Christian Aid Workers Freed In Iraq

MetroSource News | 03/23/2006 | Alisha Mathis

[prisoner6]

MetroSource News 03/23/2006 02:32:46 Iraq Christians Freed URGENT

>>Christian Aid Workers Freed In Iraq

(Baghdad) -- Three Christian aid workers kidnapped in Iraq have been freed following what's being described as "a planned operation mounted by the Multinational Forces in Iraq." The British Embassy has confirmed that Briton Norman Kember and two Canadian nationals -- Harmeet Sooden and Jim Loney are being evaluated by doctors and are currently in the care of consular staff. The three men were taken hostage along with a fourth member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams in late November. The body of Tom Fox, a native of Virginia, was recovered earlier this month in Baghdad.

### Alisha Mathis/bak

[prisoner6]

Amazingly I found this on the MetroSource news feed at work. They're usually a day late and a dollar short. I did a search here and didn't see it posted so I put it up. Googling for details now.

prisoner6

[Echo Talon]

hmmm, wonder if money exchanged hands.

[Patriot from Philly]

I am glad these fools were released but hope they keep their mouths shut. So the torture/murder rate for this group was 25%.

I suspect we'll hear how their captors were kind and how the US is evil.

Idiots.

[Dallas59]

Apparently their little charade fizzled. Now get ready for the anti American "statements" from the released commies.

[Patriot from Philly]

Except for the dead/tortured one. The comments praising his captors have to be left to his Quaker comrades in the States.

Sorry if this sounds harsh. These fools end up getting US troops killed.

I think we need to start calling these hostages "Sgrenas" after the horrid Italian communist whose carelessness and agenda got an Italian agent killed.

Of course, the Italians ended up charging the US soldier who defended the checkpoint for murder.

So - 3 Sgrenas released.

[prisoner6]

Here's the story from Reuters

Three hostages freed in Iraq
From correspondents in Baghdad
March 23, 2006
THREE western aid workers held hostage in Iraq were freed today, the British Embassy and US Colonel John Snow said.

Canadians Harmeet Sooden, 32, and Jim Loney, 41, and Briton Norman Kember, 74, from the Christian Peacemaker Teams, who were abducted in November, were found west of Baghdad, he said.

He declined to say who found them or how they were released.

The three were kidnapped in Baghdad with US colleague Tom Fox, who was executed by his kidnappers earlier this month.

with Reuters


Also confirmed on KDKA radio Pittsburgh 5 AM newscast.

[Allegra]

The Iraqi forces participated in this. This will be a good morale boost for them. They are just getting beter and better. It's inevitable when they're learning from the best.

[Marius3188]

CNN saying Special Forces(ie, SAS) helped with it.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/03/23/iraq.hostages.ap/

[Dallas59]

A statement from thier website....CPT...

Working for the human rights of the detainees of the illegal occupation has been the primary focus for Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Iraq since the invasion of March 2003. In the first video recently released by the Swords of Righteousness group, CPTers Tom Fox and Norman Kember repeated their long-standing commitment to Iraqi freedom. They called for an end to the occupation and freedom for all Iraqi people

In May 2003, Iraqis began asking CPT for help in locating missing relatives. Some Iraqis reported that their loved ones vanished during the war; others reported that family members detained at checkpoints or during house raids by US soldiers had disappeared. Families had no way of locating their relatives and found that the US military dismissed their inquiries. CPTers worked to secure information for families, and accompanied family members on visits to detention centres. As the occupation continued, CPTers noticed an increase in the number of detainees and that few were being released.

These actions of the U.S. military--specifically detaining people without formal charges, and for indefinite periods of time--are a violation of international law. CPTers in Iraq demonstrated alongside Iraqis, calling for human rights of detainees, while supporters at home lobbied their governments.

Families often invited CPTers to celebrations when detainees were released. As they listened to the testimonies of those released, CPTers heard reports of abuse and torture. Occupying solders verbally, physically and psychologically abused detainees during interrogation and detention. Released detainees told CPT that soldiers forced them into crowded rooms, covered their faces with hoods and blindfolds, tied their hands, deprived them of food and water, and denied them access to legal counsel. Worse still were accounts of torture using dogs and electroshock.

In January 2004, CPT published a detailed report of seventy-two case studies that they had investigated and documented regarding the treatment of detainees and their families, and launched an international campaign to end the abuses. This report was the first systematic coverage of abuse by US forces and emerged long before the media received photographs showing the human rights abuses in Abu Ghraib. Once these photographs appeared, CPT organized a press conference with Iraqi human rights organizations, where detainees testified to the abuses that they had suffered at the hands of occupation forces.

CPT recorded testimonies from Iraqis who spoke of destructive house raids in which US stole valuables and family documents and arrested relatives. One man testified that US soldiers raided his home, destroyed his belongings, and killed his fifteen-year-old son. Two days later, US soldiers admitted that they had raided the wrong house.

CPT will remain committed to challenging the injustices of the occupation, and telling the stories of those forced to live under it.

We sincerely hope that our teammate James Loney, Tom Fox, Harmeet Sooden and Norman Kember will return to us and help us do our work.

I ain't shedding any tears...Christian Peace Team can go to hell.

[Patriot from Philly]

CPT specifically stated that they did not want force or military action to free the hostages. So the multinational forces disobeyed their specific instructions, because we know peace and love and anti-Americanism would have saved the day.

Nick Robinson on CNN is really downplaying any American role in the rescue.

[prisoner6]

Similar thing for me and my >former< church, Crafton United Presby. I had belonged to another Presby church in the same town for years, but when my wife and I got married in ...ummm78 or so...I switched to her church so we could get married there.

I was shocked. I had to go to classes to learn how to be married and how to be presby. The classes included tons of lefty philosophy from that period...indoctrination into feminism, send money to commie countries, rewriting or re interperting the Bible into more modern thought.

It got so bad we started having "folk mass" kinda services in the church basement.

Several years ago I got fed up and while I didn't formally withdraw I just quit going. Basically kept in touch for my wife and kids sake. My daughter was married there last year at the same alter where Wife and I were married.

That was kinda nice, BUT my daughter and her husband had the minister from the church where he is an organist do the service. He's a pretty good preacher man...a refreshing change from the insipid and inane ministers that have been at my church.

prisoner6

[rightwingintelligentsia]

Here are excerpts from their most recent press release on their website regarding the release of their comrades. Not ONE WORD of thanks to the forces that rescued them--only more blame.

Our hearts are filled with joy today as we heard that Harmeet Singh Sooden, Jim Loney and Norman Kember have been safely released in Baghdad.

Harmeet, Jim and Norman and Tom were in Iraq to learn of the struggles facing the people in that country. They went, motivated by a passion for justice and peace to live out a nonviolent alternative in a nation wracked by armed conflict. They knew that their only protection was in the power of the love of God and of their Iraqi and international co-workers. We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by Multinational Forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq. The occupation must end.

[prisoner6]

...rescue.

I'm glad you pointed that out. They weren't freed they were rescued. that's a big difference. At first glance at the stories I thought the terrorsts had given up and freed them. Wanna bet which way teh MSM reports it?

prisoner6

[kanawa]

Ping

[Dallas59]

Looks like their captors got tired of listening to that crap. ...Even after they shut one of them up.

[Allegra]

"...They went, motivated by a passion for justice and peace to live out a nonviolent alternative in a nation wracked by armed conflict."

Uh, yeah. Let us know how that worked out for you.

[mewzilla]

...have been safely released...

They weren't released. They were rescued. CPT LIED. Not very Christian of them.

[FreedomPoster]

LOL! That's just spot-on.

What a bunch of idiot bliss-ninnies.

[FreedomPoster]

FWIW, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has this on their home page as "Commandos free peace activists".

I must admit I'm a little surprised.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

Yes, these CPt folks are rather ODD aren't they.

Not even a nod of thanks to the folks who risked their lives to rescue them.

It would be entirely consistent with what they claim to believe to still thank those who saved them, despite disagreeing with the war in Iraq.

Yet, they can't bring themselves to do it.