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UK POW IN IRAQ ASKS PRESIDENT BUSH TO FIND HIS MISSING DAUGHTER AFTER HIS CAPTURE BY US ARMY.
Original eye-witness account. ^ | March 2004. | Michael Todd

Posted on 03/07/2004 4:53:59 AM PST by Michael Todd

I am a British Citizen who entered Iraq on the 13th of June 2003 to search for my missing half Iraqi daughter (aged 2) and to give out soft toys to Iraqi children. I travelled to Iraq with the full knowledge of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Baghdad, the US and UK Embassied in Ankara, the Turkish Prime Minister and also certain units of the US Army. Despite this, I was forcibly captured by the US as I walked down a street in Sulaimaniyah (North Iraq). I was captured on the 4th of July along with soldiers of the Turkish Special Forces and was treated like a terrorist suspect - kicked, beaten and spat at. I was cuffed and a plastic bag was put on my head. On my person was 100% documentary proof as to why I was in Iraq. Despite this I was bundled into a truck along with the non-uniformed Turk soldiers and driven to Kirkuk Airbase. US soldiers said I was a terrorist. They "accidentally" cut my hand when they took my plastic handcuffs off with a knife and my hearing was impaired the next day when they flew us to Baghdad in a Chinook Helicopter without ear protection. We were all dressed in orange, in a 'Guantanamo Bay' suit, and denied any rights. My toe was broken when a soldier kicked me as I lay on the runway at Baghdad Airport, suffering from exhaustion. The Turks were released on the 6th of July but I remained in custody for three weeks under 24/7 armed guard. Yes, even as I slept (dreaming of my missing child), M16's were pointed at me just two metres away.

Since my release I have contacted President Bush, John Kerry and Tony Blair, asking them to help me find my minsisng daughter in Iraq. None of them has yet replied.

I love America but need to know why this happened and what Mr Bush or Mr Kerry will do about finding my dautghter in Iraq.

I ask President Bush a specific WMD question; 'Wheres My Daughter?'

I can be contacted at mtodd@linuxmail.org

Thank you for reading; I value debate, questions and suggestions as I hope to be visiting the USA soon.

Michael Todd (Ex Prisoner of War in Iraq)


TOPICS: Issues
KEYWORDS: iraq; michaeltodd; missingdaughter; prisonerofwar; sajida; usarmyabuse; wheresmydaughter

1 posted on 03/07/2004 4:54:01 AM PST by Michael Todd
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To: Michael Todd

Michael Todd & daughter's photo via BBC Website

2 posted on 03/07/2004 5:08:44 AM PST by jigsaw (God Bless Our Troops.)
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To: jigsaw
Thanks for posting my picture; I am very disappointed at the lack of response to my posting - any idea why you are the only one? Perhaps politics, once again, have got in the way of protecting the innocent?

Why doesn't Bush or Kerry care about helping me to find my child in Iraq after US soldiers detained me?
3 posted on 03/10/2004 1:12:25 AM PST by Michael Todd
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To: Michael Todd
Dear Mr. Todd,

By chance I just saw this thread and I would like to wish you luck in finding your daughter Sajida.

I am sure it is difficult to get the ear of Bush or Blair on such a subject. I wonder if you would have more luck trying to contact people lower in command, yet on the ground there (or, who were on the ground there... or who know people on the ground there...). For example (off the top of my head) I know there's a military blogger named "Chief Wiggles" who set up a toy drive for children. I have no reason to think he could personally get you any closer to your goal, but it's worth a shot, as contacting someone like him (you can email him from his page) at least has a chance of getting your request "into the loop" so to speak, if he could pass it along to someone who might be able to get the wheels turning, point you in the right direction, etc. I imagine there are other military bloggers etc. out there, and if you found this website, I'm sure you could find them, I know that all of them would like to help you find your daughter if at all within their power.

Again, best of luck to you sir.

4 posted on 03/16/2004 5:31:32 PM PST by Dr. Frank fan
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To: Dr. Frank fan
Hello and thanks for posting; I appreciate and accept your good wishes.

You are quite right about the difficulty in getting the ear of Mr Bush or Mr Blair - neither of them has yet responded to faxes I sent them from Iraq last summer or to letters I mailed them last September. The letters contained a full briefing of what happened to me.

I am working with the UK office in Baghdad, the ICRC (Red Cross), my Member of Parliament, various NGO's and others.

When I was captive, some of the soldiers guarding me said it would be a better use of their time if they could help me search for my child! This was a nice thought but it never happened of course; it would have been a good story for Mr Bush though. Still I am hopeful that someone close to him will pick up on my plight and do something to help. When my daugther is found it would be great for the US to say that they had played a part in finding her, especially after I was held as a POW by them.

I'm sure there are members of this forum who can make things happen in Washington, so why can't these people run this story by a few people there?

Thanks for the suggestion anyway Dr. Frank fan; I will check out 'Chief Wiggles' and see what he says.

You are absolutely right about soldiers wanting to help me. As I sat in front of my armed guards for 24 hours every day, there was often a young soldier who said he'd like to do something to find my child. Many of them thought that my detention was "unbelievable", especially as my reason for been in Iraq was fully checkable. Although I was badly treated when first captured, I made friends with some of the soldiers from a different unit who guarded me later on; one of them even invited me to his homecoming!

Best regards, Michael Todd, York, England.
5 posted on 03/18/2004 3:50:58 AM PST by Michael Todd
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