A new video has appeared on a private Kuwaiti television station of American hostage Jill Carroll. This is the third video released of Jill Carroll. The Kuwaiti TV station did not play the full video and did not release copies of a note which is said to have accompanied the video.
Oddly, this is the first time a hostage video has been delivered to any one other than al Jazeera. Also, several deadlines have past since Jill Carroll's hostage takers threatened to murder her. Perhaps these are good signs that her captors are only after money and not like the hardcore jihadis who have murdered hostages in the past? We pray for Jill Carroll's immediate release.
1
I would say those savages need to be shot
Posted by: mynewsbot at February 09, 2006 04:59 PM (5IAeC)
Posted by: hondo at February 09, 2006 05:07 PM (3aakz)
Posted by: Rusty at February 09, 2006 05:13 PM (JQjhA)
4
This is looking more and more like she's a willing participant rather than a hostage. I have been suspicious from the start, but we'll see.
Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at February 09, 2006 05:25 PM (0yYS2)
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Again - it that all there is?
It sounds weird - more like the kiddnappers are more desperate than she - alright - I'll say it - What the hell is going on here?
Posted by: hondo at February 09, 2006 05:43 PM (3aakz)
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>>> "I'm here with the mujahideen. I sent you a letter written by hand. I'm here, I'm fine. Please just do whatever they want," she said. "Give them whatever they want as quickly as possible. There is very short time. Please move fast."
That sounds so vague it's very suspicious. The big floral background also seems a very out of place in a hostage video meant to instill fear. Could it be that (I'm assuming that she really was taken hostage since her translator was killed) she's been secretly free for some time and is now faking captivity as part of the anti-war effort?
Posted by: Graeme at February 09, 2006 06:09 PM (FB00D)
7
I doubt she's a willing participant. That's just ridiculous. She was crying her eyes out at the last tape. What do you want her to do? Beg for mercy. She knows the United States isn't going to release the prisoners. She's trying to be brave in a dangerous situation. Crying isn't going to make it better. She knows these bastards don't care about women and will kill her at any time.
Posted by: Robert Savage at February 09, 2006 06:10 PM (5E0ex)
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Grame it's not unusual for for a hostage to be forced to write a letter to the negotiators. Many hostages that are held for ransom do it. If you had a gun to your head and were told to do something, you would do it. Just like when Roy Hallums had a gun to his head and said Bush put him in this hellhole. The terrorists are getting desperate. They know the media is fighting for one of their own. As I said Jill is making the best of a bad situation. She cried her eyes out at the last video and those were not fake tears. Give Jill some dignity. I'm praying for her and I hope she lives. Saying she might have faked her own kidnapping is crazy. Thank you for your time. God bless
Posted by: savageG@msn.com at February 09, 2006 06:16 PM (5E0ex)
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I'm here with the mujahideen??????
I mean - loosely translated it means warriors/struggle - or say resistance fighters
That's a very generic term isn't it. Didn't this group have it's own moniker when this all started? It that part of the world your "Name" has some signaficant meaning - a statement in itself.
What the hell is going on here????
Posted by: hondo at February 09, 2006 06:27 PM (3aakz)
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Robert I was merely speculating. It is not my intent to be disrespectful to her or her family. Just like a detective does not have the intention of being disrespectful towards the parents of a missing child when he asks if the child may have run away from home. Based on the evidence presented in Rusty's post I was putting forward a theory. That's all.
Posted by: Graeme at February 09, 2006 06:30 PM (FB00D)
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All the insurgents call themselves mujahideen. They consider themselves freedom fighters. I don't know why you are jumping the gun. Also the floral background is not unusual. Two Iraqis were sitting in front of a floral background before they were beheaded. They don't want the viewer to know they are in a residential home I guess. Calm down Hondo. The woman's life is in great jeopardy. I don't want the woman to die. My guess is the kidnappers are after money.
Posted by: Robert at February 09, 2006 06:32 PM (5E0ex)
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Sorry Hondo. It's just I'm a little sensitive when It comes to hostages. These people fear for their lives. They never know when they will die. I feel for Jill. She's a good person who was trying to inform us of Iraq's progress. She's just doing what her captors want her to do. Seeing her cry on video disturbed me. These bastards have no respect for women. And they say they care about Iraqi woman. Sorry for my temper. God bless
Robert
Posted by: Robert at February 09, 2006 06:36 PM (5E0ex)
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Robert
Understood. I was just thrown a bit by the vague moniker (I am aware of its usage and full meaning) under the circumstances. I am aware also the names choosen in that culture do in fact have significant meaning to them and others, and identifies the various groups from one another. From my perspective - it is odd.
Posted by: hondo at February 09, 2006 07:32 PM (3aakz)
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mu-jihad-in
The prefix "mu-" means "person who does [x]" and functions like the suffix "-man" in English words like repairman and radioman. Attached to the root "jihad" it means "person who does jihad." The suffix "-in" makes it plural.
Notice that the the word "muslem" is derived the same way from the root "slm" meaning "to submit," hence Muslem literally means "submissive person." (That's their story anyway.) It is left vague, but in context the speaker implies submission to God. What few people appreciate is that "jihad" (lit. "striving") is equally vague. When someone calls himself a mujihad he likewise implies that he is striving to enact God's will, although he only really called himself "one who is striving."
The upshot of all this is that Carroll's captors believe they are being extra pious by keeping her in the back rooms of the house to be fussed over by the family females (which is probably where she got the scarf.) She's flattering them by calling them mujihadin, which is a wise thing to do for someone in her position. Real zealous Muslims don't hang around with women to socialize. Maybe she's getting sex (whether or not she wants it) but apart from that I'd bet she's probably not seeing much of the bad guys lately and has been adopted by the womenfolk.
Posted by: ShannonKW at February 09, 2006 07:56 PM (dT1MB)
15
I agree it sounds suspicious. "Please move fast"??? It just doesn't sound like she's all that desperate. I guess it wouldn't be out of the question for someone sympathetic to muslims' self-imposed plight in the world, to allow herself to be used for muslim political gain. That really would not surprise me at all if that were the case here.
Posted by: Richard at February 09, 2006 08:40 PM (W8EsU)
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I don't care what anyone says, she looks like she's warming to her role now.
Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at February 09, 2006 08:50 PM (0yYS2)
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Certainly, Jill is not "faking" her own kidnapping. As for the stilted and strange speech, I think that she was probably told exactly what to say.
Posted by: JMS at February 10, 2006 03:30 PM (/ph3F)
Posted by: Robert at February 10, 2006 05:03 PM (5E0ex)
19
I'm wondering if her execution will be televised? It is clear she won't be given the slip, she knows too much, she could trace her whereabouts very easily. Her kidnappers have nothing really to gain by releasing her. They want to offend the US and her citizens and it is clear from all the publicity that her execution will be felt throughout the world.
Sure, she's reporting on the pain and suffering of the Iraqis but remember she's making lots of money off of it too. She is making money off their suffering or she wouldn't be there. She wears a head scarf that is easily put on, a fake head scarf as it were. It is nothing more than a costume. She is pretending to be who she is not. There are risks associated with the job and these were weighed by her decision to stay.
I suppose that following her execution the fees paid to freelancers will increase some to keep them at ground zero.
Posted by: Ray Chavez at February 17, 2006 09:33 PM (UQQOR)
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To Ray Chavez, I'd like to know how you think she is making "lots of money". You have no idea. These journalists barely scrape by and have to pay for everything ( translators, photographers, drivers etc.) themselves when they are independants. The only reason she is there is to tell the truth about this awful war. If she and others are "making so much money" as you say, then go over there and do it yourself before you pass judgement on them.
Posted by: whoever at February 22, 2006 01:48 PM (vP0TL)
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I very much wish to see Ms. Carroll freed unharmed, but think we need to put this in perspective. Each year about 800,000 people, 80% of whom are female, become victims of human trafficking. It is believed that about 70% of these people are forced into the sex industry while the rest end up as forced labor in sweat shops or on farms. Those who won't "perform" are often killed or abandoned. It is well documented that Ms. Carroll knew the risks of her profession and chose to remain in Iraq. These other victims, many of whom are very poor, young, or naieve, often have little or no choice and must endure their hellish existence alone and forgotten. Where is the outrage or media coverage for these other victims while there is always so much focus on young, white, middle-class victims like Jill Carroll, Laci Petterson and Natalee Holloway? Not to minimize the suffering of these latter three, but shouldn't we try to help all women in distress?
Shameful.
Posted by: Mogman at February 23, 2006 10:57 AM (3aCNQ)
22
I re-read my last posting and realized it sounds pretty sanctimonious. I apologize for the tone but not the content.
Posted by: Mogman at February 23, 2006 12:26 PM (3aCNQ)
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A new video has appeared on a private Kuwaiti television station of American hostage Jill Carroll. This is the third video released of Jill Carroll. The Kuwaiti TV station did not play the full video and did not release copies of a note which is said to have accompanied the video. 
