|
More On Douglas Wood's Release
AUSTRALIAN hostage Douglas Wood was freed by Iraqi troops when they stumbled on him during a search of a suspected insurgent weapons dump near Baghdad. Troops had identified "suspect activity" at a suburban Baghdad house and took up combat positions around it, exchanging fire with gunmen on the rooftop. Brigadier General Jaleel Khalaf Shewi, commander of the Iraqi brigade that rescued the Australian engineer, said the militants were "taken completely by surprise". The troops found Mr Wood blindfolded and cuffed underneath a blanket. When they asked the occupants of the house who the man was, they said: "This is our father, he is sick."Three people were arrested at the scene and Mr Wood was taken to a Baghdad hospital where he is now resting under the protection of Australian troops. "I'm extremely happy and delighted to be freed," he said in a statement. Mr Wood was positively identified by correctly naming his childhood dog to Australian counter-terrorism official Nick Warner in Baghdad. Friends said today Mr Wood had asked for a Victoria Bitter beer and an update on the progress of Geelong in the AFL championship. Mr Wood, whose release was reportedly under negotiation by senior Sydney Muslim cleric Sheik Taj al-Din al-Hilaly. Supporters of Sheik Hilaly, who left Iraq earlier this month, said the cleric's efforts helped secure Mr Wood's release. US military officers said, however, that the Iraqi troops effectively "stumbled across Wood" during a "routine" raid on a suspected insurgent weapons cache. "Iraqi soldiers ... discovered Wood and an Iraqi hostage in the northwest Baghdad neighborhood of Al-Adel while conducting a planned cordon-and-search operation for a weapons cache," a US military statement said. Prime Minister John Howard told Parliament shortly after 6.45pm last night: "Mr Wood was recovered a short while ago in Baghdad in a military operation that I am told was conducted by Iraqi forces in co-operation in a general way with force elements of the United States". Mr Howard said Mr Wood, who suffers from a serious heart complaint, had "suffered immensely" in captivity. The news of his release was conveyed to Mr Wood's brother Malcolm and other family members last night in a phone call by Mr Downer about 6pm. "They were slightly disbelieving," Mr Downer said. "Their hopes had been raised and dashed over the last six weeks. I told them no, we had the so-called "proof of life" test we had applied - asking him a question and him being able to give a personal answer to that question. Very few have been released by military action of this kind." Speaking outside his home in Canberra, Malcolm Wood said: "The family, of course, are delighted." Malcolm Wood and his brother Vernon are due to give a press conference in Canberra at 11am AEST. Family spokesman Neil Smail said the family had been greatly relieved by the news. "The family greatly appreciates the work that has been done towards Douglas's release by the Australian government team in Iraq and officials in Canberra, other agencies in Iraq and earlier by Sheik Hilaly." Mr Howard told parliament that at no stage had a ransom been paid. Mr Downer said Mr Wood had been "extraordinarily lucky". Canberra had approved in-principle hostage release operations using military forces but had no prior knowledge of the Iraqi-led operation. He said the operation to release Mr Wood had not directly involved Australia's 20-strong emergency response team, which included a special forces detachment. The engineer was snatched on the way to work in late April by a group calling itself the Shura Council of the Mujahideen. Mr Howard admitted to being "overwhelmed with relief", as he broke the news of Mr Wood's release to the parliament. Both Mr Howard and Mr Downer praised Sheik Hilaly's efforts in helping secure Mr Wood's release after nearly 50 days in captivity. Mr Howard said he had been trying to contact Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari to thank him for his country's help in securing Mr Wood's release. "I hope very shortly to express my thanks for the efforts of his forces, and may I record again our thanks to our American friends," Mr Howard said. "It is a wonderful outcome for this man who suffered so much." Posted by: Spavirt Pheng6042 2005-06-15 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=121750 |