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3 Western Hostages Freed During British-Led Raid in Iraq

By Michael Drudge
London
23 March 2006

A British-led raid in Iraq has freed three Western Christian peace activists who had been held nearly four months by a Muslim militant group.

U.S. and British officials are expressing delight, and friends and relatives of the captives say they are overjoyed that the three men have been safely rescued.

Coalition officials say not a shot was fired in the operation, and the hostage-takers were not present when the captives were found in a house in western Baghdad early Thursday. The officials say British and American forces discovered the captives still bound, but in reasonably good physical condition.

The freed men are 74-year-old Norman Kember of Britain, and two Canadians, James Loney, and Harmeet Singh Sooden.

A shadowy group called the Swords of Righteousness Brigades captured the men, along with an American peace activist named Tom Fox, on November 26. Fox's bullet riddled body was found two weeks ago.

In Baghdad, U.S. Army Major General Rick Lynch says the hostages were located after two Iraqi men were detained late Wednesday.

"Of those two detainees, one knew where the hostages were and provided that information," he explained. " The operation was planned and executed and the effect was the safe return of the three hostages."

British Defense Secretary John Reid says British troops spearheaded the raid, and he has special praise for them.

"I'm sure it is a pride to the British armed forces for the role they played and a matter of pride for the nation that once again, the people who serve it, have served so courageously," he said.

The three Westerners had gone to Iraq on a mission from an organization called Christian Peacemaker Teams. The co-director of the group, Doug Pritchard, has told a news conference in Toronto he is glad the men are free, but he has no kind words for the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.

"We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by multinational forces is the root cause of the insecurity, which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq today," he said. " The occupation must end."

U.S. and British officials say the United Nations and the Iraqi government now sanction the foreign military presence in Iraq, and therefore it is neither illegal, nor an occupation.