Norman Kember freed

[Barrel of Fun]

Norman Kember Released!!!!!!

British peace activist Norman Kember has been freed in Iraq after being held hostage for almost four months, Foreign Office sources have told the BBC.

The 74-year-old, from Pinner, north-west London, was seized in Baghdad with two Canadians and an American in November.

The two Canadians have also been released in Baghdad, reports say.

The body of US citizen Tom Fox was found in Baghdad earlier this month.


A crying shame about Tom Fox, but excellent news about the release of the other captives.

Gives a little hope that something can be done.

 

[Superseagull]

Sounds like he was freed by a special forces operation rather than just realeased.

 

[FalmerforAll!**]

Excellent news

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Genuinely amazed at this, thought he was a goner.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Sounds like he was freed by a special forces operation rather than just realeased.

Ah yes. Good outcome for the operation.


Further news from the article...

"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."

 

[Dez]

I was convinced he was brown bread. Fantastic news.

 

[daveyboybhafc2]

great news

 

[Gazwag]

Could do a job





Seriously, that is good news

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Wonderful news.

 

[Napper]

hope he has the sense to get the hell out of dodge now !!

 

[berkshire seagull]

My view is that you would have to be a very stupid person to go to iraq on a peace conquest

Good news yeah

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

British Iraq hostage Kember freed

Several videotapes have been released showing the hostages
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.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said he had spoken to Mr Kember's wife Pat and that she was "absolutely delighted, elated with this news".

It's tremendously good and so unexpected - we really did fear that each one would be killed

Reverend Alan Betteridge
Kember family friend
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.


There were signs Mr Fox had been beaten before being killed
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.

 

[Woodchip]

Beaten to it by that funny green man Mr BoF

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Wow! Good news!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Taken from Lupoli thread....

Keep up

FIXTURES!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.northstandchat.biz/showthread.php?s=&threadid=71715

But fantastic news anyway.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Taken from Lupoli thread....



FIXTURES!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.northstandchat.biz/showthread.php?s=&threadid=71715

But fantastic news anyway.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I am 3 and a half hours late , what a fecking muppet

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I am 3 and a half hours late , what a fecking muppet

 

[Gazwag]

I am 3 and a half hours late , what a fecking muppet

Bit like your horses