I am very happy," one of the three, Yvonne Niersman, said after landing and being met at the airport by a Dutch foreign ministry representative.
Dutch Defence Minister Hans Hillen said they would be flown back to the Netherlands soon, although that could be as late as Saturday after they rest and undergo medical checks. He said they were treated "well and correctly" during their captivity.
The Dutch troops and their helicopter were seized Feb. 27 by armed forces loyal to Gadhafi after landing near Sirte, Libya, to help evacuate people from the country as a rebellion against the longtime leader's rule built up momentum.
They had left the Dutch navy ship HMS Tromp, which was anchored off Libya's coast, to help evacuations from the conflict-torn country.
Gadhafi has warned the U.S. and other Western powers not to intervene in the chaos enveloping his country.
Footage aired by Libyan state TV last week purported to show two of the marines, their Lynx helicopter, weapons and other equipment.
Greece has traditionally had good relations with Libya and with Gadhafi, with whom Prime Minister George Papandreou held talks during a visit there last summer. Papandreou received a phone call from Gadhafi Tuesday night, and he urged the Libyan leader to do all he could to stop further bloodshed and a descent into full-blown civil war.
Athens has also helped in evacuations from the north African country -- including more than 10,000 Chinese nationals -- after fighting between rebels and forces loyal to Gadhafi broke out last month.
