US Hostage Will Be 'Spared'

Australia News.com ^ | April 12, 2004 | wire report

[threat matrix]

The Iraqi group holding a US hostage has agreed not to kill him, Mezher Dulaimi, a self described Iraqi mediator, said yesterday.

Dulaimi, who heads an Iraqi human rights group, said the affair of the missing American had been settled, and that he was in good health.

Earlier, Qatar based satellite television station Al-Jazeera screened a video showing a man in civillian clothes and presented him as Thomas Hamill, a United States national held hostage.

Dulaimi said that the United States hostage had recieved medical attention.

However there was no immediate word on when he might be released.

[threat matrix]

There's a profile of Hamill in today's New York Times..(1st section)

[petitfour]

Thanks for the update. Prayers continue.

[pettifogger]

Dulaimi said that the United States hostage had recieved medical attention.

Why did he need medical attention if he's been unharmed?

[stboz]

Trust but Verify.

Nope. Verify....trust? Maybe...maybe not.

[isthisnickcool]

And that differs from a leew-yeh or a ratpol, or a partisan media hack exactly how?

We were not talking about lawyers, Democrats or The Leftist Media. But your point is obvious and well taken. They, along with the Arab Islamic Radicals*, are birds of a feather.

*This brings up another item unrelated to this thread. Are all the followers of Islam the same? Or, are we indeed fighting with just a small "radical" part of a large group? Or all Muslims everywhere?

[petitfour]

I don't know. I haven't read anything on this subject today other than what is on this thread.

[Travis McGee]

These guys found out what happens when Americans are murdered, burned and mutilated.

800 of their most hard core street fighters are now buried under soccer fields.

They learned a painful lesson about mistreating Americans for political effect, and it was the oppostite of what they planned.

[dixie sass]

Terrorists told us the same thing in Beruit and ...

[spetznaz]

I have only my instinct to tell me this, but my guess is that the captors are a probably a bunch of rowdy and unsophisticated local boys who thought they would aid the cause and threaten to kill their hostages, then when their bluff was called, they didn't actually have the guts to follow through. Now they're pretending to come to a diplomatic end in order to save face.

It is not a 'guts' issue ....this is the scum that ambushed those other contractors and mutilated their bodies, and they seem to have no qualms shooting at our soldiers. Killing a hapless hostage does not require guts for a murderous oaf!

The reason behind the hostage ping-pong is based on some clerics (on our side) issuing a Fatwa on hostage taking, essentially banning it, and other clerics (those against us) saying it is fair game. Hence you see some groups capturing hostages and then setting them free. There is probably some power play between the older clerics who want to remain in power, and the younger firebrands (like Sadr) who want to take power in a more overt way. If the Fatwa takes hold then the hostages will be released. In the case of the Japanese hostages it seemed they were due to be killed, then they were supposed to be released, and now no word on what is to happen.

The best thing is to pray for Mr Hamill and the other hostages. Until they set foot on American soil (here or in Iraq) they need prayer.

[montag813]

Isn't this guy a worker for Halliburton? I'm surprised Ted Kennedy isn't calling for the Al-Sadr wackos to put him on trial.

[tdadams]

You don't know any more than I do what's at the root of their hesitance to kill the hostages. At least I'm honest enough to say it's only my opinion. You give us your version like you're some CIA operative on the ground in Fallujah.

As much as you and I may despise radical Muslim terrorists, I'm not so inclined to paint everyone with a broad brush. I believe there are reluctant and easily manipulated participants who are unwitting pawns in the hands of older, more cowardly manipulators. Think about the 14 year old Palestinian boy who was sent to blow up Israeli soldiers at a border checkpoint. He didn't want to kill anyone and he didn't want to die for "the cause". He was a half-wit who got roped into sacrificing himself for the benefit of jihadi leaders who were too cowardly to carry it out themselves.

I stand by what I said. As much as we see the radical, violent Muslims intent on killing westerners, I believe there are also moderate Muslims who wish to live in peace. And then there are young, gullible pawns who simply want to feel like they're part of something. It's not inconceivable, is it, that these hostage takers got caught up in doing something for "the cause" and ended up in over their heads, only to realize they didn't have the will to carry out their threats?

I offered my opinion, nothing more and nothing less. Don't be such a know it all. Even the Pentagon and CIA is guessing at a lot of what's going on. Why on earth should I give your analysis any credibilty?

[gracex7]

Sounds plausible. I agree that we need to keep them in prayer, also Kellie Hamill, who having undergone open-heart surgery, certainly doesn't need this added stress in her recovery.

[SuziQ]

The US commanders there are willing to let 100 Americans die going block to block while our Air Force sits on the ground.

Dropping bombs indiscriminately on innocent citizens will help NO one, least of all our soldiers on the ground! The people actually causing the trouble in Fallujah were a small number relative to the population of the town. They were followers of the murdering Al-Sadist. It was THEY with whom we needed to deal, not the citizens who didn't want them there to begin with. Frankly I think killing 600 of them was pretty good work for our soldiers especially since many of that 600 were callously using women and children as shields because they know our guys will NOT shoot at innocents just to get the bad guys. Some may call that being too PC; I call it being HUMAN!

It is frustrating sitting at home listening to the media reports, but remember the media is NOT reporting things that might be going well because they don't want to help President Bush in ANY way! They'll allow our soldiers to feel abandoned in their quest to regain power for the Democrats.

[dixiechick2000]

"The following is from vetvetdoug:
This guy went to Iraq to avoid bankruptcy. His wife just had heart surgery and has two kids, aged 12 and 14. He did this so that he would not take the easy way out and file bankruptcy and pay his creditors. The entire town of Macon is behind him and say he is one fine upstanding and religious and honest man."




Thank you for the post, vetvet. And, thank you for the ping, WKB.
My heart goes out to him, and his family, and I will continue to keep them in my prayers.

Pukin Dog, this may answer some of your concerns of the other night.

[onyx]

Thanks for the details.
He'd better be released unharmed.

[onyx]

These guys found out what happens when Americans are murdered, burned and mutilated.
800 of their most hard core street fighters are now buried under soccer fields.

They learned a painful lesson about mistreating Americans for political effect, and it was the oppostite of what they planned.




Thank you, Trav.
I feel better about Hammill's release now.

[dixiechick2000]

Thank you from me, as well.
I feel better about his release, too.

[daybreakcoming]

To an Arab, the "truth" is whatever he can convince you is the "truth". It has nothing to do with reality or absolute truth.

You sound like you know this firsthand. I've been there firsthand and know this to be true with few exceptions. Seems to be more of a generational tradition thing rather than deliberate in some cases. Our politicians can't hold a candle to their spinning.

[samtheman]

"Lying is forbidden in Iraq"

--Baghdad Bob

LOL!

[McGavin999]

These are the same thugs who have been kidnapping Iraqis. The Iraqis have been paying them to release their loved ones. They thought if it worked with the Iraqi people, it would work against the Americans. It didn't. Instead, if they hurt these people we will hunt them to the ends of the earth. They have just figured this out.