Iraqi Police Uniforms being used by kidnappers
Another 'British' charity aid worker and a citizen of Iraq, Margaret Hassan, has
been kidnapped in Baghdad and a video showing the victim with her hands apparently tied
but unharmed, has been shown by Arab TV station Aljazeera. A second video showing her
pleading for her life was released on the 23rd Oct 2004 and is an unusual video in
which there are no banners, no armed men and no demands or word from the hostage takers.
Margaret was kidnapped on her way to work around 7.30am Iraq time
(0430 GMT) on Tuesday 19 Oct. An easy target, as she was fairly well known
and did not use armed guards. Aid workers don't use $1000 a day mercenary
guards and Care International definitely do not employ armed guards and
will not do so as a matter of course. The kidnappers were said to number
four to five men, and one was dressed in a police uniform. Most Westerners
in Iraq are not being warned that police uniforms are in the hands of both
the legitimate Iraqi Resistance and criminal gangs and doubtless many others.
The Foreign Office has issued no warning as far as we know relating to this
latest development and though Aljazeera TV reported this information the BBC
did not.
Iraq Resistance denies involvement
Hostages fate decided by internet search engines.
Reuters news agency have reported that insurgent commanders in
Falluja said they were not holding Mrs Hassan, other commanders have stated
the same, and another legitimate Iraqi Resistance commander stated that
"The
resistance did not kidnap her because this would have left a bad impression of
the resistance in the world." Reports coming through indicate that Tawhid and
Jihad, who captured and murdered Ken Bigley also deny holding her. Australian
journalist John Martinkus who was recently captured then released told Aljazeera
that
"These guys are not stupid. They're fighting a war but they're not savages.
They're not actually just killing people willy-nilly. They talk to you, they think about
things," John was freed after his captives simply used Google or a similar search
engine to verify that he was an independent journalist who did not support the
US presence in Iraq. He also commented on the murder of Ken Bigley stating that
"There was a reason to kill Bigley, there was a reason to kill the
Americans; there was not a reason to kill me - luckily I managed
to convince them of that," Sadly this grim truth is what any other
British workers captured can expect. Hopefully Margaret's captors have by now
seen the overwhelming evidence in her favour, but if she isn't being held by
the Iraqi Resistance or any group with political aspirations, then its likely
that she has been targeted for ransom, although not 100% certain. As ever there
are exceptions to the rule and The Islamic Army in Iraq kidnapped and cruelly
murdered Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni, (his blogsite is
still up here
in Italian ) despite a search engine showing his own obvious opposition to
the war and work with the Red Cross/Crescent.
The events regarding Margaret differ to the recent kidnapping then later
release of the two Italian aid workers who were not videoed or put under any fear
that they would be harmed. Upon release they stated that they were treated with
the utmost respect and not harmed in any way whatsoever by the kidnappers. In
this latest video Margaret begs not to
'end up like Mr Bigley'. These words are
likely part of her script but its worrying that any man would contemplate acting
towards a women in this manner. There was no announcement from the Group holding
her as to whom they were, and no demand apart from what was said by Margaret
Hassan in the short clip of video which was shown on Al Jazeera Arab TV. This
is Margarets statement below…..
"Please help me, please help me, these might be my last hours.... Please help me, please
British people ask Mr Blair to pull the troops from Iraq and not bring them to Baghdad.
Please, please I beg of you, the British people, to help me. I don't want to die like
[Ken] Bigley. I beg of you, I beg of you." Margaret Hassan 2nd Video released by anonymous
kidnap gang on 22 Oct 2004.
Blair is in too deep now to pull out British troops, but if this was his son
Eugene pleading on the video, he'd resign as PM immediately and likely cry to us all
how he was so wrong. Blair is going to sacrifice one Brit too many fairly soon.
A Humanitarian
Margaret Hassan is married to an Iraqi and has lived in Iraq for 30
years. She is the head of international Aid Charity 'Care International' in
Iraq. She has been providing humanitarian relief to the people of Iraq in a
professional career spanning more than 25 years and began working for Care
International soon after it began operations there in 1991 when the UK and
USA depleted uranium bombs were dispersing there lethal microscopic radioactive
particles into the atmosphere. She is NOT working in any way shape or form for
the occupiers and there puppets and opposed the sanctions on Iraq which British
politicians gleefully supported. In 2002 Margaret attended the Birmingham
headquarters of the organisation 'Islamic Relief', and her description of
how Iraq, a formerly prosperous nation had been systematically reduced
to poverty, was the theme of her message. Her kidnappers hopefully will
soon realise this women.
British Contractors earn more in One Day than some Iraqis earn in a year!
Iraqi Cops wages $120 per month
British Mercenaries wages: $1000 per day.
Margaret was kidnapped on her way to work around 7.30am Iraq time
(0430 GMT) on Tuesday 19 Oct. An easy target, as she was fairly well known
and did not use armed guards. Despite living there for so long and being
an Iraqi citizen, it seems that some see her as a 'foreigner' in these
divisive times according to her husband who has been on Arab TV stations
to plea that his wife is released. Charity aid workers don't use $1000 a
day mercenary guards and Care International definitely do not employ armed
guards and will not do so as a matter of course. The kidnappers were said
to number four to five men, and one was
'dressed in a police uniform' though
the BBC for some reason did not state this very important fact. The Iraqi police are
feeding info to the resistance, and could well be bumping up there pathetic wages if
they help identify a target. British mercenaries and some contractors (Not Margaret
Hassan) are earning more in a day than Iraqi cops get in 6 months. The salaries
of Iraqi police and Army recruits start off at $120 a month, and they are considered
to be well paid. It is a dangerous job as the Iraqi resistance has repeatedly
attacked them at will and the latest attack saw 43 army recruits and five
civilian drivers reportedly captured and each shot in the head. A video
may well appear later. (24 Oct 2004) British Police and Army are training
some of these recruits before they are slaughtered for being
'collaborators'.
Whoever the kidnappers may be, they are now practically taking people at will and
it's likely that this fashion will follow after the recent ransom paid to free the
Italian Aid Workers set an example. Any UK workers, who have not got a real good
reason for being there, could well find that they'll be seeing the orange suit come
out if they are caught. Anyone who thinks that the excuse
'we're working to
rebuild Iraq' is going to work, might believe it if they repeat it enough,
but the kidnappers or Iraq resistance groups will tell you that you earn more in
a day than Iraqis get in a year, then they'll either see you as
ransom or kill you. It's quite likely if your British and working for the
Yanks you will find your head sawn off as part of the latest Iraqi Jihad
House of Horrors video releases. Delivering supplies to soldiers or building
American bases is not going to be seen as
'rebuilding Iraq' to most
Iraqis. The secretary-general of Egypt's Labour Party makes an important
if uncomfortable point when he states
"They are not hostages
but prisoners and according to Islamic law, they can be exchanged,
set free or executed. All those who were killed were agents and
partners of the occupation."
If Margaret Hassan is seen as a legitimate target then no-one is safe.
As stated by the UK's finest War correspondent Robert Fisk,………….
"Before the war to remove Saddam Hussein, Margaret was among the many who warned
the British Government that an invasion and occupation would produce a humanitarian
crisis in a country already severely weakened by the embargoes.
It is the ultimate irony that a woman who was brave and good and decent enough to oppose
the shameful sanctions with which we chose to purge the Iraqi people should now be taken
by kidnappers in Baghdad.
If ever there was a true friend of Iraqis, it is Margaret Hassan. Brave, outspoken,
steadfast, she is a heroine. Her captors should be humbled that they can speak to so
fine a lady". Robert Fisk: taken from Independent newspaper 22 Oct 2004.
Margaret obviously met and fell in love with an Iraqi man, just one small hopeful indication
that ordinary English people and Iraqis have no real fight with each other and can live together.
Sadly though, politicians will always do there best to encourage hatred. Margaret has made Iraq
her home, she was not harmed under Saddam Hussein (nor were any other Brits), and her safety
amongst the Iraqi people was more or less the same, if not safer, than she would feel in
Liverpool. The odds of Margaret being kidnapped under Saddam Hussein were small indeed.
Margaret actually warned a House of Commons briefing committee that
"The Iraqi people
are already living through a terrible emergency," and added
"They do not have the
resources to withstand an additional crisis brought about by military action." The
idiots of Parliament never listened; they never do, until the day that the body count gets
too high. That day is fast approaching.
.
Jack - Man Of - Straw
The odds are the group who kidnapped her are looking for a ransom, but given
the group have no banner, we cannot claim to know if they are even Iraqi, or Muslims.
It could be mercenaries looking to make a quick One million. There are too many people
running around wearing masks for us to be sure just who is who out there right now. We
can only hope genuine Iraqi resistance groups and the religious leaders are already
making moves to secure the release and determine WHO has taken her if that is possible.
Jack Straw has piped in with the usual 'we're doing all we can etc', but in reality he
is probably more concerned about his constituents seeing his expenses totals. Straw
cannot sacrifice this innocent woman and will have to either make a deal or let others
do so. We hope it does not become another long drawn out episode and there is a quick
and happy conclusion to this kidnapping. But let us all recall that Jerk Straw and
his sick 'comrades' have created the chaotic mess that Iraq has now become.
Hoons dangerous comments
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon stated after hearing the news that:
"Obviously it is
a very disturbing development and our thoughts are with her family. She is a long time
resident of Iraq, as I understand it, someone who is working extremely hard, has worked
all her life for the benefit of the people of Iraq so this just demonstrates the depths
to which these terrorists will go" Hoon seems to know somehow that the people holding
Margaret are
'terrorists' and tries to brand them as
'desperate criminals'. If
anything Hoons words are a provocation and we need to be very careful as we don't know
who the hell we are dealing with and they may not have the patience to play Hoons word
games. Ask yourself would YOU insult a gang holding a loved one hostage? As with Ken Bigley,
we hear once again that the SAS and MI6 are looking for this latest victim. It is possible
that Ken Bigley was killed as a botched mission to look for him alerted his captors. Kens
murder certainly seems to have been rushed, his captives perhaps running out of patience
and seeing the 'negotiations' as a ploy to buy time and try and rescue him.
Kirkby Times is hopeful that Margaret will be released unharmed, she
is there to genuinely help the Iraqi people; she was not there to earn a buck.
There seems no real reason in holding her apart from money, and if she is being
held by a criminal gang then a ransom will have to be paid regardless. Any UK workers
over there, who are not Aid workers or journalists, should do the sensible thing and
get out of Iraq until such a time as the Iraqi people have finished seeing off the
occupiers. We hope that in the future we might be invited back to work, to socialise
and to enjoy what was a great Country and the cradle of Civilisation. It is now likely
to be a very long time before peace comes to the Middle East. Our politicians in there
insanity, have managed to divide the World more than its been since those dark
foreboding days leading up to World War Two when Hitlers Germany invaded Poland.
Now we see Bush's American invade Iraq and the British Army is there at the
frontline tagging along. Asking British troops to support the Americans at
Fallujah is a bit like being asked to support the Nazis as they surrounded
the Ghettos of Poland.
Lest we Forget - Also held in Iraq are French journalists Christian Chesnot and
Georges Malbrunot who were captured August 21 reported captured by the Army of Islam.
Hamas joined a number of groups asking for the two to be released as France does not
support or participate in the illegal war. Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and aides
to Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr are urging freedom for the journalists. The captors made
demands for France to allow the Hijab (Islamic womens headwear) to be worn in school
contrary to French laws. The same group murdered Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni,
who was working with the Red cross and Red crescent. RIP.
Coming soon: Beslan School Massacre: Junkie Gang of Killers: Do you still blame
Muslims? Recent disturbing reports indicate that most of the Beslan gang were drug addicts.
The Western media is holding back on this fact and sticking to the 'gang of Muslims'. Duma
deputy and committee member Yuri Savelyev told newsru.com
"The truth about the real organizers
of the terror attack may be so scary that revealing it would lead to new, bloody conflicts,"
