| 2005-2006 Christian Peacemaker Hostage Crisis |
Article Index for 2005-2006 |
Shopping Peacemaker |
Website Links For Christian |
Information About2005-2006 Christian Peacemaker Hostage Crisis |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT 2005-2006 CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKER HOSTAGE CRISIS | |
| 2005 in iraq | |
| christian | |
| 2006 in iraq | |
| hostage taking | |
| iraqi insurgency | |
| terrorism in iraq | |
| terrorist incidents in 2005 | |
| terrorist incidents in 2006 | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
|
The 2005-2006 Christian Peacemaker hostage crisis describes an event in which four Human Rights workers of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) were held hostage in Iraq from November 26 , 2005 by a group calling itself the Swords Of Righteousness Brigade . One hostage was killed, and the remaining three rescued on March 23 , 2006 . The hostages
Of these, one of the team members, Tom Fox , was found dead on March 9 in Baghdad , while the remaining three were rescued on March 23 by a Multinational Military Force led by the British SAS . THE CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKER TEAMS CPT in Iraq The hostages were members of CPT's Iraq project, which began working in 2002, before the 2003 Invasion Of Iraq . Their goal is to document and publicize abuses of human rights occurring in the country, especially in relation to detainees, and to advocate for peaceful solutions to conflict. During the crisis, CPT's Iraq team issued statements asking that the hostages be freed so they could continue their work. Non-violence and organization goals A distinctive feature of this crisis was the victims' dedication to Non-violence . CPT condemned the actions of the kidnappers, but maintained Pacifist principles by refusing to call for any violent rescue effort. The kidnappings led to widespread sympathy and support, with calls for their release coming from diverse Muslim , Christian and Secular groups in The West and Middle East . However, supporters of the Iraq War have criticized the team's presence in Iraq. Throughout the crisis, CPT has continued to campaign for Iraqi human rights, attempting to link support for their own workers to support for "thousands of Iraqis who are being detained illegally." CPT continues to hold that the "illegal Occupation Of Iraq ...is the root cause of the insecurity that led to this kidnapping". {Link without Title} Charges of ingratitude to rescuers CPT and the victims were criticized for their reluctance to thank the troops who rescued them. Following the rescue, CPT's initial statement omitted any expression of gratitude toward the soldiers involved, but issued such a statement 12 hours later, with their gratitude that no shots were fired in the rescue mission. this citation will need to change when CPT sets a permanent URL for their addenda --> General Sir Mike Jackson , Commander Of The British Army , told British Channel 4 news he was "saddened that there does not seem to have been a note of gratitude [from Mr. Kember for the soldiers who risked their lives to save those lives".[http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1739343,00.html][http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2102543,00.html] James Loney and Norman Kember later publicly thanked the soldiers for rescuing them. Harmeet Sooden issued a statement thanking the soldiers for saving him as well. MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS Circumstances of kidnapping The four had planned to visit the Muslim Clerics Association , an influential group of Sunni religious leaders formed in 2003 after the collapse of the former regime. They were about 100 metres from the entrance to the mosque where the meeting was to take place when they were abducted. Their driver and translator were not taken. Kidnappers' demands The kidnappers called themselves the Swords Of Righteousness Brigade , and published a video shown worldwide on 29 November by Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera , in which they claimed the hostages were spies. They threatened to kill all hostages unless the US freed all Iraqi prisoners held in the US and Iraq by December 8 , 2005 . They later extended this deadline to December 10 . More than a month passed until the next word from the kidnappers. On January 28 , 2006 , Al Jazeera broadcasted a video showing the four hostages alive, dated January 21 . The captors stated that the U.S. and Britain had one last chance to free all Iraqi prisoners or the hostages will be killed. One hostage found murdered On March 10 , the body of Tom Fox was found atop a garbage dump in Baghdad, killed by gunshot wounds to the head and chest. The hands of the corpse were bound together. A report from CNN reported claims from Iraqi policeman that Fox's body showed signs of torture This report was widely repeated in other media outlets, although no further sources were named. This initial report has been challenged by CPT who claim [http://www.cpt.org/iraq/response/06-23-03statement.htm that members of the group saw no evidence of torture upon viewing the body at a stateside funeral home and on examination of Fox's face and hands immediately after the body was recovered. CPT claims that two independent sources who examined the body more closely also found no evidence of torture. A member of the group added that he believed claims of torture "further demonize the other side."[http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/National/2006/03/27/1507080-sun.html]. Results of an independent autopsy have not been made public. The CPT response to Fox's death was a statement asking that the world not "vilify" or "demonize" the killers: "We forgive those who consider us their enemies." {Link without Title} Surviving hostages rescued On March 23 , 2006 , the three remaining hostages were rescued from a house near the town of Mishahda by a multinational force. None of the kidnappers were found in the house at the time. The '' Telegraph (UK) '' reported that "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." {Link without Title} The rescue force was led by elements of 'Task Force Black' - a multinational counter-kidnap unit consisting of British, American, and Canadian and Canadian Security Intelligence Service were also involved. {Link without Title} The three surviving hostages were in good medical condition. While captive, they had been allowed to exercise and Kember had received medication he needs. {Link without Title} Although happy that the hostages were freed, CPT placed the responsibility for the kidnapping on the coalition itself: "We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by Multinational Forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq." CPT initially made no mention of appreciation to coalition forces for the rescue in its statement, but did so in a later addenda after considerable media attention. It was reported that the CPT had not cooperated with the SAS officials who coordinated the rescue. CPT co-director Doug Pritchard stated that they did not want a "military raid" to occur and preferred to work with diplomats. [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2104094,00.html TIMELINE OF THE CRISIS
:On the same day, radio personality Rush Limbaugh stirred controversy by stating, in reference to the kidnapping, that "part of me likes this". Earlier in the broadcast, explaining this point, he said "Well, here's why I like it. I like any time a bunch of leftist feel-good hand-wringers are shown reality."
:On the same day, Ehab Lotayef, a representative of the Canadian Islamic Congress , left Canada for Baghdad (he arrived in Iraq on December 9 and broadcast televised appeals to the kidnappers, stating that Christian Peacemakers had always been supportive of human rights for Arabs in Iraq and Palestine). As well, Tom Fox's daughter Katherine appeared on ABC 's '' Nightline '' to plead for his release.
:Later the same day, another video was released by the kidnappers, in which they extended the deadline for their demands to Saturday, December 10 . This video featured only Fox and Kember, clad in orange jumpsuits reminiscient of those worn by detainees in photos from Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay . Some commentators, such as BBC correspondent Caroline Hawley , speculated that Loney and Sooden may have been treated differently than Fox and Kember, as the former two are both Canadians, and Canada did not support the 2003 Invasion Of Iraq . This speculation was based on the apparent differences in the treatment of the hostages in the second video (in which only Fox and Kember are shackled) and the third (in which only Fox and Kember appear).
REFERENCES |