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| Iraq |
| Troops in Iraq Free 3 Western Hostages |
| 2006-03-23 |
| Britain says multinational troops in Iraq have freed three Western peace activists held hostage since November. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw announced in London that the hostages - Briton Norman Kember and Canadians James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden - were freed during a military operation Thursday. A fourth man seized at the same time, an American, was found shot to death in Baghdad earlier this month. Straw said today's rescue operation followed "weeks and weeks" of planning, but he released few details. He said the British hostage is now in Baghdad in "reasonable condition," but that the two Canadians are hospitalized. The three men, members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams, were abducted in Baghdad on November fourth, along with their American colleague, Tom Fox. A little known group, the Swords of Righteousness Brigades, claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. Separately, a suicide bombing at a security checkpoint in central Baghdad today killed at least 15 people and wounded more than 30 others. Most of the victims were policemen. Officials say the bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into a checkpoint outside headquarters of the main criminal unit of the Iraqi police. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #28 Thanks for saving us from beheading. Now go back to your babykilling ways. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-03-23 19:56 |
| #27 I heard this news in the am on fox 's daily buzz, and they clearly said the hostages were released no mention of rescue, and certainly no mention of coalition forces. Glad to see that the military met these turds face to face. The look in those 'three' eyes must have been intresting. |
| Posted by: SCpatriot 2006-03-23 16:56 |
| #26 Shudda left 'em ta get their heads chopped off |
| Posted by: kelly 2006-03-23 15:18 |
| #25 Raph BBC also says Canadian spec forces were involved. Interesting indeedy. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2006-03-23 15:15 |
| #24 "Released"... do you suppose the group paid off the terrs? |
| Posted by: eLarson 2006-03-23 14:47 |
| #23 According to the CBC: There have been reports that members of Canada's top secret commando unit, Joint Task Force 2, have been working in Iraq. Well this is news. Let me guess, it's because Harper is now the PM. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2006-03-23 13:45 |
| #22 If you go to the CBC website, the impression you get is that they were released, not rescued. Bastards. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2006-03-23 13:40 |
| #21 They have released a press statement. WARNING the sanctimony in it is sickening And no thanks, but streams of bile for their rescuers. |
| Posted by: tipper 2006-03-23 13:34 |
| #20 They'll be back next week and we can play this game all over again. |
| Posted by: Jake-the-peg 2006-03-23 12:46 |
| #19 badger,you may be right. Maybe it's one way of teaching them graft dosen't work. |
| Posted by: plainslow 2006-03-23 11:46 |
| #18 The first thing that hits me about the CPT is the overarching sanctimony, the tremendous conceit of "we love our enemies." Clearly, they do not. Their true enemies, as betrayed by their words and actions, are the US Military and it is plain that there is no love there. The second thing is how pitiful and ineffectual they as a group are. All their pandering and fawning over their friends the terrorists, under the false guise of "we love our enemies" did not stop the terrorists from killing one of them. Conversely, all their animosity toward our Military did not stop the rescue operation that saved the rest of them. They are worthless dilettantes; nothing but empty egos. |
| Posted by: Uneting Shiper6140 2006-03-23 11:32 |
| #17 no shots fired = tipped off we coming .. simple |
| Posted by: MacNails 2006-03-23 11:05 |
| #16 "Can we tell them to stand further apart." Its because whenever a car gets stopped at a roadblock the iraqi police all rush to the car with their palms outstreched |
| Posted by: pihkalbadger 2006-03-23 10:55 |
| #15 Separately, a suicide bombing at a security checkpoint in central Baghdad today killed at least 15 people and wounded more than 30 others." It always seems like eveytime thereis a suicide bombing with iraq police, they lose in the ten's. Can we tell them to stand further apart. |
| Posted by: plainslow 2006-03-23 10:25 |
| #14 Looks like a real rescue. I must be getting cynical and the "hostages" must have quite cooperative not to have guards. Three Christian Activists Rescued in Iraq Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, the U.S. military spokesman, said the hostages were being held by a "kidnapping cell" in a house in western Baghdad, and the operation to free the captives was based on information from a man captured by U.S. forces only three hours earlier. "They were bound, they were together, there were no kidnappers in the areas," Lynch told a news briefing. He also said military operations concerning other hostages were ongoing, "probably as a result of what we're finding at this time." I'm with Darth. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-03-23 10:16 |
| #13 Should have let 'em rot. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-03-23 10:00 |
| #12 Could be the swords of righteousness/insanity were already in a cage singing like canarys...or complaining that the bagman stole their hard earned Euros? |
| Posted by: Inspector Clueso 2006-03-23 09:18 |
| #11 Probably no ransom money but probably a lot of bribes were paid. |
| Posted by: mhw 2006-03-23 08:25 |
| #10 Then why did the military rescue them? Because the Canadian armed forces are scarce in them parts? |
| Posted by: ed 2006-03-23 08:20 |
| #9 Then why did the military rescue them? If they've got enough money to bribe the terrs they should hire Blackwater to pick up the trash. These assholes should be charged, just like the idiots who have to be rescued at the Grand Canyon. I'd say a billion a head. |
| Posted by: Ulater Sleper5543 2006-03-23 07:46 |
| #8 From AP: The Iraqi Interior Ministry said the captives were rescued in a joint U.S.-British operation in rural area northwest of Baghdad... Speaking in Toronto, Doug Pritchard, co-director of the group (Christian Peacemaker Teams), said no shots were fired during the operation and that the kidnappers were not present when the U.S.-British force freed the hostages. U.S. and British military officials did not provide details of the operation. Sounds like a ransom was paid and the drop off location was given. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-03-23 07:39 |
| #7 I wonder if they were really freed during a military operation, or if they their freedom was bought (I guess buying their release could qualify as a military operation if the funds came out of the military budget, right?). Italy and Germany seemed to have no problem negotiating with terrorists and there are certainly similarly-minded folks in the Canadian and British governments as well. I'm skeptical until I hear that SAS killed ___ terrorists in an assault on the hostage site, or something along those lines. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2006-03-23 07:27 |
| #6 Charge them with complicity in their own kidnapping. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2006-03-23 07:25 |
| #5 Cynical? I think not... In a statement, the Christian Peacemaker Teams said the activists went to Iraq "motivated by a passion for justice and peace." The group called for coalition forces to remove their troops from 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," the statement said. Any way we can give them back? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-03-23 07:22 |
| #4 I wonder if they will even be gracious enough to thank their rescuers... Or am I being just too cynical? No, not cynical at all.These peacnicks shit on us every chance they get. |
| Posted by: ARMYGUY 2006-03-23 07:17 |
| #3 I wonder if they will even be gracious enough to thank their rescuers... Or am I being just too cynical? |
| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2006-03-23 06:57 |
| #2 I wonder how they felt about being rescued by the military after Tom Fox was tortured to death. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2006-03-23 06:49 |
| #1 Great news!!! |
| Posted by: Thavilet Gluger3137 2006-03-23 06:48 |