Liberty Bell

U.S., British Troops Rescue Iraq Hostages

U.S. and British troops Thursday freed three Christian peace activists in rural Iraq without firing a shot, ending a four-month hostage drama in which an American among the group was shot to death and dumped on a Baghdad street.

Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, the U.S. military spokesman, said the hostages were being held by a “kidnapping cell” in a house, and the operation to free the Canadian and British captives was based on information from a man captured by U.S. forces only three hours earlier.

“They were bound, they were together, there were no kidnappers in the areas,” Lynch told a news briefing.

He also said military operations concerning other hostages were ongoing, “probably as a result of what we’re finding at this time.”

The freed hostages were Canadians, but members of the Chicago-based Christian Peacemaker Teams. Although Tony Blair and others have thanked the soldiers, the Canadians and the Christian Peacemaker Teams have not done so.

In regards to a statement on their web-page:

Not once do they thank or even reference the fact that a Special Forces team rescued these guys. In fact, the only reference to military at all is blaming them for the kidnapping in the first place. Nice!

Also on their home page is a long statement about how terribly treated terrorists are when detained by evil soldiers.

They have faith in the power of God and his protection. “If you have the faith to love your enemies, you might consider loving your friends and rescuers too.”

The Christian Peacemaker Teams said the activists went to Iraq “motivated by a passion for justice and peace.” Group volunteers have been in Iraq since October 2002, investigating allegations of abuse against Iraqi detainees by coalition forces. Its teams promote peaceful solutions in conflict zones.

“They knew that their only protection was in the power of the love of God and of their Iraqi and international co-workers,” Pritchard said.

He also called for coalition forces to leave the country.

“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,” Pritchard said

There’s a story/joke I know about a Marine just released from active duty and newly registered in a class taught by an avowed Atheist. The teacher shocked several of his students when he flatly stated he was going to prove there was no God. Addressing the ceiling he shouted: “God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I’ll give you 15 minutes!”

The lecture room fell silent. You could have heard a pin fall. Ten minutes went by. Again he taunted God, saying, “Here I am, God. I’m still waiting.”

His count-down got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine walked up to the professor, hit him full force in the face, and sent him tumbling from his lofty platform, knocking him out cold. At first, the students were shocked and babbled in confusion. The young Marine took a seat in the front row and sat silent. The class fell silent…waiting.

Eventually, the professor came to, shaken. He looked at the young Marine in the front row. When the professor regained his senses and could speak he asked: “What’s the matter with you? Why did you do that?”

“God was busy. He sent me.”

Thank-you.

Other bloggers posting on this subject: Christian Peacemaker Teams is not Pro-Peace, TALK ABOUT UNGRATEFUL, US and British troops rescue ‘Peace’ hostages