Bigley's brother: Hostage's safety 'sabotaged' by US coalition

[Maddy McCall]

LONDON (AFP) - The brother of British hostage Kenneth Bigley accused the US-led coalition in Iraq (news - web sites) of having "sabotaged" his safe release by refusing to free a detained woman scientist.

Paul Bigley told BBC radio that there had been "a shadow of light in a big, long, dark, damp, filthy, cold tunnel" when an Iraqi judge on Wednesday approved the release of the scientist, as demanded by his brother's abductors.

"Now this has been sabotaged" by the US refusal to let the scientist, Rihab Taha, who was involved in Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, out of prison, Bigley charged.

Kenneth Bigley, 62, whose two fellow American hostages have been executed at the hands of the Tawhid wal Jihad (Unity and Holy War) group, made an emotional appeal to British Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) late Wednesday to save his life.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1512&ncid=721&e=6&u=/afp/20040923/wl_afp/iraq_hostage_britain_us

[4morewars]

1. These assholes don't care about some worker

Especially a Brit ! Thank GOD they got Cat Stevens out of the US though ! Have they even TRIED to intervene on behalf of ANY of these poor hostages? I haven't heard of it. Come to think of it, these assholes don't seem to care about anything but themselves. It's a damn shame. God forbid they get back in the Whitehouse for 4 more years, then we'll all be crying.

[slor]

2. That is exactly what I thought when I heard...

and quite frankly, I do believe that is why Dr. Germ is being held back. I think this may cause some problems for the chimp.

[Eye and Monkey]

3. Iraqi PM Not Willing to Release Taha from Jail

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-iraq-allawi.html

By REUTERS
Published: September 23, 2004
Filed at 3:07 a.m. ET

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi will not bow to the demands of hostage-takers and is not willing to allow the release of female prisoner Rihab Taha from jail, the government said in a statement on Thursday.

The statement said Taha was among three high-profile prisoners who had been recommended for possible release after a review by U.S.-led Multinational Force Iraq (MNFI).

``The Iraqi government has not yet completed its deliberations on the matter, but the prime minister has indicated that he is not willing to agree to the release of Rihab Rashid Taha at this time,'' the statement said.

Militants who have killed two American hostages and are threatening to kill a Briton are demanding the release of all Iraqi women in U.S. detention in Iraq.

<snip - more>

[punpirate]

4. What is so confoundingly odd about this is...

... that the CPA had provisionally authorized their release, already. An Iraqi judge has agreed to their release. This was something already in the works.

Now that people have been kidnapped and killed in protest of the lack of release, Allawi is refusing to allow their release?

This sounds a bit too much like a "let's get tough" policy which can only ensure the death of yet one more hostage, and gains nothing over what had already been planned.

Eventually, the two scientists will be released.

This seems to be a harbinger of what can be expected from Allawi. It's going to be a long five months to the elections, if, in fact, they are held at all.

[Eye and Monkey]

6. I'm sure that the CPA WANTS to help, there's that "sovereignty" thing.

Sovereign nation, since that big hand-over ceremony in June. Gotta respect Iraqi "sovereignty". Just gotta.

[doctorus]

5. hostages

the fate of hostages is always fatal...

[newyawker99]

12. Hi doctorus!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Scurrilous]

Clash over prisoners exposes power struggle

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1310528,00.html

US overrules Iraqi government plan to free women scientists

<snip>

"The confusion yesterday over whether two "high-value" women prisoners being held in Iraq would be released has underlined the limits of the interim government's authority.

The apparent differences between the statements of Iraqi ministers and US officials will raise questions yet again over both the coherence of the new administration and the degree of independence it actually enjoys."

<snip>

"Though the US occupation authorities formally handed over "sovereignty" to the Iraqi government in late June, key decisions including those involving big combat operations and the detention of high-security suspects from the former regime are still taken by the US.

There is supposed to be dialogue between the Iraqi government and the US forces concerning the military operations, but the Iraqi government has no power of veto.

In the case of the two scientists - regarded as "high-value" detainees when they were arrested - the buck still stops with the Americans. They are being held by US troops in a prison thought to be at the base around Baghdad airport.
There is little doubt that the final say in such high-security cases rests with the American commanders."

[Scurrilous]

7. Hiccup....

[randr]

8. And, of course, no mention anywhere of the fact that

schrub moved our bases out of Saudi Arabia at the request of the 9/11 terrorists.

[Ducks In A Row]

9. The Bushies WANT more beheadings.

it looks good in the campaign ads.

[sam sarrha]

10. the women is known as...DR GERM.. probably not a good idea to let

her go..

Face it if you go to Iraq for the money or any other reason.. you put your life in danger..

They need this woman scientist because there is a shortage of Scientists that know about the subject of culturing and prepping the bacteria... over 3o of the foremost scientists have mysteriously or not so mysteriously died.

[Cocoa]

11. imagine your fate being in Bush's hands

I can't even imagine. :-(

[Maddy McCall]

13. Nor I...

I can't imagine knowing that a loved one's life depends on Bush's decision. I feel for the families of all of the hostages.

[Carolab]

14. They made the decision to go there

These people are working for the "Gulf Services Company" which works in fixing leaks and securing oil pipelines, mostly. It is owned by a bunch of Arabs. Check it out. Face it--it wouldn't look good for Shrub if they released a couple of women who were cooking up Saddam's poisons, would it? Make 'em look pretty weak in the eyes of their worshippers, right? Maybe they think they can get these women to testify against Hussein in exchange for their lives, or their families' lives, or something.

[struggle4progress]

15. kick

:kick: