British Hostage To Be Freed

[ECH1969]

Breaking News

AN ISLAMIC website has reportedly posted a message that British hostage Ken Bigley is on the verge of a dramatic release in Iraq.

The 62-year-old contractor has been held by terror group Tawhid wal Jihad for almost a fortnight, and witnessed the brutal beheading of American colleagues Eugene Armstrong and Jack Hensley.

The message, if true, is the news Mr Bigley's family has been craving since making several public and emotional appeals to British Prime Minister Tony Blair to negotiate his release.

The message has been attributed directly to Mr Bigley's captors, according to The Sun in London.

The group is linked to notorious Jordanian henchman Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who is one of the most wanted men in Iraq.

The statement said the group "frees the prisoner and saves his life and warns all those who collaborate with the aggressor, in whatever form, to leave the country otherwise they will meet the same fate as his predecessors, that is beheading.

http://tinylink.com/?GxunQYt1Z8

[noahmijo]

1. I hope this is true

I cannot stand to hear of another beheading.....

[DemFromMem]

2. Thank goodness

The video of his 86 year mother pleading for her son's life was probably won of the saddest things I've seen on the news in quite some time.

[Carla in Ca]

3. I am so happy for him and his family. But

was there more we could have done for our two hostages? What did they do differently?

[ECH1969]

4. It sounds from this article

Like Zarqawi has been on the run and passed off the Brit to another terrorist group that was more willing to make a deal if this article is correct.

[DeepModem Mom]

5. The Italians gained release of the two women being held...

I don't know if different methods, or channels, were used (I believe there are rumors of cash payment in the Italian case), or if the hostage-takers are more willing to release non-American hostages. I have seen stories also of complaints that hostages from smaller countries do not get attention similar to that given to hostages from more major players on the world scene.

[aneerkoinos]

9. You got that right!

Iraqi hostages get no attention at all, even though kidnapping (usually for ransom) is so usual occurrence that men with any possessions or position are afraid to let their families go out. But who cares about them, we got Saddam!!!

[CornField]

6. In the NPR interview with Bigley's brother

The brother stated that he had been using all of his "Middle East connections" (he had worked extensively in the area evidentally) to make a plea on behalf of Ken. The brother made it known through those channels that Ken was born in Dublin and half-Irish. Supposedly there is some affinity between these groups and the Irish, whom they view as underdogs.

Honestly, I really don't know. I wish our government would get it through their heads that 'negotiating' is not 'giving in.' It's being smart... it's opening a channel of communication.

[short bus president]

19. "negotiating is not 'giving in'"

Exactly. This "we do not negotiate with hostage-takers" thing is an incredibly misguided tough-guy act. If "we do not negotiate with hostage takers," then why do American police departments have professional negotiators for dealing with hostage situations? Seems to me they must have some evidence that negotiation produces better results than going on TV and taunting the hostage takers with "we're better than you and we won't talk to you! Neener neener neener!"

What makes a "downhome" bank robbery hostage-taking so different from an overseas hostage-taking?

[veggiemama]

7. The difference is the involvement British Muslim Council and the Irish

government. The BMC has pulled out all the stops, with representatives traveling to Iraq; Cat Stevens has made public pleas for Bigley's release; a Palestinian prisoner who's been held in GB since just after 9/11 on "suspicion" has spoken out through his lawyer; Michael D. Higgins, the Irish Labour (real Labour, not "New Labour) TD made an appeal on Al-Jazeera, stressing Bigley's Irish citizenship. Higgins also spoke out against the war in an interview with A-J; the Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Bertie Ahern also made an appeal on A-J for Bigley's life. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Michael D. Higgins, Joe Higgins (TD, Socialist Party), and some Sinn Feiners contacted their PLO connections and asked them to intercede. Next thing you know, Yassar Arafat's asking for Bigley's release.

If Bigley survives, the Blair government deserves NO credit at all. The Bigley family remains adamant about that. It will be the combined effort of the Irish government and UK Muslims. It is possible to "negotiate" without surrender.

[DeepModem Mom]

8. I've not seen this hopeful report in the UK --

has anyone seen this reported elsewhere?

[DeepModem Mom]

10. UK TV now reporting possibility that Bigley will be released --

[veggiemama]

12. Paul Bigley claims to have received 'written confirmation'

<snip>

The brother of hostage Kenneth Bigley has claimed to have received written confirmation that the Briton will be spared in a communique released in the Middle East.

Paul Bigley said a translation of the message had been passed to him and offered the family new hope that the 62-year-old will be released alive.

"There has been a communique released from the Arab world which has been translated into English and which I have a copy of and have circulated to the best people I know," Mr Bigley told the ITV News Channel.

"It is not just a typical communique, it is so intricately put together in the language and format that I am 90 per cent sure that the contents are true.

<<

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/29/1096401652215.html?oneclick=true

[Katha]

11. Oh please please please let this be true

Here in Britain we've been praying/hoping that Ken will somehow make it back home.

[veggiemama]

13. We're also pulling for him here in Ireland, too!

And working hard to make it happen!

[LisaL]

14. I suspect they paid ransom, like in

Italian case. Of course, we refused to negotiate with terrorists, so, Americans were killed. I guess one might say their lives were not of value to us.
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Obviously, paying ransom encourages more kidnappings, too.

[llmart]

15. Hey, what's a couple of American lives......

when you can save some of that precious American money? (immense sarcasm here - we value our money more than lives - that's the Bush motto.)

[LivingInTheBubble]

16. Bigley says "tony blair is lying"

"British hostage Kenneth Bigley has been shown in a video screened on Al-Jazeera television.

He was shown crouching behind bars wearing an orange jumpsuit and pleading for help from the Prime Minister.

"Tony Blair is lying. He doesn't care about me. I'm just one person," Mr Bigley said. "


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3699998.stm

[AP]

22. Looks like he was wrong.

[veggiemama]

17. Just heard Paul Bigley on RTE-Radio 1 . . .

He's now 100% certain the communique is authentic and that Ken will be released. He thanked Yasser Arafat, King Abdullah of Jordan, and the Irish nation, and he blamed Tony Blair and * for the crisis.

[goodboy]

18. I wonder what Blair agreed to in order to get this done...eom

[Nashyra]

20. Americans will be pissed off

that they were able to gain the release of the British man and not the Americans. This despicable adminstration has made targets of all Americans and if the * is elected it will be a referendum that we support these policies. Welcome to your world repukes, we will be held hostage by the world to stay in our own country, our own polarized country because as citizens of the US we will not be welcomed anywhere.

[Jacobin]

23. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[AP]

21. The US tried hard to prevent this because they wanted Blair to pay the...

...political price. They wanted it to ruin his convention.

It looks like the UK has somehow plaid good defense and has prevented the US from screwing Labour over.