Norman Kember Freed
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Norman Kember Freed
Looks like the boys in black have done a good job, well done lads!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/4836218.stm
One British and two Canadian peace activists held hostage in Iraq for almost four months have been freed in an operation by multinational forces.
Norman Kember, 74, of north-west London, James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, were three of four men seized in Baghdad in November.
Mr Kember is said to be in a "reasonable condition" while the two Canadians were taken to hospital.
The body of murdered US citizen Tom Fox was found in Baghdad two weeks ago.
Ordeal ended
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said he had spoken to Mr Kember's wife Pat and that she was "absolutely delighted, elated with this news".
"I'm delighted that now we have a happy ending to this terrible ordeal for Norman Kember, for his family, for the Canadian hostages and for their families as well," he said.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was delighted by the news, and particularly pleased for the freed men and their families.
He also congratulated everyone involved in the rescue operation. Mr Straw said British forces had taken part.
The foreign secretary said the rescue followed "weeks and weeks of very careful work by military and coalition personnel in Iraq and many civilians as well".
He added: "There's one last very sad point, which is that there were four hostages captured originally, including one, an American, Mr Fox, and it's a matter of great sorrow to everybody that he was killed a little while ago."
The 54-year-old was found shot dead on 9 March in the Mansour district of the Iraqi capital.
Threats
The men were carrying out work in Iraq as part of peace group Christian Peacemaker Teams.
They were abducted on 26 November by a previously unknown group calling itself the Swords of Truth Brigade.
The group had issued threats to kill the men if the US and Iraqi authorities did not meet their demand of releasing all Iraqi prisoners.
Muslim anti-war campaigners in the UK sent Iraqi-born Anas Altrikiti to Iraq to plead for the release of Mr Kember and the other hostages.
Ihtisham Hibatullah, a spokesman for Mr Tikriti at the Muslim Association of Britain, said on Thursday they were "very relieved" that Mr Kember and his colleagues were alive, and that it was fantastic news for their families.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/4836218.stm
One British and two Canadian peace activists held hostage in Iraq for almost four months have been freed in an operation by multinational forces.
Norman Kember, 74, of north-west London, James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, were three of four men seized in Baghdad in November.
Mr Kember is said to be in a "reasonable condition" while the two Canadians were taken to hospital.
The body of murdered US citizen Tom Fox was found in Baghdad two weeks ago.
Ordeal ended
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said he had spoken to Mr Kember's wife Pat and that she was "absolutely delighted, elated with this news".
"I'm delighted that now we have a happy ending to this terrible ordeal for Norman Kember, for his family, for the Canadian hostages and for their families as well," he said.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was delighted by the news, and particularly pleased for the freed men and their families.
He also congratulated everyone involved in the rescue operation. Mr Straw said British forces had taken part.
The foreign secretary said the rescue followed "weeks and weeks of very careful work by military and coalition personnel in Iraq and many civilians as well".
He added: "There's one last very sad point, which is that there were four hostages captured originally, including one, an American, Mr Fox, and it's a matter of great sorrow to everybody that he was killed a little while ago."
The 54-year-old was found shot dead on 9 March in the Mansour district of the Iraqi capital.
Threats
The men were carrying out work in Iraq as part of peace group Christian Peacemaker Teams.
They were abducted on 26 November by a previously unknown group calling itself the Swords of Truth Brigade.
The group had issued threats to kill the men if the US and Iraqi authorities did not meet their demand of releasing all Iraqi prisoners.
Muslim anti-war campaigners in the UK sent Iraqi-born Anas Altrikiti to Iraq to plead for the release of Mr Kember and the other hostages.
Ihtisham Hibatullah, a spokesman for Mr Tikriti at the Muslim Association of Britain, said on Thursday they were "very relieved" that Mr Kember and his colleagues were alive, and that it was fantastic news for their families.
I hope they give the stupid olf f*rt the bill for time and resources. Then leave him to find his own way home.
More likely we will have to put up with him on Breakfast tele being drooled over by C list celeb presenters. Then there will be the book..........
More likely we will have to put up with him on Breakfast tele being drooled over by C list celeb presenters. Then there will be the book..........
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None of his friends/colleagues interviewed this morning would utter a word of thanks to his rescuers. "Our prayers were answered and he was freed".
Wake up, he wasn't 'freed' he was RESCUED. Ungrateful lot!!
Wake up, he wasn't 'freed' he was RESCUED. Ungrateful lot!!
TR,
Press conference by the Military a few minutes reported the information came from two detainees. Operation was conducted. No hostage takers or guards seen at the location. Thus no violence used. Hostages were all together, bound, but supposedly unguarded at time of the raid. Operations continue as the Military uses information surfaced at the site.
Press conference by the Military a few minutes reported the information came from two detainees. Operation was conducted. No hostage takers or guards seen at the location. Thus no violence used. Hostages were all together, bound, but supposedly unguarded at time of the raid. Operations continue as the Military uses information surfaced at the site.
Red On, Green On
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None of his friends/colleagues interviewed this morning would utter a word of thanks to his rescuers.
A college professor was teaching his daily class and took the opportunity to challenge the existence of "God" to his students. He looked upwards and said loudly...."God, if you exist....hit me squarely on the nose!" When nothing happened....he took a seat and said...."God, I give you ten minutes to hit me on the nose!"
For almost ten minutes nothing happened but the ticking of the classroom clock. As the second hand made it's final circuit to the appointed ten minute deadline, a fellow from the back row of the classroom stood up and walked to the Professor.
Upon reaching the Professor, he unleashed a tremendous right hook which landed squarely upon the Professor's nose, breaking the nose, splattering blood all over the chalk board, and knocked the Professor to the floor.
The Professor got up...holding his broken bleeding nose and asked "Why did you do that?"
The fellow said, "I am a former US Navy SEAL...God was busy so he sent me instead!"
For almost ten minutes nothing happened but the ticking of the classroom clock. As the second hand made it's final circuit to the appointed ten minute deadline, a fellow from the back row of the classroom stood up and walked to the Professor.
Upon reaching the Professor, he unleashed a tremendous right hook which landed squarely upon the Professor's nose, breaking the nose, splattering blood all over the chalk board, and knocked the Professor to the floor.
The Professor got up...holding his broken bleeding nose and asked "Why did you do that?"
The fellow said, "I am a former US Navy SEAL...God was busy so he sent me instead!"
Obviously a good thing that he has been rescued, but maybe next time he'll think twice before wandering round a war zone with nothing but his flip flops and bag of twiglets.
And I don't know why his fellow twiglet munchers were so surprised when he went missing - it's like watching one person stick his head into a lion's mouth and getting it chewed off and then being surprised when it decides it likes the taste of twiglets and does the same thing to you.
And I don't know why his fellow twiglet munchers were so surprised when he went missing - it's like watching one person stick his head into a lion's mouth and getting it chewed off and then being surprised when it decides it likes the taste of twiglets and does the same thing to you.
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Don't make me laugh, Norm!
So! It now seems that Mr Kember, bless him, had declared that, if they were kidnapped, they did not want to be rescued by Armed Troops. Who then? The Salvation Army? Don't make me laugh.
Now that they are free, then, I anticipate them refusing seats on a military flight out of the War Zone! Don't hold your breath. The ungrateful b
ards should be hung out the back door of a C130 at the Top of Climb and the rope cut!
Now that they are free, then, I anticipate them refusing seats on a military flight out of the War Zone! Don't hold your breath. The ungrateful b
ards should be hung out the back door of a C130 at the Top of Climb and the rope cut!
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Ungrateful old bag
Did anyone in the UK see the wizened old cow and "colleague" of 'Stormin' Norman Kember being interviewed on GMTV (I know, I know) proclaiming that she was going back to Iraq and did not want any military assistance if captured?
These t ssers make me seeth... (off for a cup of weak camomile tea, in the drawing room)....now where's my Meerschaum and smoking jacket?
Rats404
These t
ssers make me seeth... (off for a cup of weak camomile tea, in the drawing room)....now where's my Meerschaum and smoking jacket?Rats404
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Give him one week to 'come to his senses' and publicly thank the British forces who got him out of his self-generated dwang. If it is not forthcoming, launch another SF op to insert him straight back into Sadr City with some 'stars and stripes' y-fronts, 'Danish' cartoons taped to his back, a bottle of whisky and a bacon butty. Good luck chap, and well done on your last mission!
Warning Toxic!
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I must admit I had severe misgivings when I heard this idiot had survived. Now my newspapers are going to be filled with this fool's musings on how it is all our fault in the first place 'and give peace a chance!'. I'm not saying he shouldn't have survived, just there are 2300 American and over 100 Brit soldiers (and other nationalities_ who I would rather seen survive before someone who so pointlessly and intentionally sticks his head into a crocodiles' mouth. The man is an idiot- he is now going to be given a soapbox to publicly preach to us.
Checking out all the comments that have come from friends and familly of the rescued hostages (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4836614.stm) there are several references to Kember being "released" or "set free", but not one to his "rescue". Not one thank you to the men that risked their lives to get him out - how disgustingly ungrateful.
The single reference to the military operation comes from a former Guantanamo inmate, who crpytically states that he "hopes no one was hurt" during it. I wonder whether he's concerned for the hostage takers, ordinary Iraqi civis or the Coalition troops?
The single reference to the military operation comes from a former Guantanamo inmate, who crpytically states that he "hopes no one was hurt" during it. I wonder whether he's concerned for the hostage takers, ordinary Iraqi civis or the Coalition troops?
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I do wonder if Mr K took full advantage of his unique opportunity to advise his warlord captors to 'give peace a chance'. I suspect not. I strongly suspect he just kept his head down, praised his captors for their noble battle against the evil imperialists and quietly prayed for the boys in black to come and do their thing.
A public thank you to his rescuers and a nod to his own naivety and foolhardiness would be the only thing that might salvage a bit of sympathy or respect for him. If he returns and gets himself in the same mess again, I would suggest that he be allowed to sort out the problem non-militarily, by himself.
Apart from Tony B's congratulations, the only references to the armed forces are as follows:
CHRIS COLE, DIRECTOR OF FELLOWSHIP OF RECONCILIATION
MOAZZAM BEGG, FORMER GUANTANAMO BAY DETAINEE
Make of that what you will. Personally, if I was being held hostage awaiting execution and the number of people on the list had recently dropped by one, I wouldn't shed to many tears if the rescuers double-tapped each of the b@stards responsible. Maybe that would give peace more of a chance.
A public thank you to his rescuers and a nod to his own naivety and foolhardiness would be the only thing that might salvage a bit of sympathy or respect for him. If he returns and gets himself in the same mess again, I would suggest that he be allowed to sort out the problem non-militarily, by himself.
Apart from Tony B's congratulations, the only references to the armed forces are as follows:
I'm slightly disturbed to hear the news that they were freed in a military operation. I know that the men very much would not have wanted anyone to lose their lives in this operation.
I am a little concerned about the military operation and hope that nobody was hurt during that.
Make of that what you will. Personally, if I was being held hostage awaiting execution and the number of people on the list had recently dropped by one, I wouldn't shed to many tears if the rescuers double-tapped each of the b@stards responsible. Maybe that would give peace more of a chance.
Last edited by Fg Off Max Stout; 24th Mar 2006 at 11:12.