by Natasha Tynes | Feb 10, 2006 | Jill Carroll
Reuters has just released some breaking news from Al Rai TV in Kuwait in the last few minutes. According to Al Rai, the kidnappers say they will carry out a threat to kill Jill unless their demands are met by a Feb. 26 deadline. The station is citing sources that are "close to her captors."
Kidnappers holding U.S. journalist Jill Carroll say they will carry out a threat to kill her unless their demands are met by a Feb. 26 deadline, Kuwait’s Al Rai TV said on Friday, citing sources close to her captors. In response to a question from Reuters, Al Rai chairman Jassem Boodai declined to specify the kidnappers’ demands … "The demands are specific. We have passed them on to the authorities," Boodai told Reuters.
Source: [Reuters]
Previously Jill said the group was demanding the release of all female detainees held in Iraq and then five were released, but US and Iraqi officials denied any quid pro quo. 450 detainees were released over the last 48 hours in Iraq, but none were women. It is unclear from this statement if there are additional demands and it’s unclear what was in the letter Jill mentioned she was providing in her 9 Feb. video statement. As of today, 10 February 2006, Jill has been held captive 35 days!
UPDATE: Reuters has provided an additional piece of information from Al Rai in an updated version of that same report that indicates that Jill is being kept in the capital with other women:
The private television station said sources reported Carroll was being held in a house in Baghdad along with other women. In the video aired on Thursday by Al Rai, Carroll, 28, was shown wearing a headscarf and apparently composed and in good health — unlike a previous video in which she was distraught.
This was detailed a bit further in a quote from the Associated Press: "People close to the kidnappers told the private TV channel earlier Friday that Carroll is "in a safe house owned by one of the kidnappers in downtown Baghdad with a group of women," Jassem Boudai told The Associated Press."
UPDATE 2: This Associated Press report is quite insightful regarding the media movement that’s occurred with this latest tape. It also adds some additional information and provides one of the best analysis articles about the use of media in this whole terrible mess, confirming the fact that Aljazeera exercised considerable editorial control over release of the tapes so as not to provide an open mic to whomsoever perpetrates these actions. In other words, as mentioned before, there was audio on the tapes preceeding this one, but they chose not to air it.
But, as the story highlights, smaller outfits, like Al Rai, have an interest in putting these things out there to make a name for themselves, acting as a conduit for ner-do-wells. Also of note: the off-the-record Jazeera employee who confirmed that there was mention made of "letters" being sent in the other two videos. Here’s the story in full:
Carroll’s Iraqi kidnappers change channels in bid for more prominence
By Paul Garwood
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) – Kidnappers of journalist Jill Carroll have chosen a new TV station to broadcast their videotapes in a bid to promote their demands more effectively and increase pressure on the U.S. government, security experts said Friday. The third and latest tape, which appeared on a Kuwaiti station late Thursday, also gave new hope that the 28-year-old freelance reporter for The Christian Science Monitor is alive. The American was kidnapped Jan. 7 in Baghdad by gunmen who shot and killed her translator. The first two videotapes of Carroll in captivity were aired last month on Al-Jazeera television, but the station did not carry her voice.
The private Kuwaiti station Al-Rai broadcast the new 22-second video in its entirety and with Carroll’s voice. She spoke of having sent two letters but did not say to whom. "I am with the mujahedeen," she said. "I sent you a letter written by my hand, but you wanted more evidence, so we are sending you this letter now to prove I am with the mujahedeen."
An Al-Jazeera employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to make statements for the station, confirmed the first two videos referred to a letter. The station did not mention any letters when it aired the videotapes. It did report that the kidnappers were demanding the release of women held prisoner in Iraq.
Al-Rai owner Jassem Boudai said his station has given U.S.authorities Carroll’s letter, which he only described as "sensitive." The station didn’t reveal its contents, he said, out of concern for the reporter. Some terror analysts said Carroll’s kidnappers used the relatively unknown station to get more of its message across and to avoid being tainted by Al-Jazeera’s reputation as being biased toward insurgents.
Al-Jazeera came under sharp criticism for airing videos showing al-Qaida in Iraq, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, with hostages they soon beheaded. The station cut the tape when masked gunmen drew knives and moved toward their doomed victims. Since then, Al-Jazeera has sought to air just enough material for news value without appearing to be a conduit for gruesome propaganda. Station policy is not to carry the voices of hostages.
"There are a lot of question marks for insurgents at Al-Jazeera because they don’t air all their tapes in entirety, or not immediately or sometimes not at all," said Mustafa al-Ani, director of terrorism studies at Gulf Research Center in the United Arab Emirates." But these small stations will jump at such opportunities because they aren’t famous," he said. "Very few people had heard of Al-Rai before that tape, but now people all over the United States know it."
Another senior Al-Jazeera editor concurred, saying Carroll’s kidnappers had found it impossible to get their demands aired fully because of his station’s strict content policies. He said the kidnappers wanted to make their demands clear and used Al-Rai to do so. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to make statements for Al-Jazeera.
A top U.S. media analyst said being able to get their messages out in their entirety will have an impact on the American public, and could put pressure on officials to question the Bush administration’s approach to the war in Iraq. "These videos will prompt us to feel fear, hope, heightened anger or frustration about a matter as viewers will have little control over, and this could lead us to putting more pressure on our public officials," said Bob Steele of the Florida-based Poynter Institute for Media Studies.
by Natasha Tynes | Feb 10, 2006 | Jordan, my nation, Media watch
By Mohammad Ben Hussein
Chief editors of the two weekly tabloids, Shihan and Al Mihwar were denied bail for the second time on Thursday, according to a statement released by the Centre for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ). Jihad Momani and Hashem Khalidi, who had been released on bail on Sunday, were rearrested on Monday after the Press and Publication Department filed a lawsuit against them for republishing offensive cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.
Also on Thursday, Momani’s first hearing in the Conciliation Court was adjourned until Feb.16, after his lawyer Mohmmad Quteishat told the judge that his client’s health prevented him from attending the session. Momani and Khalidi are both in hospital "due to stress and exhaustion… They are in stable condition, under police arrest in hospital," according to Nidal Mansour head of CDFJ. The two journalists were admitted to hospital after they complained of chest pains, according to their doctors. "The centre will submit another request to free Momani and Khalidi next Sunday …"
Source: [The Jordan Times]
It is worth noting that of all the countries re-publishing the offensive cartoons — including Egypt as reported by Egypt’s Sandmonkey — it was only Jordan that imprisoned the journalists that decided to run the caricatures! And you wonder why I’m skeptical about recent calls for a free press in Jordan! Free Momani and Khalidi now!
by Natasha Tynes | Feb 9, 2006 | Jill Carroll
CNN is reporting that a private Kuwaiti TV station — Al Rai — has a new — third — tape of Jill! I haven’t seen it yet but I understand she is wearing different clothing than before and that she says she is doing okay but she pleads that her abductors’ demands be met, saying:
"I sent you a letter written by my hand but you wanted more evidence so we’re sending you this new letter now just to prove that I am with the mujahedeen," Carroll says in English on the tape, aired on Al Rai television.
"I’m here. I’m fine. Please, just do whatever they want, give them whatever they want as quickly as possible. There is very short time; please do it fast," she says. "That’s all." On the tape, Carroll begins by saying, "Today is Thursday, Feb. 6," then shakes her head slightly and corrects herself, "Feb. 2, 2006."
Source: [CNN]
UPDATE: CNN now has an update on their site and MSNBC has a short piece from the Associated Press that will likely update if there is anything new to report. Jill appears more composed in this video. This tape also includes a listenable audio portion. It is worth noting that the previous tapes also included audio — they were not silent as some reported. Aljazeera kept tight editorial control over the content, allowing their anchors to summarize the information, rather than give a platform to her captors. Perhaps this new tape is running on Al Rai so those controls are not in place.
UPDATE 2: Immediately following the release of the tape, Christian Science Monitor Editor Richard Bergenheim issued the following statement:
"It is always difficult to see someone speaking under coercion and under these circumstances. We are seeking more information about the letter that Jill refers to in the video. We remain in constant contact with Jill’s family and are still doing everything possible to obtain Jill’s release."
Jill’s family has also released a statement:
"The family is hopeful and grateful to all those working on Jill’s behalf."
UPDATE 3: Reporters without Borders has again asked for Jill’s release as soon as possible, stressing the fact that as a journalist she is but a neutral observer to the conflict.
We remind Carroll’s kidnappers that she is a journalist who has just done her job, which is to describe the conditions in which Iraqis are living. She is not responsible for the US government’s decisions.
At least these disturbing images give us some proof that she is still alive, which is truly encouraging. However, that falls short of calming our concern and anguish over Jill Carroll’s fate. The time has come to renew our mobilization effort. We urge members of the media around the globe — particularly those in the Arab world — as well as Muslim dignitaries, to continue to intervene on her behalf.
by Natasha Tynes | Feb 8, 2006 | Political mayhem
Probably one of the most inspiring campaigns I’ve seen in the Arab world lately is the Lebanese campaign "My nationality: a right for me and my family," which is geared towards pushing for the right of Lebanese women to pass citizenship on to their children. As is the case in a majority of Arab counties:
"According to Article 1 of the Lebanese Domestic Law, only the child born of a Lebanese father" is deemed Lebanese.
While Lebanon acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1997, it placed a reservation on the article that stipulates that "states parties shall grant women equal rights with respect to the nationality of their children." The reservation exempts the government from having to implement the article. Source: [IRIN]
I have discussed this topic on my blog a number of times, primarily because I am personally affected by this sexist law and I just can’t get over it. Apparently, things in Lebanon are somewhat better than Jordan. In particular:
Since 2004, an administrative measure taken by the General Security body in the interior ministry, permits children born of Lebanese mothers and foreign fathers to obtain renewable residence permits every three years free of charge. Before this, such parents had to pay US $200 for a renewable, one-year residency permit for their children. Source: [IRIN]
This is not the case in Jordan. Even a residence permit for children with foreign fathers is not given automatically or free of charge. This campaign is appealing to the Lebanese government and parliament, asserting the full citizenship rights of Lebanese women and calling for the "amendment of the articles deemed discriminatory against women." The issue is controversial, as the primary reason behind this law is political!
"Politicians fear that if women are allowed to pass their nationality onto their husbands, many Palestinians will take advantage of this and start marrying Lebanese women en masse," said Ahmad Halimi of the Popular Aid for Relief and Development NGO that works with Palestinians in Lebanon. Source: [IRIN]
Kudos to the Lebanese for their efforts! Hopefully they will get what they want some day soon and then other Arab countries will follow suit.
by Natasha Tynes | Feb 7, 2006 | Jordan, my nation, The Disturbing
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is apparently not satisfied with the Jordanian government’s handling of the Prophet caricature controversy. In a press release, RSF said:
The Jordanian authorities have been among the most acrimonious since the start of this controversy. Ten days ago, the Jordanian parliament called for the cartoonists to be punished. Now the judicial authorities are getting involved and have had a journalist imprisoned.
For my part, I’m really quite annoyed with the decision jailing the two Jordanian journalists, even though I understand that they violated the Press and Publication Law by publishing such religiously offensive cartoons. That said, I don’t see how you can justify the very presence of a press law in a supposedly democratic country. Arresting journalists and throwing them in jail before they get a fair trial is surely a step backwards in the kingdom’s supposed march towards a free press.
But the most upsetting thing for me is that these actions were taken while we Jordanians are being showered with promises of a free press via the highly anticipated reform program: The National Agenda. I was more optimistic several months ago, particularly after the launch of a campaign to end journalist imprisonment in Jordan. I truly believed Jordan was on the path towards embracing reform. Now it seems things are going in reverse.
In case you are wondering what became of the two journalists, well, they were re-arrested after an appeal from a civil prosecutor on Monday. This was one day after a judge released them pending their respective trials. The two could spend three years behind bars if found guilty. "It will be awkward that two editors walk freely while we are leading a national campaign condemning the Europeans who published the cartoons," said Deputy Hisham Qaisi, a member of the Legal Committee at the House in an article published the Jordan Times.
Jordanian blogger Khalaf has an excellent post about the emergence of a "slippery slope" that is developing in Jordan following the cartoon controversy. In his post he highlights recent calls to censor websites in Irbid Internet centers. These censored sites include "those that evoke sexual instincts, degrade religious feelings, or the system of government or encourage the use of illegal drugs."
Kahlaf makes a link between this call for censorship and the publication of the cartoons by the two Jordanian editors. He also mentions that some MPs have asked the government (in Arabic) to "reject the American pressure to license new Christian groups." Somehow MPs in their twisted logic see some sort of link between "new Christian groups" and the publication of these cartoons. Kahlaf ends with a powerful observation:
Of course, as this undemocratic rush continues, we can expect a lot of add-ons that would involve wish lists of all those involved. After terrorist attacks in Amman killed more than 60 innocent victims … people were afraid that the government would use this to limit freedom of speech. What the terrorists couldn’t do was achieved by some cartoons. Talk about [a] sense of proportion.
Well said, Kahlaf. Well said!
UPDATE: According to The Jordan Times, a number of international and national press watchdogs have also shown concern over the journalists’ arrest:
“We are deeply concerned by the jailing of Jihad Momani and Hashem Khalidi and the possibility that they could serve a lengthy prison sentences for what they published,” said Ann Cooper, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). "While we recognize the anger this controversy has caused, journalists should not be jailed for what they publish, even when it is considered offensive," she added.
The Amman-based Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ) also denounced the arrest, saying it was a "violation of international standards of freedom of the press … We totally reject any offense against the Prophet and affirm that any offense or attack on religions contradicts human rights and freedom of expression," a CDFJ statement said. Also Tuesday, a group of 14 local journalists signed a letter expressing concern over the journalists’ arrest, agreeing to launch a campaign to collect signatures pressing for the editors’ release, according to the statement.
Probably one of the most inspiring campaigns I’ve seen in the Arab world lately is the