Posted on 03/23/2006 12:57:40 PM PST by aculeus
Briton Norman Kember and his Canadian colleagues James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden were freed after a multinational military raid acting on information provided by a detainee, the US military says.
The rescue was completed without any shots being fired and with no kidnappers present, suggesting the operation was carefully planned and carried out.
But the crucial bit of intelligence that enabled the rescue came only after two men were captured by US forces on Wednesday night.
One of the suspects had the information which led officials to the Baghdad house where the hostages were four months into their ordeal.
"We got that information at 0800 (0500 GMT) this morning and we conducted the operation," said Maj Gen Rick Lynch.
"We moved to the location in western Baghdad that was reported for the location of the Christian Peacemaker Team.
"We conducted an assault on the house and inside the house we found the three hostages, in good condition.
"There were no kidnappers there at the time. The three hostages were by themselves."
The hostages were bound, he said.
Hostage James Loney reportedly confirmed that one person had led the forces to where they were held.
In a telephone conversation with a friend, Mr Loney is said to have described the kidnappers as a criminal gang.
Gen Lynch described the men thought to be responsible as "a kidnapping cell that has been robust over the last several months in conducting these kind of kidnappings".
Textbook operation
Multinational special forces, police negotiators and Iraqi intermediaries were understood to have taken part in the rescue, says the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner.
It was a textbook operation, our correspondent says.
The mission was spearheaded by British troops with the participation of forces from other coalition countries in Iraq.
"This was several weeks in the planning. It was an operation that was rolling, in a sense that it went on for some time," said the UK's Defence Secretary John Reid.
The multinational team included representatives from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
"Other agencies from Canada - they did a terrific job with us as well as the Americans," UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said.
The foreign secretary said civilians had been involved in the operation "in the background".
Announcing the hostage release in London, Mr Straw said: "Mercifully no shots were fired."
This was clearly a major success for the British-led force, says the BBC's defence correspondent Rob Watson.
Although foreign hostages have been freed in Iraq before, most were released as the result of secret negotiations, many involving the payment of ransom money, our correspondent adds.
But the body of the fourth member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams - US hostage Tom Fox - was found dumped in Baghdad nearly two weeks ago.
Kidnap victims
At least about 43 foreigners are still being held in Iraq.
And it is thought some 10 to 30 Iraqis are kidnapped every day - most of them for ransom.
Overall more than 400 foreigners have been taken hostage since the US-led invasion - about 55 of them have been killed by their captors.
But it does appear fewer foreigners are now being taken and fewer killed, says our correspondent.
Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2006/03/23 14:53:21 GMT
© BBC MMVI
No doubt Harry Reid will be calling for an investigation to see if the captured terrorist was subjected to women's panties on his head.
The article stated -- "In a telephone conversation with a friend, Mr Loney is said to have described the kidnappers as a criminal gang."
Uhhh..., can you say "Islamic"?
This wasn't a bank robbery or holding up a corner Seven-Eleven or some white-collar crime syndicate. These were *Islamic* terrorists. [Is there any other kind of terrorist these days?]
Regards,
Star Traveler
Sure seems like it.
I suspect that story has a Stockholm Syndrome angle that no one in the media wants to discuss just now.
Who knows?
Isn't the use of passive voice, as in, "The hostages were freed", frowned upon by writer types.
But, if you don't use passive voice, you have to say who freed them: "Special Forces troops freed the hostages".
Seems passive voice is making a come back with pople who really don't want to convey the truth.
Congratultions to the Rescuers!!
I've thought this was one of those "mutual" events all along.
They killed the only American. (not that the other "peace-keepers" would have condoned that)
The press release from their organization was just too pat - released quickly - no thanks to the troops - in fact they attacked the troops in the release.
Because the captors don't give a rat's ass about that or they would never have tortured and murdered a captive, thats why.
Murderous bastards, they are, and we can all agree on that blindingly obvious fact.
Therefor, why are these people alive?
He may have been the one who wanted to opt out of the scam.
Ok, hotshot. Next time, you do it.
The reward money.
Yup. Weak and/or lazy.
It stuns me that they still have more compassion for the people that kidnapped, held them and killed one of their colleagues. It just shows what mental illness can do.
"The hostages just sitting there with zero guards, or even anyone around? - I don't buy it."
There is a precedent for this. Thomas Hammill, U.S. contractor, escaped in May '04 after he was left unguarded.
I missed his show today. How did he respond to her?
His org (CPT) will clearly expect Loney to publicly apologize for demeaning the insurg..., er, freedom fighters.
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