June 09, 2006

Korean Hostages Freed

As predicted, the Koreans taken hostage by Nigerian rebels have been freed.

more...

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June 07, 2006

Margaret Hassan Killer Sentenced to Life

Margaret Hassan(Baghdad) In late 2004, UK/Iraqi citizen and CARE International employee Margaret Hassan was kidnapped and murdered and her body has yet to be found. Hassan's death was known only because Al-Jazeera received a videotape of her execution.

Last May, five people were captured (See here and here) by U.S. Forces and admitted complicity in her killing. The trial of three of the suspected killers has concluded.

From Times Online:

The family of the British aid worker Margaret Hassan today said that a court's decision to acquit two of three Iraqis charged with her murder was a "green light" to kidnappers.

Mrs Hassan's relatives also criticised the British Government's "inept" handling of her abduction and chastised detectives for their "incompetent" investigation which led to today's acquittals.

One of the three accused, Mustafa Salman al-Jabouri, was jailed for life after a hearing lasting only two hours before a panel of judges in Baghdad. He was found guilty of aiding and abetting the kidnappers who snatched Mrs Hassan, 59, as she drove to work in October 2004.

Mrs Hassan's family believe that police failed to gather evidence which would have led to al-Jabouri's conviction for murder, for which there is a mandatory death sentence.

Consequently, three people who were directly complicit with the execution-style murder of an innocent civilian will not be required to pay the ultimate penalty. Personally, I believe the justice and law enforcement systems in Iraq have not developed sufficiently to properly investigate and adjudicate criminals, much less murdering terrorist thugs.

From Interested-Participant.

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Koreans Taken Hostage in Nigeria

Five South Koreans were taken hostage in Nigeria yesterday. Is this surprising? Of course not! Which part of this equation are people not getting?

Demand ransom + governments and firms pay ransom = more hostage taking

Forbes:

Gunmen kidnapped five South Koreans in an overnight raid on a gas plant in southern Nigeria owned by Shell, the militants and officials from the company and Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
more...

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Liliana Ake Keeping Hope Alive

Liliana is featured in an article today todayÂ’s Washington Post. The small town of La Porte Indiana waits for word on his fate. Jeff has been missing longer than any hostage ever to return alive. Still her hope and prayers for JeffÂ’s safe return is touching. The town, his wife and children await some word, any word, of his fate while praying for his safe return. Being from a small town myself, trust me the whole town is his family.

Washington Post :Jeffrey J. Ake is 48 now, if he is alive. He is also a husband and son and the father of four children who miss him terribly. He is a storyteller, a Rotarian and a small-business owner who thrived in distant capitals.

He traveled to Iraq, tools in hand, on a private contract to repair machines at a water-bottling plant. Early one morning in April 2005, the telephone rang at a lakeside rambler in La Porte, 80 miles east of Chicago. An Iraqi man, talking fast in poor English, told Liliana Ake, "We have your husband."

Fourteen months later, nothing is known about his whereabouts, while his family waits and neighbors wonder what to expect after so much silence. No American has been held captive longer in Iraq and come out aliveÂ….

Â…"Nothing at all. For over a year, we haven't heard anything," Liliana Ake explained in her first newspaper interview since her husband's abduction. "We pray every night. My little boy says, 'Bad people in Iraq have my dad. It's not fair.' "

She believes he is alive, perhaps because she must. At the same time, she is bothered by the sense in LaPorte, where people have been supporting her and rooting for her husband, that Jeff is becoming mostly a memory. Signs like the one at the KarMel are fewer. It is as though Jeff Ake is slipping awayÂ….

Â…"Unfortunately, there are not many more cards coming," she said. "Time goes by."

Jeffrey Ake is specialist in water systems. And La Porte Indiana is hardly the center of a Zionist, Imperialist conspiracy. The abduction of Jeffrey Ake shows the callous indifference of the enemies if Iraq who routinely kidnap and murder innocent non-combatants in violation of all rules of warfare. These are the true war criminals! When our men loose their temper or commit a war crime, we bring them to justice. For the terrorist war criminals we fight there this is standard operating procedure.

Jeffrey Ake Archive.

Jawa Report Hostage Archive.

Howie's other Related Post. more...

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June 05, 2006

Eight Western Hostages, including American, Freed in Nigeria

An American, a Canadian, and six Britons have been freed in Nigeria. Authorities declined to say whether a ransom was paid or not---which is a polite way of saying, yes, we paid ransom. Expect more hostage taking in Nigeria as this is turning into a lucrative business opportunity.

CBC News:

Eight foreign oil workers kidnapped in Nigeria — including a Canadian — were released Sunday, a local government spokesman said.

"All the hostages have been released. They are with the governor [of Bayelsa state] now," said Ekiyor Welson, a spokesman for the state in the southern Niger Delta region where the eight were kidnapped from an offshore oil rig on Friday.

Thanks to George, our unofficial hostage reporter.

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June 03, 2006

Four Russians Kidnapped, One Murdered in Iraq

A Russian diplomat was murdered and four embassy workers were taken hostage in Iraq today. It's not entirely clear if this is the act of terrorsists trying to make a political statement or if it is the work of criminals attempting to make money---or a combination of both.

Some sources indicate that the four may have already been rescued. We hope that this is the case.

We pray for the immediate release of these men.

WaPo:

Gunmen ambushed a Russian diplomatic car in Baghdad on Saturday afternoon, killing tne diplomat and kidnapping four others, Iraqi police and the Russian embassy reported.

The car came under attack from armed men in two cars in the Mansour neighborhood of western Baghdad, police Col. Sami Hassan said. An opening fusillade of gunfire killed one embassy worker. When the shooting brought the convoy to a halt, the gunmen kidnapped four others, Hassan said. Iraqi security forces cordoned off the area and began a search for the missing diplomats.

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June 02, 2006

American Among 8 Taken Hostage in Nigeria

Eight Westerners, including one American, working in Nigeria's oil fields have been taken hostage. Unlike other attacks which are usually claimed by the separatist MEND group within hours, this one was not. Whoever is behind the hostage-taking, we demand their immediate and unconditional release.

Reuters:

Gunmen abducted eight foreign workers in a night-time raid on an oil rig off the coast of Nigeria on Friday, raising new security fears after a series of militant attacks that cut output from Africa's top oil producer...

"Some unknown persons boarded the rig at 3 a.m. (0200 GMT) and took eight workers. They are six from the UK, one Canadian and one from the U.S.," said an executive from one of the companies that operate the Bulford Dolphin rig. He denied reports that eight Nigerians were also abducted in the attack.

Hat tip: George.

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May 30, 2006

UAE Diplomat Freed in Iraq after Ambassador Withdrawn

A diplomat from the UAE held hostage in Iraq since May 16th has been released. The man, Naji al-Nuaimi, was being held by a group calling itself the Banner of Islam and had demanded that the UAE break all diplomatic ties with Iraq and that the Dubai baised Al-Fayhaa TV channel be shut down.

On May 18th al Jazeera broadcast a videotape of the hostage. The next day the UAE withdrew its senior diplomat from Iraq. The TV station was not shut down.

AFP:

The captors of a United Arab Emirates diplomat held in
Iraq for a fortnight have freed their hostage, an Emirati foreign ministry official confirmed.

"Emirati diplomat, Naji al-Nuaimi, who was kidnapped in Iraq on May 16, was released this evening," the official said.

We're glad that he was released safely. However, by meeting at least one of the terrorists demands, this will only mean more hostages will be taken in the future.

Hat tip to George.

Previous: UAE Diplomat Kidnapped in Iraq
UAE Diplomatic Hostage in Video

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May 24, 2006

Woman Taken Hostage in Iraq by Ansar al-Sunna

Mayada-salihi-hostage-iraq-embassy.jpgThe Army of Ansar al-Sunna has taken a female Iraqi translator hostage. In an announcement released on the internet, the group claimed that it had captured Mayada Salihi, a woman working as a translator for U.S. forces.

In the statement, the group claimed that Salihi was an "apostate" and among their most wanted targets. The Islamist group also claims that they had shot and wounded Ms. Salahi last year, but that she had escaped.

The group also posted several images to confirm that Mayada Salihi had been captured. Among them are several identification badges, including one for the U.S. embassy in Iraq. Two others identify Salihi as an employee of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense.

A series of other photos appear to show a woman posing with various Iraqi and U.S. forces, but her face is is blurred. The woman does appear to be Salahi.

The Army of Ansar al-Sunna is an active terrorist organization in Iraq. The group routinely murders hostages that it deems "apostates". Under Islamic law, the maximum penalty for apostasy is death. Thus, the Islamist groups justifies its murders as the carrying out of the death penalty under the guise of Islamic law.

The statement released by the group claims that two of its members were shopping in Baghdad when they spotted Salihi. They claim that Salihi was some sort of counter-intelligence officer that was hunting them down. Salihi initially fled the two "mujahidin" when they attacked her. They later found her in her car and kidnapped her, even though some Iraqi policemen saw what was happening and tried to stop them.

The group promised to upload a video to the internet in the near future. Unfortunately, this group has distributed dozens of videos of the murder and beheading of hostages in the past.

Mayada Salihi was featured in an article by Knight-Ridder in May of 2003. The author, S. Thorne Harper, describes Mayada Salihi as an outspoken advocate of women's rights in Iraq.:

She's definitely got the attitude – passionate and outspoken. In a country steeped in patriarchy, with little history of free speech, that's never been a problem for the 31-year-old, married mother of two.

"It is difficult here for some women," said Salihi, who prefers make-up, blouses and slacks to conservative Arab fashion. "For me, it's easy. I can say whatever I want."

Salihi first decided to learn English after listening to English language pop-music, including Wham, Paul Anka, and Barbara Streissand. She wanted to know what the lyrics said in their original language.

Salihi worked at a private school teaching English before the war until a U.S. bombe killed one of her neighbors:

Later, still seething, she approached the first U.S. soldier she saw and asked him a tough question.

"I said to him: `I need to know when you are leaving our country,' " she said, sipping on a Pepsi.

The soldier had no answer. Calming her anger, Salihi realized she had to use her English skills to work with the Americans.

She works long hours as a U.S. military translator. Her husband works as a driver and guide for journalists.

This brave woman, who was willing to stand up to the U.S. when she thought they were in the wrong, had been targetted by the so-called 'resistance' in the past:
Four days ago, she discovered four unexploded U.S. cluster bombs in her front yard. She said Iraqis who believe she is working with the U.S. government to arrest members of the former regime placed them there.

"I can't even let my children outside to play anymore," she said. "My house is like a prison."

Ah, yes, the brave mujahidin terrorizing women and children.

More from Salihi:

She finds a paradox in postwar Iraq. Under Saddam Hussein, she said, there was no freedom of speech but there was adequate security. Under U.S. rule, Iraqis are free to express themselves but no one feels safe.

Salihi warned that Iraqis are beginning to consider this paradox. Unless the U.S. turns things around quickly, she said they might start longing for the old ways.

"There is an old Arab saying, `If you want to know the value of something – like a leader, try the value of another one for a while," she said.

This is the woman the Army of Ansar al-Sunna terrorists accuse of being a "captain" in the Iraqi security forces. This is the woman that they will murder in the name of "legitimate resistance".

We pray that U.S. forces will swiftly find the terrorists who have captured Mayada Salihi and free her before it is too late. more...

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May 22, 2006

Ransom Paid for Iraq Hostages.

Why do the terrorists take hostages? Because sometimes it pays.

The Times: FRANCE, Italy and Germany sanctioned the payment of $45 million in deals to free nine hostages abducted in Iraq, according to documents seen by The Times.

All three governments have publicly denied paying ransom money. But according to the documents, held by security officials in Baghdad who have played a crucial role in hostage negotiations, sums from $2.5 million to $10 million per person have been paid over the past 21 months. Among those said to have received cash ransoms was the gang responsible for seizing British hostages including Kenneth Bigley, the murdered Liverpool engineer.

There is a lot more at the above link. IÂ’m glad these people are free. My concern is we have funded the enemy and only encouraged more kidnappings. The UAE Diplomatic hostage comes to mind. There is still no word on his release. Maybe the terrorists think they can get more and are holding out for a better deal. Given this, itÂ’s a reasonable assumption.

Hat Tip : Guy who getÂ’s pissed off too easy. more...

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May 19, 2006

UAE diplomat Naji al-Noaimi. Released

Good News!

Yahoo News :His brother, Mohammed al-Nuaimi, said the family had been told by the government that he was free, but they did not know how his release came about.

"The officials just told us that he was released and he was on his way to the embassy," al-Nuaimi said from his home in Dibba, a town in the southern Emirates.

"We have no details on how he has been released."

It could be insurgent leaders were uncomfortable with these illegal terror tactics. Still does not excuse taking him to start with. I like it when it ends this way ,especially after only three days. Reports are no demands (at least the public ones) were met.

Related.

Update 18:51 CDT : Still no confirmation he has arrived safely.

Update 05/20 : Still no confirmation. We pray we have it soon. It seems there has been a snag develop.

NDTV : The government declined to comment on the reported release, but the official news agency WAM reported that the UAE charge d'affairs in Baghdad, Ali Seif al-Kaabi, had returned home to brief the Foreign Ministry on the latest developments in the kidnapping.

In Baghdad, Lt Col Falah al-Mohamedawi of the Iraqi Interior Ministry said the government has imposed an official blackout on news of any prospective release of the UAE diplomat

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May 18, 2006

UAE Diplomatic Hostage in Video

al-Jazeera has aired a video of UAE diplomat Naji al-Noaimi. They threaten his life if their demands are not met. They demand that the UAE close itÂ’s Iraqi embassy and also shut down that Dubai broadcast station al-Fayha be shut down.

Reuters :DUBAI, May 18 (Reuters) - An Iraqi group on Thursday issued a video of a United Arab Emirates diplomat kidnapped in Baghdad, and demanded that the Gulf state close its embassy in Iraq, Al Jazeera television reported.

The channel aired the video from the group calling itself Islam's Banner which showed a man standing next to a wall. No audio could be heard on the brief footage.

The group issued a 24-hour ultimatum for its demands to be met.

Diplomat Naji al-Noaimi was snatched on Tuesday following a short drive from the embassy to visit a colleague. His driver was shot in the kidnapping and later died of his wounds.

"The group demanded in a message accompanying the video ... that the UAE embassy in Baghdad be closed and al-Fayha channel which broadcasts from Dubai be shut down," Al Jazeera said.

The group name seems to me a cover for an al-Qeada type terror cell. This has all the hallmarks of previous kidnappings only the name is new.

Related: UAE diplomat Kidnapped in Iraq.

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May 17, 2006

UAE Diplomat Kidnapped in Iraq

Another war crime in Iraq, an UAE diplomatic official has been kidnapped in Iraq. The kidnapping and murder of diplomatic officials in Iraq has been a hallmark of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and al-Qeada.

Reuters : A United Arab Emirates diplomat in Iraq is believed to have been kidnapped, the UAE's state news agency WAM said on Tuesday.

It said that contact was lost with one of the diplomats based in the UAE embassy in Baghdad. "We believe he has been kidnapped," WAM quoted a foreign ministry official as saying.

He said the UAE was actively involved in humanitarian efforts in Iraq and is closely working with the Iraqi government and regional states to protect Iraq's unity, WAM reported.

Iraqi police sources said on Tuesday evening gunmen broke into the house where the UAE diplomat, Naji al-Noaimi, was staying and abducted him. They gave no further details.

"We lost touch with him," Noaimi's brother Mohammed told Dubai-based Al Arabiya TV by telephone. "Everyone knows that the UAE embassy is doing a lot of good work in the humanitarian field," Mohammed said, his voice choking up in tears.

More than 200 foreigners and thousands of Iraqis have been kidnapped since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Last year, al Qaeda militants in Iraq killed the Egyptian mission chief in Baghdad, two Algerian envoys, and two Moroccan embassy staff. The group has sworn to kill other Arab diplomats if their countries recognize Iraq's government.

It does seem to fit the pattern of al-Qaeda to kidnap and murder those attempting to help the people of Iraq even fellow Arabs. Many times these high value diplomats and other hostages are held while the terrorist release demands that the target nation withdraw all assistance from Iraq.

The trend IÂ’ve noticed lately is that while the Sunni/baathist insurgernt groups are co-operating with al-Qeada, the al-Qaeda methods of car and suicide bombing are being replaced by the more direct targeted killings.

This man is a diplomat and kidnapping or harming his is against all the principals of war. He must be released immediately. One email calling my attention to this issue suspects that only ZarqawiÂ’s al-Qeada in Iraq would stoop so low. He also feels itÂ’s likely he will appear in a video or be killed. Knowing al-QaedaÂ’s record, IÂ’m afraid I agree. Our thoughts go out to this mans family and the UAE. We pray he will be released quickly and safely.

The Jawa Report will update as more news becomes available or if any demands surface.

Jawa Report Hostage archive here.

Related : Still no word on American hostage Jeffrey Ake who was kidnapped while working to supply fresh water to the people of Iraq.

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May 07, 2006

The Bloody Murder of Muslim Jouralist Atwar Bahjat


Sickening

Via The London Times Online :

Update: See Rusty here who says, "Ah young Paducan learn to trust your feelings". (Note extended entry was posted yesterday.)

Nobody but her killers knew just how much she had suffered until a film showing her death on February 22 at the hands of two musclebound men in military uniforms emerged last week. Her familyÂ’s worst fears of what might have happened have been far exceeded by the realityÂ….

...We now know that it was not that swift for Bahjat. First she was stripped to the waist, a humiliation for any woman but particularly so for a pious Muslim who concealed her hair, arms and legs from men other than her father and brother.

Then her arms were bound behind her back. A golden locket in the shape of Iraq that became her glittering trademark in front of the television cameras must have been removed at some point — it is nowhere to be seen in the grainy film, which was made by someone who pointed a mobile phone at her as she lay on a patch of earth in mortal terror.

By the time filming begins, the condemned woman has been blindfolded with a white bandage.

It is stained with blood that trickles from a wound on the left side of her head. She is moaning, although whether from the pain of what has already been done to her or from the fear of what is about to be inflicted is unclear...

...A large man dressed in military fatigues, boots and cap approaches from behind and covers her mouth with his left hand. In his right hand, he clutches a large knife with a black handle and an 8in blade. He proceeds to cut her throat from the middle, slicing from side to side.

Her cries — “Ah, ah, ah” — can be heard above the “Allahu akbar” (God is greatest) intoned by the holder of the mobile phone.

Even then, there is no quick release for Bahjat. Her executioner suddenly stands up, his job only half done. A second man in a dark T-shirt and camouflage trousers places his right khaki boot on her abdomen and pushes down hard eight times, forcing a rush of blood from her wounds as she moves her head from right to left.

Only now does the executioner return to finish the task. He hacks off her head and drops it to the ground, then picks it up again and perches it on her bare chest so that it faces the film-maker in a grotesque parody of one of her pieces to camera.

The voice of one of the Arab worldÂ’s most highly regarded and outspoken journalists has been silenced. She was 30....

...I found it hard enough to bear the news of her murder. When I saw it replayed, it was as if part of me had died with her. How much more gruelling it must have been for a close family friend who watched the film this weekend and cried when he heard her voice.

The friend, who cannot be identified, knew nothing of her beheading but had been guarding other horrifying details of BahjatÂ’s ordeal. She had nine drill holes in her right arm and 10 in her left, he said. The drill had also been applied to her legs, her navel and her right eye. One can only hope that these mutilations were made after her death.

Also see the Mudville Gazette who adds:

Regardless of which side in the conflict killed her (and I have my own thoughts on that - in the eyes of her killers her greatest crime was most likely being a woman outside of a kitchen) the London Times reporter can't resist a mild apology for their act:
Just as Bahjat bore witness to countless atrocities that she covered for her television station, Al-Arabiya, during IraqÂ’s descent into sectarian conflict, so the recording of her execution embodies the depths of the countryÂ’s depravity after three years of war.
In truth, it represents a depth of depravity achieved over centuries. From the description, her killers hadn't just conceived or improvised their method execution on the spot - they seem to have been well practiced. But such is the nature of the enemy in this war, and perhaps this is their most sacred and well honed knowledge: if a brutality can be inflicted that exceeds all human ability to comprehend, the humans will find a way to deny it
Blue Crab Boulevard says :
This is the face of evil itself. That the monsters choose to hide behind masks shows how deeply depraved and cowardly they really are. We must remember we are at war. Or that face will show itself again and again.
Robert Spencer at Jihad Watch chimes in with the following:
Anyone who thinks that God's greatness is established by such acts of barbaric cruelty must be resisted at all costs.
I want to add one thought. I know this is a horrid thing. IÂ’ve seen several of these things and they turn my stomach. I dread having the even think of it. But this video should be released as respectfully and responsibly as possible. Hard to do I know, but the public must be shown this evil. Otherwise how are they to know the truth. Also I have an all too realistic awareness of what the threat below really means. We don't want to release it but we feel we have to release it. The Jawa Report will bring you updates if and when it becomes available. Our prayers go out to Atwar Bahjat and her family.

Others : Malkin and Captains Quarters.

See our beheading archive; Warning Graphic Images. more...

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May 02, 2006

German Hostages Rene Braeunlich and Thomas Nitzschke Freed

Good news indeed! These men were last seen in a terrorist video released on January 27th. The terrorist group called Tawhid and Sunnah brigade had threatened to kill them unless Germany met their demands which were that Germany cut off all diplomatic and trading ties with the new Iraqi government.

Reuters via Alertnet :The two men were abducted on Jan. 24 outside their workplace in the industrial town of Baiji, 180 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said they had been freed without warning and appeared to be unharmed.

"I am very pleased to inform you that the two kidnapped men from Leipzig, Rene Braeunlich and Thomas Nitzschke, have been freed today," Steinmeier said in a statement. He said the men, being looked after in Germany's embassy in Baghdad, were expected to return home on Wednesday.

"After spending more than three months under inhumane conditions they are in German care," added Steinmeier, who was on an official visit to Chile.

Since the kidnapping, hundreds of people had gathered in their hometown of Leipzig, eastern Germany, for weekly vigils, placing flowers and lighting candles.

Rusty said in his January 27th post, “We pray for their speedy release.” Our prayers and the prayers of these men’s families and of the German people have been answered. And may they have a safe and speedy journey back to Germany to their loved ones.

Additional background here and here.

The Jawa ReportÂ’s Hostage Archive.

Hostatge support and news is one of our missions here. If any reader knows of a hostage story that needs attention email Rusty or I at the addresses on the contacts page.

Update : Braeunlich and Nitzschke have arrived in Germany and have given a brief statement. The German government refused to release details on how their release was secured.

ABCNEWS : "We are very happy to still be alive, which we don't take for granted," Nitzschke said.

"I am happy to be back home," Braeunlich said. "We had a difficult time."

After their statements, they boarded a minivan that government officials said would take them to a private reunion with their families.

The pair were released Tuesday after being held hostage since Jan. 24. The Foreign Ministry declined to provide details on how the pair were freed including whether a ransom was paid citing safety reasons.

Sounds like they may have paid a ransom. I hope not. The release could be a product of ongoing negitiations between the Iraqi government and some insurgent groups. more...

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April 27, 2006

Somewhere, General McAuliffe Is Smiling

The Screaming Eagles once again say "nuts," straight from Centcom:

Title:
KIDNAPPERS STOPPED; VICTIM RESCUED

Release Date:
4/27/2006

Release Number:
06-04-02P

Description:
MULTI-NATIONAL DIVISION - NORTH
101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION (AIR ASSAULT)
TIKRIT, IRAQ (FOB SPEICHER)
APO AE 09363


TIKRIT, Iraq– An Iraqi civilian kidnapped in Samarra was rescued April 27 when Soldiers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division stopped the would-be kidnappers’ vehicles and released the citizen.

Units stationed in Samarra had already been aware of a “be on the lookout” (BOLO) report for a silver sedan suspected of being involved in a kidnapping when some alert Soldiers noticed a pair of silver sedans along a major thoroughfare in southern Salah ah Din province.

The two automobiles were parked next to each other as observers noticed the occupants passing what appeared to be a rifle between the two vehicles. Soldiers began pursuit of the vehicles but were unable to maintain contact.
The pursuing Soldiers radioed other troops in the area to be on the lookout for the two sedans.

Soon afterward another patrol spotted one of the sedans and was able to stop the vehicle. Three occupants inside the car were detained while the vehicle was searched. While searching the vehicle Soldiers soon discovered the bound and gagged kidnap victim inside the trunk of the car.

Shortly thereafter Soldiers stopped two more cars matching the description of the suspected criminals involved, and detained their two occupants.

The victim was promptly transported to a nearby military medical facility and the five detainees taken to a secured location for further questioning.

Anti-Iraqi Forces, to include criminals, continue to victimize the common people of Iraq as they threaten and extort its citizens. Coalition and Iraqi security forces will continue to work together to eliminate this type of criminal threat so that the streets will be safe for all Iraqis.

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April 26, 2006

Terrorists Murder Civilians in Iraq on Video (Images)


A new video released by the Army of Ansar al-Sunnah shows insurgents in Iraq committing attrocities contrary to the Geneva Conventions. The video shows three Arab civilians being murdered by the group. The video can be seen here.

The terror organization calls the murders 'executions' after condemning the three for 'apostasy'. The maximum penalty for apostasy under Islamic, or Sharia, law is death.

After the three 'confess' to the 'crime' of working in a civilian capacity for the U.S. in Iraq, the three are shot in the head with pistols. Their bodies fall into a grave which has already been dug.

Unlike U.S. and other Coalition forces who have been accused of Geneva Convention violations, the Army of Ansar al-Sunna openly boasts of this murder. So far, the U.S. has prosecuted over two-dozen American soldiers over the Abu Ghraib scandal alone.

The Army of Ansar al-Sunnah has released dozens of similar videos in the past. It is common practice for the group to murder any civilians working in any capacity with the Iraqi government.

The group is based in Northern Iraq in areas with large Kurdish minorities. It is thought to have split off from the more well known Ansar al-Islam, once part of the larger al Qaeda network. The head of al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, had been in Iraq prior to the U.S. led liberation working with the group. The U.S. operation all but annhialated the group, with Arab remnants forming Tawhid and Jihad (later al Qaeda) and Kurdish remnants forming Ansar al-Sunnah. Peshmirga forces have effectively wiped out al-Sunnah remnants in Kurdistan.

Where is the outrage? Where are the protests? Where is the U.N. investigation?


Reuters:

A statement accompanying the recording said the video showed "the confessions of three apostates working in ... a company dealing with American forces that destroyed weapons and ammunition of the former Iraqi army".

"I'm Ammar Nasser ... I work with the Americans," said one man with long hair. The other two men made remarks in response to an off-camera speaker, but the audio was not clear.

Thanks to Doubletap for finding the video.

Warning: Two graphic images follow. more...

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April 25, 2006

Remembering the Forgotten: Steven Vincent, Slain Reporter

steven_vincent_slain_reporter_in_iraq.jpg
Steven Vincent left for Iraq one year ago yesterday as a freelance journalist for several publications--including the Christian Science Monitor. He never returned. Although this article is a few weeks old, it is a fitting tribute to a Steven Vincent, who never played the moral equvialency card. R.I.P.

Here is a taste of Vincent's own words:

"Were we wrong in Iraq? Yes, in one major sense, beyond even the shortage of troops, failure to anticipate the Baathist-led insurrection and Abu Ghraib: we did not, and still don't understand the regressive, parasitical, unreasonable presence of tribal Islam - the black hole in Iraqi and Arab cultures that consumes their best and most positive energies. Because of our blindness, we find ourselves fighting an enemy we do not see, comprehend, or even accurately identify."

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April 15, 2006

Norman Kember is Thankful to Be Free


Peace Activist Norman Kember has given an interview to BBC. Kember is one classy peace activist. Norman was on eof the four CPT hostages. Kember also speaks well of Tom Fox who was murdered by the terrorists who held them.

Via BBC :Peace campaigner Norman Kember has given an emotional account of his ordeal as a hostage in Iraq.

Mr Kember, 74, of Pinner in north west London, was held in Baghdad for four months before his rescue on 23 March.

American peace worker Tom Fox, 54, was killed weeks before the rescue. When asked about his fellow hostage, Mr Kember said he was a "remarkable man".

His voice breaking with emotion, he spoke of the moment his rescuers arrived.

"We had this sort of futon thing on the floor, and we were lying there, and suddenly we heard noise outside and then somebody calling out and then the breaking of glass and then up the stairs came these SAS gents," he said.

"It's unbelievable because it was so sudden and first of all, because they were British, they wanted to know if 'Mr Kember' was there, and I said, 'Yes' and then they said, because I was the person at that stage chained to the door, 'This is a bolt-cutter job,' so they went down and cut the padlock and released me."

Mr Kember said he "continues to thank" his rescuers.

"They were brave. I disagree with their profession, but it is ironic isn't it - you go as a peace activist and you are rescued by the SAS, which is perhaps the most violent of all the British forces.

"Anyway I am grateful to them. I met one of them by chance on the way out of Baghdad and he was quite happy to chat to me and I was happy to chat to him."

We are glad you are safe too Mr. Kember.

Norman Kember Acrchive here.

The Jawa Report's Hostage Archive Here.

Don't forget hostage Jeffrey Ake and many others are still missing.

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April 11, 2006

Wife of American Hostage Jeffrey Ake Speaks Out

The wife of American hostage Jeffrey Ake has spoken out for the first time since her husband was taken hostage in Iraq a year ago today. Jeffrey Ake is one of two Americans still being held hostage in Iraq. Dean Sadek, also held hostage, was kidnapped in November 2004.

We applaud Liliana Ake for breaking her silence. It is difficult to go against the advice of the U.S. State Department and private 'experts' working for insurance companies who have little knowledge about how the hostage situation in Iraq is different than in other areas of the world.

Many of Jeffrey Ake's friends and family have dropped comments or e-mails to me thanking The Jawa Report for keeping Jeffrey's memory alive. Now that Liliana has given us the green light, let us never let a day pass without mentioning Jeffrey Ake publicly.

As former hostage Terry Anderson once said, "The tragic thing is that the torment is as much from the outside by countries and people indifferent to their fate as on the inside by their captors."

We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Jeffrey Ake and Dean Sadek. No politcal cause can ever justify the taking of civilians hostage. It is a form of barbarity with no excuse.

We can only hope that the media, Muslims, and Leftist organizations will begin to pay attention to the plight of hostages who may not be one of their political allies.

For more, visit the Jeffrey Ake hostage archive here. Visit our extensive hostage archives here. And please, keep Jeff and his family in your prayers.

CNN which also features video: more...

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