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| Iraq |
| British journalist rescued in Basra |
| 2008-04-14 |
| BAGHDAD - Iraqi troops rescued a British journalist for CBS News in the southern city of Basra on Monday two months after he was kidnapped, the Iraqi military said. Richard Butler was in good condition when he was found with a sack over his head and his hands tied inside a house, Lt. Gen. Mohan al-Fireji said. The discovery came during an Iraqi military sweep in the Jibiliya area, a Shiite militia stronghold in Basra, 340 miles southeast of Baghdad. Defense ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said that an army patrol conducting a search came under fire from the house where Butler was being held. One of the gunmen was wounded in an exchange of fire and another captured while two men escaped, he said. Butler was later shown on Iraqi state television laughing and greeting his rescuers."Thank you and I'm looking forward to seeing my family and my friends at CBS and thank you again," Butler told al-Askari. He described the soldiers' performance as "brilliant." "The Iraqi army stormed the house and overcame my guards and they burst through the door," Butler said. "I had my hood on, which I had to have on all the time, and they shouted something at me, and I pulled my hood off." In London, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband welcomed Butler's release and said he was "very grateful to (Iraqi) security forces for the professionalism of the task they have undertaken." He said Butler was in the care of the British consulate in Basra. In New York, CBS News spokeswoman Sandy Genelius said the network was "incredibly grateful that our colleague ... has been released and is safe." Butler was kidnapped along with his Iraqi interpreter on Feb. 10 in Basra. The interpreter was later released. Iraqi police and witnesses said the two men were seized by about eight masked gunmen wielding machine guns who stormed a hotel in the city. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #9 His fortune is made, the papers will throw ungodly sums at him gor an "Exclusive" Interview, then slant/print whatever they want (Depending on the paper's intended Agenda) |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-04-14 22:47 |
| #8 I wonder if briton's foreign office will offer his kidnappers sanctuary, along with tea and scones. spit |
| Posted by: Hector 2008-04-14 20:14 |
| #7 phil b - wonder if this schmuck still thinks terrorism's coooool. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-04-14 20:06 |
| #6 This guy works for the Australian version of 60 Minutes, a program I loath and refuse to watch under circumstances, not least because they paid terrorists large amounts of money for their stories. Thus making terrorism both cool and profitable. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2008-04-14 19:02 |
| #5 The the Iraqi government, doing british heavy lifting again. Whay exactly are the british forces still doing in sothern Iraq? Are they waiting to surrender to Iran? And yes, I know the problem comes from the top. |
| Posted by: Hector 2008-04-14 16:27 |
| #4 Richard Butler was in good condition when he was found with a sack over his head and his hands tied inside a house Too bad they didn't follow the British-Army model and 'not get involved in an obvious Shiite matter'. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-04-14 15:28 |
| #3 Would they so stoopid as to bite the hand that frees it??? Yes but its not out of stupidity; its out of malice. |
| Posted by: mhw 2008-04-14 14:14 |
| #2 It will be interesting to see what kind of coverage the Iraqi forces get from the MSM or if it gets spun somehow???? Would they so stoopid as to bite the hand that frees it??? |
| Posted by: USN,Ret. 2008-04-14 14:02 |
| #1 BBC Headline: British journalist FREED in Iraq http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7346487.stm In another BBC article he's RELEASED. It's "almost" deliberately misleading. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2008-04-14 14:00 |