British Iraq hostage Kember freed

[4me2]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>British Iraq hostage Kember freed

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Several videotapes have been released showing the hostages

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA --><!-- S SF -->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. <!-- E SF -->
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said he had spoken to Mr Kember's wife Pat and that she was "absolutely delighted, elated with this news".
<!-- S IBOX --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5></TD><TD class=sibtbg> It's tremendously good and so unexpected - we really did fear that each one would be killed


Reverend Alan Betteridge
Kember family friend

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IBOX -->Brother Ian Kember, in Taunton, Somerset, said: "It's a wonderful thing, and it's obviously a great relief, but beyond that I haven't come to terms with it yet.
"This has been the news we have been waiting for for a long time."
Mr Kember was now in the heavily-fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Mr Straw said.
"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 added.
The Reverend Alan Betteridge, a friend of Mr Kember's for more than 40 years, told BBC Five Live: "It's tremendously good and so unexpected after the killing of Tom Fox a couple of weeks ago, when we really did fear that each one would be killed eventually."
Rescue operation
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 operation in the town of Mishahda, about 20 miles north of Baghdad. The Ministry of Defence said UK troops had played a "prominent role".
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".
The BBC's Andrew North said the peace group the men were working for in Iraq, Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), had issued a statement saying no-one was hurt in the rescue - including those holding the hostages.
Threats
The four men 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.
<!-- S IIMA --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> There were signs Mr Fox had been beaten before being killed

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->Fifty-four-year-old Mr Fox was found shot dead on 9 March in the Mansour district of the Iraqi capital.
Following the rescue, Mr Straw said: "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."
Muslim anti-war campaigners in the UK sent Iraqi-born Anas Altikriti to Iraq to plead for the release of Mr Kember and the other hostages. Ihtisham Hibatullah, a spokesman for Mr Altikriti 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.<!-- E BO -->


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/4836218.stm

[snow white]

That's brilliant news for his family and friends, nice to hear good news for a change Good Luck to him, he's one hell of a lucky guy.

[Raptor]

very very very lucky

funny tho how for 4 months nothing - 1 american is killed then 2 weeks later they are all rescued......

[4me2]

very very very lucky

funny tho how for 4 months nothing - 1 american is killed then 2 weeks later they are all rescued......

Ive always suspected foul play on the part of Kember .

A peace activist getting kidnapped ? It all seems pretty premeditated and planned to me.

Kember planned his own kidnapping to attract attention ? Thats my cynical view untill I see credible evidence to prove my theory wrong.

[DelTrotter]

i hope he got tortured big time the old bastard goin over there causing problems

[digidump]

i hope he got tortured big time the old bastard goin over there causing problems

Couldn't agree more - what has the selfish daft c*nt achieved bar worrying his family sick and putting lives of those who rescued him in danger.

[pmat]

another religous nut out there is all we needed! glad he's ok tho'....daft old twat.

[Robbo]

Bloody serves him right for going to a war zone. Silly old (unt .

Stay at home next time you coffin dodging oxygen theif

[burner1]

Just heard on the news he's already mentioned the possibility of going back some time soon... they should tag the old git and stop him leaving this country again; The time, resources, risk of life to his rescuers and worry to his family makes me think he's one selfish git.

Unless he just wants to sound 'hard' and it's BS.

[4me2]

Just heard on the news he's already mentioned the possibility of going back some time soon... they should tag the old git and stop him leaving this country again; The time, resources, risk of life to his rescuers and worry to his family makes me think he's one selfish git.

Unless he just wants to sound 'hard' and it's BS.

They should send him the bill for the costs that have amounted due to his actions ,that would make him think twice about going back again.

[wiggi28]

selfish cunt put lives at risk by intending to be captured to rase the profile of his cause
dickhead

[partyman]

It's all well and good these tossers saying that if they are captured they don't want force to be used to rescue them, but surely it doesn't work like that. You can't opt-out of being a british citizen and therefore having the armed forces try and rescue you if you're fucking stupid enough to go to a war zone.