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Swede may have given Wood tip
A SWEDISH hostage who spent weeks in captivity with Douglas Wood may have given the US information that helped to secure the release of the 63-year-old Australian.Ulf Hjertstrom, also 63, a Swedish oil broker who has lived in Baghdad for 14 years, was released from his own 67-day kidnap drama on May 30. Sweden's Aftonbladet newspaper has reported how Mr Hjertstrom, who was taken to US authorities after his release, was interrogated about his time as a hostage. According to the newspaper, information he provided helped to secure the release of Mr Wood, who spent several weeks sharing what was described as a cell with Mr Hjertstrom. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed Mr Wood spent part of his time in captivity with a Swedish national. "We can confirm that Mr Wood was held with a Swedish national who was released about two weeks before Mr Wood's recovery," the DFAT spokeswoman said. After 47 days held hostage, Mr Wood was discovered last Wednesday during a routine search and cordon operation by Iraqi troops, backed by US forces. An Iraqi hostage was released during the same operation. The details of how Mr Wood came to be freed remain sketchy, with Australian officials saying his rescuers received intelligence that led them to the house in the dangerous Baghdad suburb of Ghazaliya. However, US and Iraqi forces put the rescue down to good luck more than anything else. Mr Wood, who returned to Australia yesterday, has revealed some details about what happened to him after he was kidnapped on April 30. During a press conference yesterday, he said he was held in two different houses throughout his ordeal, and remembered being moved from one to the other about 10 days into his captivity. He declined to answer a number of questions, saying it was too traumatic. But Mr Wood is expected to give a fuller picture during a paid interview with Channel 10, to be broadcast on Sunday. Posted by: Spavirt Pheng6042 2005-06-21 |
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