The surviving Christian Peacemaker hostages have been freed;
Two Canadian hostages held in Iraq for nearly four months have been freed in a carefully planned military operation involving Canadian, British, American and Iraqi forces.
Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, were freed along with Briton Norman Kember, 74. All three were members of the Chicago-based Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), an international peace activist group.
When the four members of CPT were first abducted, I recall a Canadian spokesperson from the group declaring (on behalf of the CPT and the hostages) that the use of military force to secure their release was unacceptable.
Members of Canada’s top secret commando unit, Joint Task Force 2, had been in Iraq working in tandem with British troops, said officials. It’s not clear how many were in Iraq, but they have been in the country for some time.
One presumes CPT will be issuing a press release any moment demanding they be “put back where they were found” – right after the news conference by NDP leader Jack Layton denouncing the involvement of Canadian troops in the rescue.
update – The CPT news release doesn’t quite call for that, but it does take time out to blame the rescuers (in so many words) for the abduction. For all of the lip-service paid to the phrase “love our enemies”, one might have thought there would be a little of that Christian generosity extended to the “occupiers” who put their asses on the line to free them.
More – Kathy Shaidle has this find;
“In reaction Kember’s friend, Bruce Kent (…) said the miltants holding the hostages ‘must have been people of great faith.'”
Not the rescuers, mind — the kidnappers! You can’t make this crap up! This is yer morally unmoored “progressive” Christianity, folks.
Update – the original quote has been changed, and the Shaidle post updated to reflect that it now “says the kidnappers must have realized that their hostages were people of great faith. Which makes infinitely more sense, naive or not”
Michelle Malkin has more.
Make Iraq…Bahgdad.. auto mode is tricky.
The Indy 500 runs in less than 3 hours also – start to checkered flag. I think that there might be a conspiracy here also – they “claim” there is a lot of “prep” before the race … bullshit … right BCL?
I have nothing to back this idea up… nothing.
Is there any talk elsewhere of the Christian Peacemaker Teams willfully allowing themselves to be kidnapped again, in order to prove their case that these people are an honourable adversary?
…a simple “no” will do, I’m not trying to goad them into taking their stupidity to another level…
marc in calgary,
Who knows? Rational, intelligent thought and actions has limits – stupid doesn’t. Also, there is no shortage of people pushing the envelope on known stupidity … they attack, with vigour, even common sense.
Actually right from the beginning I believed the two Canadians would be released and the American and Englishman killed, and I thought this would happen regardless of whether demands were met or not. Fortunately I was wrong, maybe even the insurgents respect old age.
These same Humanitarian Liberal Terrorists tortured and brutally murdered their supposed friend, co-worker and hero Tom Fox.
Two very short weeks ago, Tom Fox was their martyr. Now, the people that kidnapped, tortured, and killed him are just innocent, humanitarian “freedom” fighters.
How does one follow this logic? Was the murder of Tom Fox just a youthful indiscretion on the part of innocent, humanitarian, professional terrorists? Was the terrorist attack on Tom Fox deserved because he was an American? Who are these people that continue to ally themselves with these good-hearted, liberal terrorists?
That these hostages are free tonight is some good news. My first reaction, upon reading the news this morning, was to feel gratitude for the American and British soldiers involved in the operation.
Whether it was a rescue or not doesn’t matter so much. These men are going home to their families. And one more man isn’t. It just stinks, left and right and centre…
Tony,
Re: Liberals are the required foil to right leaning argument.
Actually, I get tired of the drivel. I hear it from entertainers, MSM, NDP, 12 years of liberal rule etc etc. Not saying that libs shouldn’t be on here but there’s more than enough “foil” out there spouting this and spouting it loudly. I enjoy Kate’s blog and others like it because there are voices of reason and common sense for a change! Lefties may have points now and then but they’re mostly on their heads and just more of the same. I learn much more from people like Maz2, etc.
Also, not all conservative voices share the same opinion on everything. There’s enough reasoned “foil” to discuss and debate and learn from without bringing in the same old outdated “socialism rules” routine.
…in other news, Muslim clerics want the guy who converted to Christianity hanged or at the very least torn from limb to limb.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/23/afghan.christian.ap/index.html
Wonder what these peacenik airheads have to say about that?
Oh, donchalove the picture of the poor guy, looks like a loon…MSM wouldn’t do that would they?
At 6:47 am, March 24th, my conspiracy theory still lives!
Some suggestive words from The TO Star concerning the alleged “rescue” of CPTers in Iraq:
“But questions remain about how the rescue unfolded and the level of Canada’s involvement. The fact no kidnappers were there when the rescuers arrived gave rise to speculation the men were released as part of a pre-arranged agreement.
[…]
Harper said he had seen no evidence a ransom was paid to secure the hostages’ freedom.
“I certainly haven’t been told that and everything that has been told to me would suggest the answer is no,” he said.
But the Washington-based SITE Institute, which monitors extremists’ websites, noticed a posting yesterday on an Arabic website that claimed the Christian Peacemaker Teams had paid a ransom for the release. The group vehemently denied the claim.”
So did Jack Straw Lie? Did Stephen Harper? Obviously George Bush did.
BCL – Wow – you must have gone to the charlie Sheen school of conspiracy theories. What about the theory put out by marc that the CPT planned their own kidnapping to call attention to their cause. See we can call come up with theories and we can all (obviously – given the stupidity of some of the 9/11 conspiracies) come up with the “facts” somewhere to sort of back them up!.
Although Marc – when the kidnappings first happened and the deadline for killing them passed and they were still alive, the thought crossed my mind that they were doing this for publicity. After all – if their mission is to make friends with the Afganis against the war – they might have had lots of “friends” to “kidnap” them. However now that Tom Fox was killed – I don’t know so will wait for the TRUE FACTS (that’s the TRUE facts BCL ) to come out.
Um – that “preview” button is there for a reason! – should have been Iraqi people not Afgani people in my last post.
I’m sure they were “really” kidnapped. I’m not so sure they were “really” rescued. We shall see, as you say.
Alberta Girl, It was a stupid question, not a conspiracy question. I hope they don’t return to test the waters.
tomax: “…in other news, Muslim clerics want the guy who converted to Christianity hanged or at the very least torn from limb to limb.
Wonder what these peacenik airheads have to say about that?”
I would say…we should not giving our sons and daughters to die for this. They (Afghanis) are just changing the names of regimes
Canadian peoples resolve will not long stand for this.
I learn much more from people like Maz2, etc.
Posted by Lanny at March 24, 2006 12:30 AM +
One must thank SDA for the opportunity to comment/post here. If the posts are tiresome/OT/ & etc., SDA will advise.
As Wretchard at The Belmont Club has posted, history has become a post-9/11 world. That being said, conservatives face facts, accept them, and live through & beyond them. Left liberals cannot live in a cold, hard world of facts. They remain adrift in a self-made pre-9/11 fantasy world of self-indulgence, narcissism, & denial of facts. The fantasy island world of left liberalism utopianism is a death trap.
One individual, one conservative voice, armed with facts, speaking with one word, “Stop”, throws the left liberal collective march into disorder, confusion, & despair.
Speak, conservatives: the magic words are: Stop; you do not speak for me. One such voice is Mark Steyn. +
A bridge in Brooklyn
One of the more interesting articles today is from Mark Steyn who reminds those who object to toppling Saddam Hussein just how much they hated containing him. Bottling up Saddam Hussein required parking most of the carrier fleet in the Persian Gulf and keeping large ground and air forces on his borders. Steyn writes:
“Your president has won,” Jean Chretien told ABC News in early March 2003. So there was no need to have a big ol’ war because, with 250,000 American and British troops on his borders, Saddam was “in a box.” “He won,” said Mr. Chretien of Bush. “He has created a situation where Saddam cannot do anything anymore. He has troops at the door and inspectors on the ground… You’re winning it big.” That’s easy for him to say, and committing other countries’ armies to “contain” Iraq is easy for him to do. A quarter million soldiers cannot sit in the sands of Araby twiddling their thumbs indefinitely. “Containment” is not a strategy but the absence of strategy .. +
http://www.fallbackbelmont.blogspot.com/
Hey, if ‘Christian’ peacemakers want to befriend people that saw heads off in the name of their religion that is up to them. And so their good deeds were rewarded with captivity, toture and murder.
There are, in my opinion, less self inflicting ways of helping the enemy see the light.
But when being nice to them doesn’t change their hearts, take the daisies out of your gun barrels and exchange them for bullets which provide justice and punishment for inexcusable acts of cowardice and brutality.
Those same bullets are protecting our children and future generations from an enemy that has no boundaries. Only a bullet in the head OR a changed heart can stop this scourge. Appeasing them or leaving them alone just doesn’t work.
What the fuck????
I voted NDP. I liked Trudeau and thought Chretien was pretty fun.
Even *I* can be PROUD of JTF-2 and the RCMP for rescuing, or co-rescuing, any kind of hostage at all.
What’s wrong with being grateful to and proud of someone doing a risky and heroic deed for someone in danger?
I’m disgusted that CBC keeps calling this a “release” instead of a “rescue”, I’m disgusted that BCL needs to constantly call everyone a “sucker” for being excited that Canadian forces may have done some good in the world, I’m disgusted that no one is falling over themselves to say THANK YOU to these soldiers for rescuing some innocent hostages.
THANK YOU, ARMED FORCES, FROM A LEFTIST WHO SUPPORTS MEDICARE AND GAY MARRIAGE AND LEGAL MARIJUANA *AND* THE ARMED FORCES.
What makes people on my side think you have to be Stalin or Hitler to praise the good work of soldiers???
Someone posted that a city has sort of banned Easter as it is or could be offensive to non christians. So, why are there not headlines stating that beheadings are offensive to non muslims and should be stopped. Or, sharia law is offensive to non muslims and should be banned. Reading stories about the atrocities committed by the terrorists is offensive to all non terrorists and must be stopped. Read a story that Fox was not tortured, but killed while attempting to escape. Seems the cpt were surprised to receive a call from PM Steven Harper. Last they heard Martin was PM, and they also supposedley did not know Fox had been killed. I wonder if their refusal to pay tribute to the forces that rescued them means all attempts to free the woman still held, and future hostages will be forgotten and left to rot. And, I also wonder what stupid plan the cpt will come up with next to get publicity. Watch for the books to come out to make them rich. Just saw a before and after pics of the hostages. One was the video of them in captivity, and they looked a little worse for wear, one was much thinner. After 4 months of supposedly horrible treatment, they look very well fed and groomed. Will we ever learn the truth about the whole adventure.
maryT…”Will we ever learn the truth about the whole adventure.”
…ducking anticpated barrage of anti-conspiracy postings – someone blogged awhile back that maybe these clowns were not kidnapped by the Islamic’s (because they wouldn’t hesitate beheading and so on for news casts) but “removed” by some off shoot of the Iraqi army, CIA, etc to shut them up as they were a pain in the arse. Took up resources and strength watching for and over them. – But yes, this doesn’t explain Tom Fox’s death. (Maybe he knew too much or rifle went off by mistake…) or one of the Iraqi’s guarding him got po’d for Allah.
As you said, they look a little too “plump” for hostages, let alone fortunately no one was around. Reminds me of the US soldier gal who was found in the hospital, unguarged also.
Either good negotiations went on in the background, or payment. I think the first one. “We know where they are and who you are. Find something to do at 1PM Saturday or else meet my friend the F18 Hornet…”
unguarged – well gargled…
you know, the Listerine, Scope type stuff…
Forgot to copy and paste into Word to cheque for grammar and speelink mistooks…
You have to love these christian peacemakers,prayer was anwsered and they where released
So my conspiracy theory seems to be panning out! A deal was done between the kidnappers and Coalition forces. From the U.K. Telegraph:
“A deal had been struck with a man detained the previous night who was one of the leaders of the kidnappers. He was allowed a telephone call to warn his henchmen to leave the kidnap house. When the troops moved in and found the prisoners alive, they also let him go as promised.”
Lucky you’ve got BigCityLib around to find out the Truth for you people.
BCL – who the hell cares how the “rescue” was done – the fact is the MSM is once again using “words” like “deal” – yeah – I think if I was threatened with prison or worse I might make a “deal” too – The fact is that it was due to the Coalition forces going out looking for these guys and following up on leads – finding the “leader” of the kidnappers then “offering” him a deal – tell us where they or or we blow up your village. Yeah some “conspiracy”
Alberta Girl,
At the very least it means they let the people who murdered Tom Fox go free. Plus, this one hasn’t stopped stinking yet. I suspect we will find that the “detainee” approached Coalition forces with a deal: Get these damn Christians off my hands!
According to that article, BCL appears to be correct. I’m not to proud to admit error. I would love to see a verification of this in another news source.