Douglas mate, cheers.. glad you're home and safe.
Posted on 06/20/2005 9:26:01 AM PDT by manapua
FREED Australian hostage Douglas Wood ysterday apologised to the Australian and US governments for his plea for troops to be withdrawn from Iraq, saying it was made under duress.
Meanwhile, despite his 47-day ordeal, the Australian engineer says he may return to Iraq to pursue business opportunities, despite his family's pleas not to.
Mr Wood, 63, arrived in Melbourne yesterday, less than a week after being freed in Baghdad by Iraqi and US troops.
It was "bloody good" to be home, said the jovial Australian, who entered a packed press conference singing Waltzing Matilda.
But he also revealed his anger at his captors, admitting there were times during his captivity he thought he would be killed.
He says he was forced to make videotaped appeals, including a gunpoint plea for Australian and US troops to withdraw from the war-torn country.
He apologised to US President George W. Bush and Prime Minister John Howard for his statement.
"I actually believe that I am proof positive that the current policy of training the Iraqi army . . . works because it was Iraqis that got me out," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailytelegraph.news.com.au ...
Glad he's safe and keeping positive. I suspect that his current statements will be completely ignored by the usual suspects.
Glad to see that he's doing well. I think he should listen to his family, however, about going back. He could be a target. These fanatics like to finish what they start. Like the World Trade Center.
Forget it, Doug. Everyone has a limit.
The fact that this fine man has corrected his statements and is voicing his support speaks volumes and raises him far above the Dick Durbins of the world who, without so much as a threat against them, will say far worse things about our effort and our government.
Doug Wood for U.S. Senate!!!!
Wow!! Totally ignored indeed! Again, wow! Glad he is home safe! Sounds like a true patriot who was in an extreme circumstance and just wanted to get out alive. God Bless him for having the conviction to come out with this statement when he had no reason to!
Can't blame anyone for breaking under tourture. Theres no reason or need to forgive the man for having endured that horror.
No Worries, Mate. We all understand and are very grateful for your consideration and happy you are home safe. Yanks know the Ozzies are our friends.
Durbin should be flayed.
Kudos to Mr. Wood for surviving torture and making a point to set the record straight.
Ditto, Doug.
Don't worry about it - we didn't feel betrayed - we could only imagine what was being done to you to get you to say those things.
I don't think I would have done half as well as you did.
This statement says it all for me.
Douglas mate, cheers.. glad you're home and safe.
"I actually believe that I am proof positive that the current policy of training the Iraqi army . . . works because it was Iraqis that got me out," he said.
You mean the MSM isn't reporting this 24/7??? How predictable. We all know, had Wood come back ranting about Bush and the "failed" war effort, he would be feted and making the rounds with the lib talking heads.
Pretty hard to keep a stiff upper lip when you have a barrel of an AK stuck in yer ear. Your a lucku man indeed, please don't push it by going back.
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