Kidnapped British Journalist Freed in Iraq

British journalist James Brandon was tonight recovering at a British base in Basra after he was released by Iraqi militants 24 hours after he was kidnapped and threatened with execution.

The 23-year-old, of London, was released from captivity this afternoon, a day after he was snatched from his hotel in the southern city yesterday.

It is believed he was freed following the intervention of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and Mr Brandon’s mother Hilary confirmed that he is in good spirits.

Insurgents had earlier insisted Mr Brandon would be killed if American troops did not pull out of the holy city of Najaf.

Speaking on the steps of the Foreign Office, following a phone call with her son tonight, she said he had been joking about a black eye suffered during his ordeal.

Flanked by Foreign Office minister Denis MacShane, a tired-looking Mrs Brandon said: “There must have been hundreds of people here and all over Iraq helping him.

“I’ve just spoken to him on the phone and he was joking about his black eye. He was happy.”

The Foreign Office confirmed that Mr Brandon had been handed over to British officials in southern Iraq and said: “He’s safe and well and in the hands of the British Office in Basra.”

Mr Brandon had checked into the Diafa Hotel on Thursday, where he was attacked by the gunmen as around 30 militia – some disguised as police – stormed the building.

In initial video footage released by the militia early this morning, Brandon looked terrified as he identified himself.

He nervously turned to the camera and said: “I’m a journalist, I just write about what is happening in Iraq ... (I’m) James Brandon from the Sunday Telegraph.”

He was seen bare chested and ashen-faced with a large white bandage around his head.

A second video was issued hours later, which showed Brandon dressed in a shirt and sporting a black eye.

Shortly after Al-Sadr condemned the kidnapping, Mr Brandon was taken to the cleric’s local offices in Basra where he was freed.

During an impromptu news conference there, he thanked the kidnappers and al-Sadr’s aides for working for his release.

“I’ve been released thanks to (al-Sadr’s) Mahdi Army, because they intervened and negotiated with the kidnappers.”

He refused to comment on the nature of his release, but confirmed that he had not been wounded by a gunshot as had earlier been suspected.

Mr Brandon said: “Initially I was treated roughly, but once they knew I was a journalist, I was treated very well.

When asked what he might do now, he gave a weak smile and said: “I might take a holiday.”

Throughout the press conference, the reporter continually touched his left eye, which was black and badly swollen.

He looked exhausted and uncomfortable as he waited for the interpreter to translate.

Brandon said he was unable to describe his captors because they were masked by black balaclavas.

A spokesman for al-Sadr said: “We apologise for what happened to you – this is not our tradition, not our rules. It is not the tradition of Islam.”

Mr Brandon was then invited to join the Islam faith before being asked to stand up and formally shake hands with the al-Sadr representative.

The reporter, who speaks some Arabic, is thought to have travelled to Basra from Baghdad on Wednesday.

He had arrived in the country to join the Baghdad Bulletin, a now defunct independent magazine set up in the aftermath of the fall of Saddam Hussein.

During his 10 months in Iraq he had worked for newspapers including the Scotsman, the Independent and the Sunday Telegraph.

Iain Martin, editor of The Scotsman, said: “We are delighted at the news of James Brandon’s release.

“He is a courageous young journalist working in one of the most dangerous places in the world.”

Matthew D’Ancona, deputy editor of the Sunday Telegraph, confirmed that Mr Brandon had also been working for the newspaper.

The abduction came four months after father-of-five Gary Teeley was held captive for six days by militants when he was snatched from the southern city of Nasiriyah. s

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Actually right now we are at an "operational pause" in Najaf. I hope they don't pull back and let the rats go.

3 posted on 08/13/2004 1:24:15 PM PDT by BipolarBob (Yes I backed over the vampire, but I swear I didn't see it in my rearview mirror.)

Mr Brandon was then invited to join the Islam faith before being asked to stand up and formally shake hands with the al-Sadr representative.

This shows the mindset of these fanatics. One minute they were going to behead him and the next they are asking him to join the "faith" as if nothing happened.

4 posted on 08/13/2004 1:26:25 PM PDT by BipolarBob (Yes I backed over the vampire, but I swear I didn't see it in my rearview mirror.)

A spokesman for al-Sadr said: “We apologise for what happened to you – this is not our tradition, not our rules. It is not the tradition of Islam.”

What a load of crap! The only reason they did this is because they don't want to do this with 5,000 Marines and Soldiers ready to run in and give them all an express trip to meet Allah. They needed to present a sign of goodwill.

The terrorists are doing the punishment, reward thing. They want to keep the British on their side (which they have been since the British Mandate period). And if you don't think the British are on their side, just watch the coming PM Election in Britain and what the new PM has to say about the USA after that. There are many denials of that broadcast to us (in the USA) in the face of what we've learned, but the proof is in British hatred against the PM for siding with us and the Jews (and Blair for being, as they see it between clenched teeth, our President's "poodle").

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