Right-wing bloggers attack freed hostage for 'treason'

Telegraph ^ | 03/04/2006 | Francis Harris

[Lorianne]

Good grief. Is this a "news" account?

[rawhide]

I say, give the woman a break, please! She has disavowed her statements while in captivity. Let up on her, and let her savor her freedom, and get her life in order.

[Huck]

It's definitely at the point where what we all say here comes with responsibility.

[Echo Talon]

if she doesn't make it sound bad nobody will buy her book.

[MissAmericanPie]

I wonder if it threw people off, or caused them to form an opinion because during her first interview she was wearing Muslim attire. I know it struck a cord with me to see her wearing it.

[MissAmericanPie]

I wonder if it threw people off, or caused them to form an opinion because during her first interview she was wearing Muslim attire. I know it struck a cord with me to see her wearing it.

[endthematrix]

Old media reporting what the New media is thinking is not news - it's pathetic.

[Berlin_Freeper]

"her Iraqi translator, Alan Enwiya, had been murdered at the start of her captivity"


At the very least Jill Carroll has the blood of that man on her hands, because she was advised and offered security by Iraqi and US officials, and she turned them down.

[JoeSixPack1]

I haven't spoken or typed a word ever about this woman or her story.

But I'll go with my gut. My gut says the entire episode as reported is 90% BS.

The only part of this I believe is that her 'translator/companion' was killed.

[sgtbono2002]

I gues we will just have to watch and see what she does now.

If she is smart she wont go near Iraq.

[oolatec]

Man, what else do you people want? Once she felt safe (in Germany) she disavowed her statements, and even stated she despised her kidnappers. I would have done the same thing if I were in her situation, and I would bet 10 out of 10 of you would to. Make them their childish propaganda film if it meant my release, and once I was out of Iraq, spill the beans. This is exactly what she has done, and this whole episode has only discredited Conservative blogs.

Maybe next time people will wait until the issue is resolved before rushing to judge.

[highlander_UW]

One blogger called for Miss Carroll to be arrested for treason.

Wow...they found 1 single person with a conservative viewpoint that calls for her arrest and that's extreme? Guess this writer hasn't bothered to read the Left wing blogs...some call for the assassination of the president...which IS treason.

[dennisw]

Jill Carroll went native years ago. Has lived in Arab countries for years and knows Arabic. She's a smart ass little twit who got in way over her head. She's homely. I'll bet she's had a few Arab boy friends.

But perhaps her kidnapping has shocked her into reality a bit. Changed her mind a bit. She's been saying all the right things for the last few days.

[gleeaikin]

"If she doesn't make it sound bad nobody will buy her book. At her first interview she was wearing muslim dress."

What does it take to satisfy some people? First everbody gives her a hard time because while still a captive, or with the people her captors delivered her to, Sunnis, she protected herself by saying bad things did not happen. Now she is free and able to say the truth, and you say she is trying to make it sound bad so she can sell a book. Well, which is it, BAD or NOT BAD.

She gave her first interview while not in the hands of her captors, at the Sunnit headquarters where they had dropped her off. What was she going to do? Walk up to the Sunnis and say hay, give me some American clothes before I talk to the press? At that point I imagine she was not sure if she was really safe. Do the words "benefit of the doubt" apply here or what?

[Bon mots]

She refused protection from the US in Iraq. So even if she is innocent of collusion with the thugs, she is not the sharpest tool in the shed.

My gut instinct first told me that this woman was like all of the other useful fools in Iraq at best, or like the wackjob Suzanne Osthoff at worst.

(Susanne Osthoff is the German hostage who was ransomed and later found to be in possession of ransom money. Later she did a television interview in Germany dressed up like a taliban bride - covered from head to toe and only her eyes showing.)

German hostage had ransom money

By Kate Connolly in Berlin

A German archaeologist kidnapped in Iraq last year was found on her release to have some of the ransom money paid to her abductors in her possession, according to investigators.

Susanne Osthoff, 43, was released after a month in captivity on Dec 18. While she took a shower in Germany's embassy in Baghdad, officers from the BND, its intelligence service, found "several thousand dollars" fastened with rubber bands in her clothes, according to one of the investigators. Their serial numbers matched those on notes paid to secure her release.

While the German government has refused to comment on whether it paid a ransom, it is widely speculated that the equivalent of £3 million was handed over to secure her freedom.

Politicians and the public were yesterday asking new questions about her ordeal. Many have lost patience with Miss Osthoff, a convert to Islam, since she declared her intention to return to Iraq and failed to thank them for their efforts to free her. Her image at home also suffered after her release when she appeared on the Arabic television channel al-Jazeera, dressed from head to toe in dark clothing, only her eyes visible, prompting speculation she had embraced fundamentalism.

[T.L.Sink]

This comes from a UK newspaper and the story is completely meaningless. Nothing is documented and it's another one of those "anonymous source" tabloid tricks. And what does "blogger" mean? One of the billion who has an internet commentary? If one searches enough blogs he'll find some who swear they've seen Elvis!

[DB]

They've got a grudge against her from her past "reporting" and simply want to take it out on her regardless of the truth.

[Trust but Verify]

Good one, dennis. The next time they won't use a generic right-wing blog account, they can come here and get your 'opinion' and give this site a black eye.

[DB]

I suggest you go read most of the threads about her here. The story is pretty accurate in reflecting many of the opinions posted here.

[RHINO369]

I don't blame her for saying anything while in captivity. In fact I'd say anything they wanted. And I don't blame her for wearing the head dress, 1) It makes her stand out less, making it safer for her, that backfired but ohwell, and 2) She looks much more attractive in it.