Political Crossfire Forums

[John Galt]

Three Christian Activists Rescued in Iraq

By BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- U.S. and British troops Thursday freed three Christian peace activists in rural Iraq without firing a shot, ending a four-month hostage drama in which an American among the group was shot to death and dumped on a Baghdad street.

Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, the U.S. military spokesman, said the hostages were being held by a "kidnapping cell," and the operation to free the captives was based on information from a man captured by U.S. forces only three hours earlier.

No kidnappers were present when the troops broke into a house in western Baghdad. The captives' hands were tied, Lynch said.

"They were bound, they were together, there were no kidnappers in the areas," Lynch told a news briefing.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry said the captives were rescued northwest of Baghdad between the towns of Mishahda, 20 miles away from Baghdad, and the western suburb of Abu Ghraib, 12 miles away.

British officials in Baghdad said those freed were Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, and Briton Norman Kember, 74. The men - members of the Chicago-based Christian Peacemaker Teams - were kidnapped Nov. 26 along with their American colleague, Tom Fox.

The body of Fox, 54, of Clear Brook, Va., was found earlier this month.

"We remember with tears Tom Fox," group co-director Doug Pritchard said. "We had longed for the day when all four men would be released together. Our gladness today is bittersweet by the fact that Tom is not alive to join his colleagues in the celebration."

In London, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Kember was in "reasonable condition" in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. The two Canadians required hospital treatment, but he gave no further details.

Straw also gave few details of the operation, saying only that it followed "weeks and weeks" of planning.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's office said he was delighted by the trio's release.

"He is particularly pleased for those released and their families. He congratulates everyone involved in the operation to rescue the hostages," his office said in a statement.

Loney's brother, Ed, told CBC television that his mother had spoken with James on the phone and he sounded "fantastic."

"He's alert and he was asking how we were doing and said he was sorry for the whole situation," Ed Loney said. "My mom said, 'Don't worry about it - just get home and we'll talk about all that stuff when you get here.'"

The kidnapped men were shown as prisoners in several videos, the most recent a silent clip dated Feb. 28 in which Loney, Kember and Sooden appeared without Fox. Fox's body was found March 10 near a west Baghdad railway line with gunshot wounds to his head and chest.

Iraqi police said at the time it appeared that Fox had been tortured because he had bruises and cuts on his body, apparently inflicted before he was shot to death.

The previously unknown Swords of Righteousness Brigades claimed responsibility for the kidnappings.

"As we study who could conduct these kinds of operations there seems to be a kidnapping cell that has been robust over the last several months in conducting these kind of kidnappings," Lynch said.

In Fox's hometown, some of his friends learned of the rescues on the television.

"I think there's a bittersweet element to this in that yes, our friend Tom isn't coming home," said Anne Bacon, clerk of the Hopewell Centre Quaker meeting where Fox volunteered. "But we know Tom is with us and that Tom is overjoyed that these men will be reunited with their families."

The Christian Peacemaker Teams said the activists went to Iraq "motivated by a passion for justice and peace." Group volunteers have been in Iraq since October 2002, investigating allegations of abuse against Iraqi detainees by coalition forces. Its teams promote peaceful solutions in conflict zones.

"They knew that their only protection was in the power of the love of God and of their Iraqi and international co-workers," Pritchard said.

He also called for coalition forces to leave the country.

"We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by Multinational Forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq," Pritchard said.

Other Americans taken hostage in Iraq and killed in addition to Fox were Ronald Schulz, 40, an industrial electrician from Anchorage, Alaska; Jack Hensley, 48, a civil engineer from Marietta, Ga.; Eugene "Jack" Armstrong, 52, formerly of Hillsdale, Mich.; and Nicholas Berg, 26, a businessman from West Chester, Pa.

Still missing is Jill Carroll, a freelance writer for The Christian Science Monitor who was kidnapped Jan. 7 in Baghdad. She has appeared in three videotapes delivered by her kidnappers to Arab satellite television stations. When asked whether he had information about Carroll, Lynch said: "None that I can discuss at this time."

The last hostage to be freed in a military operation was Douglas Wood, an Australian rescued in west Baghdad by U.S. and Iraqi forces on June 15 after 47 days in captivity.



http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ_HOSTAGES_FREED?SITE=7219&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-03-23-06-46-49

[Kt]

That is unfortunate not all could be saved, I suppose there are inhuman monsters on both sides,

[TwinkieDP]

Helena` wrote: That is unfortunate not all could be saved, I suppose there are inhuman monsters on both sides, Not monsters, just Cold, calculating people. People die everyday...

[Kt]

TwinkieDP wrote: Helena` wrote: That is unfortunate not all could be saved, I suppose there are inhuman monsters on both sides, Not monsters, just Cold, calculating people. People die everyday...
No, I see no way killing war protesters would benefit them, it's not calculating at all...

[eynon]

Helena` wrote: TwinkieDP wrote: Helena` wrote: That is unfortunate not all could be saved, I suppose there are inhuman monsters on both sides, Not monsters, just Cold, calculating people. People die everyday...
No, I see no way killing war protesters would benefit them, it's not calculating at all...

sure it is, there are elements in the Iraqi insurgency who want to make this war as violent and drawn out as possible(the real hard-core types). Killing peace activists is one thing that does that......

All that said, those guys shouldn't have been there.......

[Lucky Luke]

Eynon81 wrote:

sure it is, there are elements in the Iraqi insurgency who want to make this war as violent and drawn out as possible(the real hard-core types). Killing peace activists is one thing that does that......

All that said, those guys shouldn't have been there.......

They did not ask to be rescued, in fact they asked for the opposite but Bush and Bliar could not resist and mounted an armed assault to liberate them against their own will.

Quote: We understand that no shots were fired and no one was hurt in the rescue and we know that Norman, James and Harmeet would not have wanted violence to be used. We thank all those who have worked extremely hard over the past four months - behind the scenes and in a myriad of different ways – for all their work

http://www.for.org.uk/

This is not the first time that peace activists investigating the abuse, rape, torture and unlawful killings from US led coalition forces in Iraq have been kidnapped and yet we are still waiting to find out how, why and by whom.

:-D
:-D

[Alula]

I have to wonder if Luckey Luke is exactly correct. I wouldn't think that they
were safe under those circumstances either. I know that they had good
intentions. Although when there is great distress and the enemy is looking
for any means to bring attention to itself it will do so. Its horrid I know.
I understand its needless. The fact that they did that to those people though
to them I believe is symbolic. That is why I am in total agreement with Luke.

[Hawk]

wait wait wait, so they WANTED to be held captives while their families worried, spending countless nights crying themselves to sleep over whether or not they'll ever see their loved ones again? Getting beaten and having their comrade tortured and shot is a desirable thing?

Wow, I love how the left-wing thinks, do you guys seriously even listen to yourselves? Wow.

[Alula]

So who put them in Iraq? They weren't sent off to war? I would think with my brain that is. That when you are in a religious battle such as this you would not want to insight, Rivalry.

[Lucky Luke]

Hawk wrote: wait wait wait, so they WANTED to be held captives while their families worried, spending countless nights crying themselves to sleep over whether or not they'll ever see their loved ones again? Getting beaten and having their comrade tortured and shot is a desirable thing?

Wow, I love how the left-wing thinks, do you guys seriously even listen to yourselves? Wow.

It is what they wanted not to be rescued by military force, it sounds pathetic that Bliar and his Socialist friends are crying that the freed hostages are not more thankful for their freedom.

:-D
:-D

[hobobahk]

didn't the article say that no shots were fired? y'don't get much less force than that. however one might question their sanity making demands of how to be rescued.

maybe they wanted to be martyrs, and be remembered as the bahgdad boys or something.

in the end, if your going to protest a war, have some brains and dont go protesting into the war zone. we have plenty of protesters at home...

anyone who thinks they can go into hostile territory and protest to a society that knows no protest is simply derranged liberal extremist.

[SilveryMinnow]

How dare the U.S. interfere with the peaceful slaughtering of peace protestors who were kidnapped and killed to show how much the U.S. doesnt care for innocent peaceful protestors.

Im outraged.

[hobobahk]

:lol: seriously

[ndj4523]

Since they do no appreciate the fredom given back by the coalition forces just drop them back into Iraq alone and leave. Maybe a friendly group of terrorists will take them in and raise them. They may not agree with the war and have every right to protest but they did not go to Iraq to die. Hence they should at least thank the people who saved them their friends fate even though they do not agree with the over all military actions.

[hobobahk]

there arent two sides to this. the peaceful protesters are extremist and hypocritical. not to mention lucky. no one can really label them any better. worse maybe but no better

[Lucky Luke]

ndj4523 wrote: Since they do no appreciate the fredom given back by the coalition forces just drop them back into Iraq alone and leave. Maybe a friendly group of terrorists will take them in and raise them. They may not agree with the war and have every right to protest but they did not go to Iraq to die. Hence they should at least thank the people who saved them their friends fate even though they do not agree with the over all military actions.

They have thank the soldiers but what annoys Bliar is that they still go there and are filling a form beforehand that they don't want to be rescued by military force.
They are prepared to risk their lives to help the Iraqis but they don't want anyone to risk lives to save them.
:-D
:-D

[Lucky Luke]

hobobahk wrote: there arent two sides to this. the peaceful protesters are extremist and hypocritical. not to mention lucky. no one can really label them any better. worse maybe but no better

Norman Kember, 74 is certainly not an extremist as for being hypocritical he and his family could have been if they had changed their minds and asked for them to be rescued by force but of course they did not.

:-D
:-D

[Alula]

the reason I believed they shouldn't be in a war zone is they aren't trained.
They do not have the propper weaponry. therefore they are civilian's. That is so noble that they didn't want the military to use force for their rescue. I just had to say that. I felt like they were sitting ducks.