Well, the hottest news of the day, aside from Hamas major victory in the Palestinian elections, is the fact that the US has released five female detainees in Iraq. Here is an excerpt from a Reuters article:
The five, among at least eight women held by U.S. forces in Iraq, were freed along with 414 other detainees, a U.S. military spokesman said. "The case of the women detainees is a legal case and it has nothing to do with the case of the American journalist," said a Justice Ministry official, who declined to be named.
The news of their anticipated release has been circulating for over a week now, and was denied on a number of occasions. But it has finally happened. Whether this is related to Jill’s abduction or not, this is good news, as it might help secure her release. The demands of the kidnappers have largely been met, whether directly or indirectly. They should set Jill free now!
UPDATE: Jill’s release may be imminent, at least according to one Iraqi source quoted in this breaking report from the AP:
A top Iraqi police officer says he thinks kidnapped American reporter Jill Carroll will be freed. And he says today’s release of five Iraqi women from U.S. custody could help. U.S. officials have said the release had nothing to do with the demands by Carroll’s kidnappers that the U.S. release Iraqi women.
This is fantastic news, although at this point we are dealing with the speculation of an unnamed source from a newly identified source, Maj. Gen. Hussein Ali Kamal, the Iraqi interior ministry’s head of intelligence. The U.S. position on this cannot and likely will never change. But the reality this event is creating on the ground could be having a direct impact on Jill’s release. Let’s hope this guy Kamal is right when he says: "Any announcement may not benefit the case because of its sensitivity, but we can say, God willing, that she [Jill] will be released." Word is, this guy said nearly the exact same words several days previous, so we have to take his hopeful thought with a grain of salt, difficult as that may be.
But in a wonderful moment of humanity, Siham Faraj, the mother of Hala Khalid (who was arrested with her brother in late September ’05 during a raid by U.S. forces on their home) said she was anxious to see her daughter and hoped it would mean Jill’s release:
"We are happy and we thank God for this blessing," Faraj told The Associated Press. "I call upon the kidnappers of the American reporter to release her because she is as innocent as Hala … I wish the Americans would stop random arrests. We only want peace in this country."
UPDATE 2: The Christian Science Monitor ran a further, fuller quote from Mrs. Faraj about Jill on Thursday:
"[Jill will] be fine and she will come out very soon because she loves Iraq and she loves Iraqis, so God will never forget her," says Siham Faraj, the mother of Hala Khalid Wahid who was detained by US forces in Iraq four months ago. But she added, "I don’t think Jill Carroll’s situation has anything to do with the release of my daughter, but we definitely feel her pain …
"And to her mother, I say: I know how painful it is when a daughter is detained. But don’t worry, madam. Your daughter is a great woman and she will be fine."
As I pray for any innocent soul not to suffer ,I pray for the release of Jill .But such recklessness is not to be ignored ,I sympathise with her parents who suffered the most and pray for them not to be disappointed .
Jill was out and away from her league ,
life is not logical nor fair
Occasionally a sole is saved
by less than merritous deeds
yet how can I not pray that she is saved?
why one, her , her one sole
why does she bring
feeling to num minds
Before her many have been
Yet appathy not empaty was advanced
Why
life is not logical nor fair
yet on Occasion a sole is saved
damn how do I pray
Jill Carroll’s blogger/journo friends maintain online vigil for release
Jeff Tynes, friend and former colleague of abducted journalist Jill Carroll, says: News regarding Jill Carroll has been few and far between for the last several days. Everyone has been on pins and needles. But there have been some developments of real …
Jill Carroll’s blogger/journo friends maintain online vigil for release
Jeff Tynes, friend and former colleague of abducted journalist Jill Carroll, says: News regarding Jill Carroll has been few and far between for the last several days. Everyone has been on pins and needles. But there have been some developments of real …
jeff, you don’t think the bush administration could’ve put the release of those prisoners on hold for a few months more so that it didn’t coincide with jill carroll?
some of them have been rotting away since 2004, so it does beg the question of why now.
p.s. im not altering the position to serve my own arguement, merely stating the obvious based on the empircal evidence provided to us.
I’m sure a communications director and many others did in fact point that out. That’s why I think there were a number of statements made to counter such a theory and why there was apparently some foot dragging. Point is, strategically, the position can serve all that wish to make it their own. But that’s really not what’s important here is it.
i think they just did.
im sure a communications director somewhere in the white house pointed out that the timing of this release (if it was in fact planned) would appear to the world that it had to do with meeting demands.
I would agree with my brother on this one, in that, the most important thing here is whatever circumstances can be brought forth to create a favorable climate for Jill’s release are good. Regardless of the US’s stance on non-negotiation with terrorists and the like, our reputation is far more damaged anyways simply by our engagement in the region. Whatever spin they put on it can’t undo that. The real power is held in the common perception of the people and has been reflected by the condemning of this act by the many Muslim leaders.
Prayer, hope and love should prevail in this case. Hopefully those that commit acts like these have reflections of these ideals shining back at them, and urging them to consider ceding to the will of the people and Allah.
The release appears to have been in the works for some time. There are regular releases of groups of detainees. The U.S. seems to have a policy of arrest first, ask questions later. So they end up with jails full of people that are often just plain innocent. Women get swept up in these mass arrests sometimes. I do not have to tell you what kind of fear that generates for their families, particularly after the Abu Ghraib scandal broke.
It is certain that the U.S. could never call this a quid pro quo. To do so, would mean putting a target on most anyone non-military that is in Iraq. The kidnapping of an innocent would mean that a group could expect to be heard and to get their demands met. The U.S. cannot, in any manner, give that appearance.
But in this case, it does appear this group of detainees was scheduled to be released for awhile. The U.S. may have even drug their feet on the release, at least that is how one report made it appear.
The bottom line: that is not really important for the moment. Jill’s release is the goal here. Whether or not the truth is on your side, you cannot win the quid pro quo argument; some will always believe what they are going to believe, and that is okay here. Regardless of whether this was directly related — and I am certain speculation on that will go on for weeks, months, years — if the outcome is Jill’s release, IMHO, it is a good thing.
wow, so i guess the U.S. does negotiate with terrorists afterall. this is going to be a big plus for this group who did the kidnapping.
but on the other hand they did manage to get 414 prisoners freed so that’s a good thing.