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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Al-Jazeera airs tape of weeping aid worker |
| 2004-10-22 |
| Margaret Hassan, the kidnapped director of CARE International in Iraq, appeared on a videotape aired Friday, weeping and pleading with British Prime Minister Tony Blairto withdraw troops from Iraq "and not bring them to Baghdad" because "this might be my last hour. Please help me," a haggard and terrified Hassan begged in the video, aired by the Arabic television station Al-Jazeera. "This might be my last hour. Please help me." Hassan — an Irish-British-Iraqi national who has been doing humanitarian work in Iraq for 30 years, including distributing medicine and food — at one point broke down in tears and buried her face in a tissue. "The British people, tell Mr. Blair to take the troops out of Iraq and not bring them here to Baghdad. That's why people like myself and Mr. Bigley have been caught. Please, please, I beg of you," she said. "I dont want to die like Bigley," referring to British hostage Kenneth Bigley who was decapitated on a video posted this month on an Islamist Web site. Before his slaying, his kidnappers released two videos of Bigley pleading for Blair to act to save him. Though women have been kidnapped in Iraq's wave of abductions, none have been killed, and all have been freed unharmed. The wrenching appeal by Hassan, who was kidnapped on Tuesday in Baghdad, puts new political pressure on Blair's government, a day after it agreed to a U.S. request that it redeploy troops from the south to the Baghdad region in order to free up U.S. troops to assault insurgents. Blair's Downing Street office had no immediate comment on the video. The kidnappers — who pulled Hassan out of her car at gunpoint — have pointed in previous statements to her British citizenship. Born in Dublin, she also holds Irish citizenship and was naturalized as an Iraqi after marrying an Iraqi. In the tape, Hassan — visible from the shoulders up — stands in front of a bare wall. The tape did not include any claim of responsibility nor did it show any of the kidnappers. An editor at Al-Jazeera, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the network received the tape Friday but refused to say how or where. He said the tape included only Hassan's statement. I'd like to comment on this article, but quite frankly, I'm speechless. Other than to say we must not allow these dreadful men to bully their way into power one butchery at a time. Please stand fast, Britain. |
| Posted by:Seafarious |
| #41 British stinks... Britain created the destruction in Middle East and most of Africa and Most of Asia. Britain deserves to get hurt, unfortunate that innocent british civillian must pay the sins of their ancestors... |
| Posted by: Syaifullah 2004-10-22 6:31:21 PM |
| #40 Bulldog - only three people have been shown begging for their lives. The Filipino, Bigley and this woman. Everyone else kept a stiff upper lip. The defiant Italian's reaction was broadcast by accident. Jihadis get to show what they want to show. The fact is that everyone else went to their deaths stoically. Except for these three people. These folks are the scum of the earth. Which folks are you referring to? I suppose those American hostages who "screamed" as their throats were cut were being 'stoic'? Let me remind you that I didn't start this filthy argument. Don't try to make out most other victims have died with dignity. There is no dignity for anyone involved in this sort of shit. Has it occurred to you that the British hostages have been allowed to plead for their lives because their killers think they can use such footage to try to put pressure on Blair? The Americans taken with Bigley may not have even been given the chance to beg for mercy. Their killers know that Bush wouldn't make any concessions, whereas Blair's position is much weaker, and both sides know that Zarqawi would be exceedingly unlikely to ever release American hostages alive, anyway. Most faced their fate bravely and without complaint. It seems you haven't read transcripts or reports of, or actually seen any of the murder footage have you? These three are blaming everyone except themselves and the terrorists. This is why they are cowards. They couldn't take the heat. They should never have been in the kitchen. They are/were trying to save their skins. I think in the same situation, many, if not most, people would do the same. Using your logic, I suppose girls who wear short skirts deserved to get raped, huh? |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-10-23 7:13:04 PM |
| #39 if it isn't another situation like the two italian traitor babes, we can't condemn her. I would also like her to be strong like the dead italian, but jeebus, I don't think I have the standing to criticize her. I agree with Blair's response - 25K more |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-10-22 10:49:05 PM |
| #38 I've seen the video, but isn't it unusual for Zarqawi's hard boys to take women hostages? And considering #23's comments (plus other media sources that agree), there's at least the possibility that this is a repeat of the two Italian women hostages scenario. If the terrorists are willing to release a lefty Aussie journalist after googling his long record of anti-Americanism, I'm going to be a bit skeptical. |
| Posted by: mrp 2004-10-22 10:28:48 PM |
| #37 An appropriate response by Tony Blair to the blackmail demands made by the terrorists through the pleadings of Mrs. Hassan: I'm ordering another 25,000 British Marines to Fallujah and Baghdad. |
| Posted by: Mark Z. 2004-10-22 9:24:55 PM |
| #36 Bulldog: Calling murder victims cowards is about as sick as you can f***ing get... I think you have also forgotten the brave souls who are either dead or wounded because they refused to be kidnapped and fought back. If you submit, you deserve what you get. (I have a Samson complex - I believe in pulling the temple down over my enemies. If I were in Iraq, they would not have taken me prisoner. Even if the only prize I got in return for my life was an attacker's eye, I would have done it). |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-10-22 9:04:21 PM |
| #35 Bulldog: To the people highlighting Bigley and Hassan as hostages who act cowardly: who the hell hasn't acted cowardly, by your definition? I could name names, including a fair few Americans, but I think that's pretty damn insulting to people whose lives were and are on the line. Only one man that I'm aware of, Fabrizio Quattrocchi, behaved in the sort of defiant manner I assume you think you yourselves would be capable of - the rest have died disgusting deaths in misery and fear. And recall that Quattrocchi was the only one of his group to be killed. His defiance, admirable though it was, didn't seem to do him any favours in the getting-out-alive stakes. Bulldog - only three people have been shown begging for their lives. The Filipino, Bigley and this woman. Everyone else kept a stiff upper lip. The defiant Italian's reaction was broadcast by accident. Jihadis get to show what they want to show. The fact is that everyone else went to their deaths stoically. Except for these three people. These folks are the scum of the earth. Bulldog: Calling murder victims cowards is about as sick as you can f***ing get... They did not have to be in Iraq. They chose to be. Most faced their fate bravely and without complaint. These three are blaming everyone except themselves and the terrorists. This is why they are cowards. They couldn't take the heat. They should never have been in the kitchen. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-10-22 8:58:35 PM |
| #34 A car bomb at the headquarters of Al-Jazeera for being part and parcel to the producton of these videos is in order. The hostages that have been released all have said Al-Jazeera was there filiming. Al-Jazeera knows where they are. Al-Jazeera is part of the kidnap gang. TakeAl-Jazeera out of the equation. A bomb everytime they show one of these videos. I hope this lady gets out of this OK but I don't hold out great hope for her as this is the muslim cult of death we are talking about. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-10-22 7:21:02 PM |
| #33 To the people highlighting Bigley and Hassan as hostages who act cowardly: who the hell hasn't acted cowardly, by your definition? I could name names, including a fair few Americans, but I think that's pretty damn insulting to people whose lives were and are on the line. Only one man that I'm aware of, Fabrizio Quattrocchi, behaved in the sort of defiant manner I assume you think you yourselves would be capable of - the rest have died disgusting deaths in misery and fear. And recall that Quattrocchi was the only one of his group to be killed. His defiance, admirable though it was, didn't seem to do him any favours in the getting-out-alive stakes. Calling murder victims cowards is about as sick as you can f***ing get... |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-10-22 7:11:13 PM |
| #32 The woman is begging to the wrong people -- she should be begging to her captors. But she is not because they will make what little remains of her life far more painful if she does not play her assigned role. The begging makes it all the more imperative that we not give in to these demons and that we silence their accomplice, Al-Jazeera. Al-Jazeera needs to take a few hard hits from out of nowhere. |
| Posted by: Tom 2004-10-22 6:43:22 PM |
| #31 Lex, I am not saying pay ransom or give in to blackmail, but for Christ's sakes, the women is clearly terrified. You have to have some sympathy that she is facing her mortality, and not in a way any of us should wish to face it. Where the hell if your humanity? Are we not fighting against this barbarity that is Islam? Are we not fighting against terrorism which these public acts so clearly are? Doesn't fighting terrorism mean we must also preserve our high implicit value we hold on human life, that not just marks open and democratic societies, but also our own personal values? Are not our values, democracy, free markets and our rights worth preserving and worth expressing. Sympathy for this poor woman's plight would go a long way towards bolstering the fact we are in this not just for ourselves but for everyone? After all, in the war on terror we are all combatants whether we want to be or not. |
| Posted by: badanov 2004-10-22 6:32:48 PM |
| #30 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: syaifullah TROLL 2004-10-22 6:31:21 PM |
| #29 I have not seen the video tape of Hassan. I did, however, hear the audio portion of the video on the radio while coming home from work. Unless Hassan is a damn good actress, I think the kidnapping is for real and this isn't a stunt by the left wing. Upon hearing Hassan's words my only thought was this: In the face of an awful death I pray I can muster more courage and dignity than she (and Bigley) demonstrated. In the face of evil Bigley died without honor. Given what I heard on the radio today, I suspect Hassan will do likewise. |
| Posted by: Mark Z. 2004-10-22 6:26:54 PM |
| #28 Boy, do I wish the SAS or Delta Force boys could nab Zarqawi! Failing that, a few tons of napalm dropped on their neighbourhood would do. That would teach them the REAL meaning of slaughter! |
| Posted by: Kyle_st 2004-10-22 6:04:37 PM |
| #27 From the time of Bigley, still applies! "In a report on the predicament of British engineer Ken Bigley, kidnapped by the evil murdering holy warriors of Zarqawiâs Tawhid wal Jihad gang, Scotland on Sunday has a quote from the Islamic kidnappers that was ignored in other media reports, but perfectly illustrates the mentality of these creatures: Help in the grip of evil. (Hat tip: Chris Lynch.) âGiven the sensitivity, we are saying nothing,â one Downing Street official explained. Privately, Blair recognises the Bigley familyâs predicament is âghastlyâ, but he will not negotiate with terrorists. This does not seem to bother the hostage-takers. They began taunting Western governments over their efforts to seek their citizensâ release from captivity. Late on Friday a fresh message appeared on a website believed to be used by al-Zarqawi which read: âWhat is laughable is the insistence of the ministers of all infidel nationalities on the phrase âno negotiationsâ. As if there was any question of negotiation. Far from it - they must obey the demands of the Mujahadeen. If you refuse, we slaughter.â |
| Posted by: Don Yassin 2004-10-22 5:57:59 PM |
| #26 Another alternative to consider is that given the potential answers to Kalle's questions and the anomalies Mike pointed out in #4, this may actually be a put on to destabilize Tony. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-10-22 5:36:01 PM |
| #25 Sorry, badanov, but this woman has already seen the emotional blackmail that was used against Bigley. She has no excuse for her disgraceful behavior. If she has even half a brain she will know that her words will encourage still more kidnappings and cause the death of many more hapless victims like herself. There is a point at which people of good will must stand up and refuse to play the emotional blackmail game. We reached that point quite a while ago. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-10-22 5:32:53 PM |
| #24 And what in God's name was she doing moving around Iraq unprotected? Anyone with an ounce of sense in their little brain would be carrying an assault rifle and a sidearm! |
| Posted by: Don Yassin 2004-10-22 4:05:00 PM |
| #23 Some observations and questions about the abducted lady. First, let's get this very clear: I hope she escapes alive. And I'd like to know more about her background. She's been living in Iraq for 30 years. She married an Iraqi and has an Iraqi passport. She could travel (and did travel) back and forth between Iraq and the UK. It is known that after the invasion of Koweit and during Gulf War I she chose to stay in Iraq. Apparently the war against Iran didn't prompt her to leave Iraq either. Since 1991, she had been lobbying British MPs to lift sanctions, she had been complaining that the UN was (deliberately?) starving poor children, and in 2002 she warned of a humanitarian disaster should the Coalition attack Saddam. When did she ever denounce the Baathist regime? How did she manage to live and travel so freely under that dictatorship? who picked her and let her run that CARE charity org in Iraq since 1992? Who is her husband and what has his role been under the Baathist regime? is she a Moslem convert? |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2004-10-22 3:55:01 PM |
| #22 Thank you, Badanov. It is important to remember that it is the Islamist Pigs who are the enemy. It is up to our leadership to stand tall and lead our nations. |
| Posted by: SR71 2004-10-22 3:46:09 PM |
| #21 I don't know if this hostage is a player or an innocent-but I have to admit, if she is an innocent and I were in her place, I'd be sh*tting my pants and gulping bile and sleepless for days obsessing over what was to happen. I would try my very best to do what you say, lex and don yassin, because I do admire the Italian hostage who stood proudly defiant of his executioners, I admire that courage and integrity. I hope I would have the courage to do that in that situation. But imagine that nightmare threat hanging over you. |
| Posted by: Jules 187 2004-10-22 3:32:41 PM |
| #20 This poor lady will die at the hands of Islamofascists. Please do not express disdain for someone so clearly helpless. She' can't defend herself Please pray for her and the victims that were murdered before her. But please do not show this anger at someone who cannot defend herself, and who know nothing of war and death. Please... |
| Posted by: badanov 2004-10-22 3:28:35 PM |
| #19 What a pathetic individual! You'd think she'd have the wherewithal to hold her chin up high (like the Italian hostage did) and show her thugish captors how a, "...CARE worker dies!!!" |
| Posted by: Don Yassin 2004-10-22 3:06:08 PM |
| #18 One think that is perplexing: how come she has been active (living?) in Iraq for the last 30 years? what kind of deals had she made with the Baathists? Not that it matters to her current ordeal, just wondering about the real story. Since her husband was Iraqi, did he live in the UK or in Iraq? who's side was he on? where is he now? |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2004-10-22 1:51:46 PM |
| #17 The worst aspect of Bigley-ism is the personal appeals to Tony Blair. This is a variety of emotional blackmail that any Briton, hell, any member of civilization, must find utterly repulsive. Shame on the press for playing along. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-10-22 12:57:54 PM |
| #16 One item that should be considered in the evaluation of the hostages' behaviour is that the terrorists seem to have a fully stocked pharmaceutical cabinet at their disposal. Unfortuantely, by the time we find out the truth these deaths may only be footnotes in a very ugly story. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-10-22 12:52:23 PM |
| #15 Imagine yourself in that situation. There are literally millions of people around the world watching you, waiting to see how you will behave. Your choice is really very simple: you can deny your killers the satisfaction of making you cringe, weep, and play along in their little snuff film. Or you can say No, I won't play your game, because it requires me to renounce everything that I love and hold dear in life. Is that really a difficult choice for someone with anything like a sense of dignity? Or any parent: What lesson would you want to impart to your children-- here's your dad, he's a coward, his cowardice has been broadcast around the world, and he has aided a group of monsters in their efforts to recruit more monsters in their cause of slaughter? |
| Posted by: lex 2004-10-22 12:46:13 PM |
| #14 Bigley-ism, and I'm hesitant about coining the phenomenon under a single individuals' name, seems to spring from the diminution of courage; the advance of moral ambiguity as a result of radical egalitarianism and the inevitable puncturing of the leftâs rejectionist fantasy (Iâm with the oppressed third worlders) by an ugly reality. The pleading raises one's hackles because it is clearly an effective propaganda tool by Islamofascist thugs waging an asymmetric war (assuming they are conversant in such concepts), and it is ineffective but intimate narcissism by the victim. |
| Posted by: WhiteCat 2004-10-22 12:41:58 PM |
| #13 Still f*ckin angry though. |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2004-10-22 12:32:59 PM |
| #12 I have no confidence in "the British people" to support their Prime Minister, he'll have to hold out on his own ... And lex, I'm sorry to say, but the answer is no, she wants to go out a coward just like Ken Bigley. |
| Posted by: Edward Yee 2004-10-22 12:30:13 PM |
| #11 She's Irish. |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2004-10-22 12:26:35 PM |
| #10 Oh, my. Clean up in aisle 9. Very messy. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-10-22 12:24:16 PM |
| #9 #1 Al-Jazeera? hy is this Islamofascist front still around? your comment stupid mother f$%&cker display your level of inteligence go back to your father testicles, becouse you scum! do not deserve this life |
| Posted by: almieter 2004-10-22 12:12:15 PM |
| #8 "I dont want to die like Bigley" But the harsh truth is that you almost certainly will die, so the question for you is whether you will summon up some courage and deny the jihadists the chance to make another recruiting tape, or die like a coward. Harsh? Yes. But Bigley-ism must be stopped in its tracks. A monster has been unleashed. Unless ordinary people find some courage in them and refuse to give in to emotional blackmail, there will be many, many more such victims. Courage, girl. No one will remember what you did before now, but everyone you love, and millions more, will remember how you carried yourself during your final days. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-10-22 12:07:38 PM |
| #7 Jules, I think the media will try its best to spin it the 'legitimate resistance' and 'Blair/Bush's fault' route. On the whole I dont think I would want to be a muslim in the UK if they do behead her. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-10-22 11:58:37 AM |
| #6 When such a film is shown, the Brits should react with the disgust and anger due the jihadis for conducting such barbaric beheadings, instead of buying into the politically popular opinion that kidnappings and beheadings are forms of legitimate resistance. Tony should not be punished for refusing to buckle to the deadly blackmail of the barbarians. |
| Posted by: Jules 187 2004-10-22 11:55:12 AM |
| #5 Mike - I think this was like an auction tickler... "We have a bona-fide weeper here, ready and willing to say anything you care to script. She's unbranded and will have the UK Press by the short 'n curlies. So, who's interested in screwing with Blair? What's our opening bid?" |
| Posted by: .com 2004-10-22 11:53:15 AM |
| #4 ...I hope I am not misconstruing this, but: The tape did not include any claim of responsibility nor did it show any of the kidnappers. This seems very out of character for these monsters. Combined with Miss Hassan's statement, I am hoping that what we're seeing isn't staged.. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2004-10-22 11:47:47 AM |
| #3 It may not do much to military ops, but it will shorten Tony Blair's political career span. If they release film of her beheading, I fear the reaction in Britain. Any thoughts, Bulldog et al? |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-10-22 11:43:02 AM |
| #2 Kalle, I count the rest of the MSM as accomplices - tho Al-Jitzz seems to carry the torch for them. Something needs to be done about al-jitzz. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-10-22 11:30:26 AM |
| #1 It seems pretty clear that Al-Jazeera is an accomplice in publicizing propaganda movies of human slaughter and terrified victims. I am pretty sure the UK will not surrender military operations to such blackmail. But will they tolerate the "contribution" of Al-Jazeera? Why is this Islamofascist front still around? |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2004-10-22 11:12:15 AM |