Nice to see some good news like this
Story
Thursday, March 23, 2006; Posted: 5:47 a.m. EST (10:47 GMT)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Three Western aid workers held hostage in Iraq for nearly four months have been freed in a multinational military raid, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said.
Briton Norman Kember, 74 and Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32 were freed in Thursday's military operation in Baghdad involving British special forces, Straw said.
Speaking in London, Straw said Kember had been taken to the high security Green Zone in Baghdad and was in "reasonable condition."
The two Canadians required hospital treatment, he said, but gave no further details.
Straw said he was "delighted that now we have a happy ending in this terrible ordeal." (Read Straw's full statement)
The men, members of aid group Christian Peacemaker Teams, were abducted along with American colleague Tom Fox, 54, in Baghdad on November 26.
Fox's body was found March 9 in western Baghdad with gunshot wounds to his head and chest. Straw said: "It is a matter of great sorrow to everybody that he was killed."
The men were shown as prisoners in several videos, the most recent a silent clip dated February 28 in which Loney, Kember and Sooden appeared without Fox.
The previously unknown Swords of Righteousness Brigades claimed responsibility.
Straw said he was "delighted" at the happy ending for the freed hostages.
In London, Kember's wife, Pat, told Reuters: "Very good news, I'm delighted but I'm just waiting for more details." She had appealed in a televised message aired by Al Jazeera television for his release.
Thursday's military operation "follows weeks and weeks of very careful work by our military and coalition personnel in Iraq and many civilians as well," Straw said.
Iraqi police Lt. Col. Falah al-Mohammedawi said it was believed the operation to free the hostages took place in Mishahda, 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Baghdad, The Associated Press reported.
A spokesman for UK Prime Ministery Tony Blair said: "The prime minister is delighted by the news. He is particularly pleased for those released and their families. He congratulates everyone involved in the operation to rescue the hostages."
The news was greeted with joy by the hostages' friends and supporters. (Full story)
Chris Cole, director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, where Kember is a trustee, said: "We are obviously delighted to have Norman, James Loney and Harmeet Sooden free.
"It is what we have been hoping and praying for for months but at the same time we continue to mourn Tom Fox and to continue to think of his friends and family.
"We also continue to mourn all the lives lost in this dreadful war."
A member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams said: "I shall be giving Norman a big hug when I see him. It's just amazing to have this news."
Speaking on Sky News, Pat Gaffney, general secretary of Pax Christi, said: "The people of Iraq are daily going through the same kind of turmoil that we are going through and really the work of bringing peace to Iraq will have to go on."
The body of American hostage Tom Fox was found in western Baghdad on March 9.
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She described Kember as "a man of great strength... a man of great humanity... totally dedicated to peace.
"We'll just see when Norman comes home how he wants to continue his peace work."
Imagining how he endured his ordeal, she said: "I would just imagine he was very focused, very clear about what he was doing and why he was there; very focused on his faith."
Other Americans taken hostage in Iraq and killed in addition to Fox, according to AP, were Ronald Schulz, 40, an industrial electrician from Anchorage, Alaska; Jack Hensley, 48, a civil engineer from Marietta, Georgia.; Eugene "Jack" Armstrong, 52, formerly of Hillsdale, Michigan.; and Nicholas Berg, 26, a businessman from West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Still missing is Jill Carroll, a freelance writer for The Christian Science Monitor who was kidnapped January 7 in Baghdad.
Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
Story
Thursday, March 23, 2006; Posted: 5:47 a.m. EST (10:47 GMT)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Three Western aid workers held hostage in Iraq for nearly four months have been freed in a multinational military raid, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said.
Briton Norman Kember, 74 and Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32 were freed in Thursday's military operation in Baghdad involving British special forces, Straw said.
Speaking in London, Straw said Kember had been taken to the high security Green Zone in Baghdad and was in "reasonable condition."
The two Canadians required hospital treatment, he said, but gave no further details.
Straw said he was "delighted that now we have a happy ending in this terrible ordeal." (Read Straw's full statement)
The men, members of aid group Christian Peacemaker Teams, were abducted along with American colleague Tom Fox, 54, in Baghdad on November 26.
Fox's body was found March 9 in western Baghdad with gunshot wounds to his head and chest. Straw said: "It is a matter of great sorrow to everybody that he was killed."
The men were shown as prisoners in several videos, the most recent a silent clip dated February 28 in which Loney, Kember and Sooden appeared without Fox.
The previously unknown Swords of Righteousness Brigades claimed responsibility.
Straw said he was "delighted" at the happy ending for the freed hostages.
In London, Kember's wife, Pat, told Reuters: "Very good news, I'm delighted but I'm just waiting for more details." She had appealed in a televised message aired by Al Jazeera television for his release.
Thursday's military operation "follows weeks and weeks of very careful work by our military and coalition personnel in Iraq and many civilians as well," Straw said.
Iraqi police Lt. Col. Falah al-Mohammedawi said it was believed the operation to free the hostages took place in Mishahda, 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Baghdad, The Associated Press reported.
A spokesman for UK Prime Ministery Tony Blair said: "The prime minister is delighted by the news. He is particularly pleased for those released and their families. He congratulates everyone involved in the operation to rescue the hostages."
The news was greeted with joy by the hostages' friends and supporters. (Full story)
Chris Cole, director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, where Kember is a trustee, said: "We are obviously delighted to have Norman, James Loney and Harmeet Sooden free.
"It is what we have been hoping and praying for for months but at the same time we continue to mourn Tom Fox and to continue to think of his friends and family.
"We also continue to mourn all the lives lost in this dreadful war."
A member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams said: "I shall be giving Norman a big hug when I see him. It's just amazing to have this news."
Speaking on Sky News, Pat Gaffney, general secretary of Pax Christi, said: "The people of Iraq are daily going through the same kind of turmoil that we are going through and really the work of bringing peace to Iraq will have to go on."
The body of American hostage Tom Fox was found in western Baghdad on March 9.
Image:
She described Kember as "a man of great strength... a man of great humanity... totally dedicated to peace.
"We'll just see when Norman comes home how he wants to continue his peace work."
Imagining how he endured his ordeal, she said: "I would just imagine he was very focused, very clear about what he was doing and why he was there; very focused on his faith."
Other Americans taken hostage in Iraq and killed in addition to Fox, according to AP, were Ronald Schulz, 40, an industrial electrician from Anchorage, Alaska; Jack Hensley, 48, a civil engineer from Marietta, Georgia.; Eugene "Jack" Armstrong, 52, formerly of Hillsdale, Michigan.; and Nicholas Berg, 26, a businessman from West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Still missing is Jill Carroll, a freelance writer for The Christian Science Monitor who was kidnapped January 7 in Baghdad.
Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
