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December 7, 2005

Iraq: Islamist Detainee Pleads for Hostage Release

We reported earlier on the group of four Christians being held by a previously unknown group, Swords of Righteousness, in Iraq. The Telegraph and the Times both report on an extraordinary plea made by a man described once as "Al-Qaeda's Ambassador in Europe" to attempt to have the hostages freed.

Abu Qatada (pictured) is currently in detention at Full Sutton jail near York, awaiting deportation to Jordan, where he came from. Britain has already negotiated a "memorandum of understanding" from the Jordanian authorities that Qatada will not be tortured or killed. He apparently suggested the plea himself, with the advocacy of his lawyers, and the Foreign office complied with the request.

The video was made, with Qatada speaking in Arabic, and once checked for secret coding in the words, it was given to al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya TV stations for broadcast.

Gerhard Schroder, the former German chancellor made a similar taped appeal for the release of the German archaeologist Susanne Ostoff, and her Iraqi driver.

Earlier the wife of the British detainee among the four, 74-year old Norman Kember also made a video appeal for the life of her husband and his co-detainees. Pat Kember (pictured) of Pinner, north London stated in the broadcast: "Please release Norman and his colleagues so that they can continue their work for the sake of peace in Iraq." The thirty second appeal was broadcast on al Jazeera television.

The Guardian reports that Norman Kember made his own appeal to Tony Blair to withdraw his troops from Iraq. The film has appeared on the internet, and is an extended version of the video shown on Al Jazeera last week.

The demands of the kidnappers are seen as too high for either the German or British authorities to agree to. Jack Straw, UK Foreign Secretary said that although the requests were ones that "no government could meet" he added that the UK government was "ready to listen".

The US government is in a similar situation. When Mr Bush was asked about the American member of the four detained by Swords of Righteous, he said "We of course don't pay ransom for any hostages, what we will do of course is use our intelligence gathering to see if we can't help locate them."

A new US hostage has been kidnapped in Iraq, reports BBC, who has appeared on Arabic TV.. The blond haired man who appears to be in his early thirties is described as a "security consultant". The tape appeared to come from the Islamic Army in Iraq, stated al Jazeera.

UPDATE: 8 December. The Times today states that the lone American hostage has been killed, citing a posting on the internet by the Islamic Army in Iraq. The reasons given were that the reply of the US to their demands had not been taken seriously.

"The war criminal Bush continues his arrogance, giving no value to people’s lives unless they serve his criminal, aggressive ways. Since his reply was irresponsible, he bears the consequences of his stance."

Two days ago, the group released a video showing Ronald Schulz, a 40-year-old industrial electrician from Alaska, and said it would kill him unless the American government freed Iraqi prisoners within 48 hours.

Today's statement, posted on an internet forum used by Islamic militants, did not name the hostage and provided no evidence he had been killed, but said pictures of the murder would be released later, according to the Associated Press.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at December 7, 2005 10:48 PM

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