Posted on 06/15/2005 3:56:44 AM PDT by naturalman1975
God bless the aussies. God bless the Woods. God bless America.
wonderful news..... maybe the Australian's can help us find Zarqawi
That is an interesting phrase. So glad he is safe.
How fortunate for Mr. Howard that he seems to have as his opposition a sane Labor Party that supports his efforts in the war. Contrast that with our disgraceful, unpatriotic Democrats who consider Pres. Bush a worse enemy than Bin Laden, and who stop at nothing to tear down this country in time of war. If the people were awake, Democrats should be tossed out of every office next year and never trusted with control of our government again.
Actually, generally speaking the Opposition is opposed to the war - but at least they stood firm on this issue - no negotiation, no compromises with terrorists - even if you think they have a point.
Did the Aussies get to kill anyone? Thankfully this victim is safe. Go Aussies!
Mr Speaker, I am delighted to inform the House that the Australian hostage in Iraq Mr Douglas Wood is safe from his captors. Mr Wood was recovered a short while ago in Baghdad in a military operation that I’m told was conducted by Iraqi forces, in cooperation in a general way with force elements of the United States.
He’s now under the protection of the Australian Emergency Response Team in Baghdad. I understand that he is well. He’s undergoing medical checks at the present time. I know that all Australians will be jubilant at this news. This man has suffered immensely and I want on behalf of all of the Parliament to pay tribute to the dignity and strength of his family. He comes from a deeply impressive family and the strength and resolve and courage that his brothers and the other members of his family have displayed, their understanding of the difficulty of this whole incident for all involved has been, I can only say, very deeply impressive.
The cooperation between the Government and the members of his family I want to record I appreciate very much. That we, of course, have focused very much on his wellbeing and returning him to his family. I don’t at this stage, for operational reasons want to comment further on the circumstances of his recovery.
I want to place on record the Government’s great appreciation to the officers of the Government who have done such wonderful work. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has displayed superb professionalism throughout this whole incident. The work of Mr Nick Warner who has been the head of the Emergency Response Team has been quite exemplary and I want to pay a special tribute to Nick. He’s an officer who’s known to many of us and he’s done great things for Australia, not only in Iraq, but also in the Solomon Islands. I want of course to thank the Special Forces and the other members of the Emergency Response Team that went to Iraq. Brigadier McCabe and all of the units in Iraq that have been associated with this.
Can I also pay special tribute to the contribution of the Minister for Foreign Affairs who has had the day-to-day carriage of this on behalf of the Government and may I also thank the Opposition, the Leader of the Opposition and the Member for Griffith for their understanding at every stage of the difficulties involved and the need for us to unite to save an Australian and this has brought out some of the best things in our people. I also place on record my appreciation for the efforts of the Australian Islamic community and of Sheik Al Hilaly.
Many people have tried, we are overwhelmed with relief, nothing compared of course with the relief that his family must now feel. Can I also say that at no stage has a ransom been paid, at no stage has the Government compromised its position in relation to our commitment to Iraq, the level of our force commitment and I want to reiterate our commitment to the stability and reconstruction of Iraq and to the Iraqi people who are daily, the victims of terrorism and crime.
I did endeavour before making this statement to contact the Iraqi Prime Minister. I'll do so, I hope very shortly to express my thanks for the efforts of his forces and may I record again our thanks to our American friends for their constant support and availability and cooperation, it is a wonderful outcome for this man who suffered so much and it’s a tribute to the work of our Iraqi and American friends that this has come about.
It looks like it was an Iraqi/US operation that got him back.
Urrrrahhh
Tell me more, tell me more.
Congrats to Mr. Wood...and thanks to the joint Iraqi/U.S. team who freed him. (We have no better friends than the Aussies, of that I am sure.)
Did the labour party's stance change after Beazley came back?
Terrific news!
Never pay Danegeld.
I used to live in Australia in the last half of the nineties, pretty much when Howard came to power.
Good to see the opposition act with decency and good sense. Latham struck me as a more opportunist fellow.
Anyways, great news for a great country.
Cheers.
I am so happy this had a good outcome. This gentleman is free and the Iraqi forces are taking more and more ownership of the security in their country. Afterall, this is our true objective no matter what others try to accuse us of.
GREAT News!!! and I'm so glad to find it posted here already. It's such great news, I wonder if the MSM will even bother to give it air and ink. Well.........it will be "old news" by the time evening news shows are on. Here's another take on it, which I had to work hard to find.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-me/2005/jun/15/061504618.html
Today: June 15, 2005 at 6:27:00 PDT
Australian Hostage Freed in Iraq
By PATRICK QUINN
ASSOCIATED PRESS
"I hope very shortly to express my thanks for the efforts of his forces and may I record again our thanks to our American friends for their constant support and availability and cooperation," Mr Howard said.
"It is a wonderful outcome for this man who suffered so much and it's a tribute to the work of our Iraqi and American friends that this has come about."
So Mr. Howard’s praise of American forces was not worthy of inclusion. It was replaced by the following quote instead:
Mr Howard paid tribute to the efforts of Australia's Islamic community and the mufti. "I also place on record my appreciation for the efforts of the Australian Islamic community and of Sheikh Taj Alhilali.
Just interesting to note what information the editors at the Sydney Morning Herald decide to share with their readers.
AP: Australian Rescued by Iraqi, U.S. Forces ~~ An Update from the AP
*****************************************************
The raid took place as part of Operation Lightning - a broader counterinsurgency operation that began in Baghdad on May 29, Warner said. He added there "was specific intelligence and tips that provided a hint at what might be found at that location."
Wood was freed by the Iraqi army's 2nd battalion, 1st Armored Brigade, with assistance by U.S. forces in Ghazaliya - one of the most dangerous Sunni Arab neighborhood of Baghdad, Warner said. He added that "no ransom was paid" despite a request for a "very large" amount of money.
Wood was found under a blanket and the insurgents told troops he was their sick father, said Gen. Naseer al-Abadi, Iraq's deputy chief of staff. The operation also resulted in the arrest of three insurgents and release of an Iraqi hostage.
"This is a great day for Iraq. We are proud of the way our soldiers conducted themselves," al-Abadi said.
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