<< VERMONT CAVES ~ MAIN ~ UNFORTUNATE HEADLINE WATCH >>
DOUGLAS WOOD RESCUED
The Prime Minister just announced that Douglas Wood, held captive in Iraq since April, has been rescued by Iraqi forces working with US troops.
UPDATE. No mention of this so far on ABC news. Way to earn that $500,000, Juanita!
UPDATE II. Perhaps the ABC might have learned of Wood’s freedom if staff were permitted to read this site. Here’s the message that appears when anybody attempts access using an ABC computer:
The site you have requested contains material the ABC believes may be outside the scope necessary for its business operations. If you proceed, your activity will be logged and sent to your manager for review. The ABC does not regard the material contained in this site as reasonable for personal use, and if requested, you must be able to justify that your use of this site properly relates to ABC business.
Use of the ABC Internet facilitates in breach of this Policy may result in disciplinary action including the termination of your employment. If you do not wish to continue, click the Back button in the Internet Explorer tool bar to return to the previous page or enter a new address.
By continuing you consent to your activity being logged and agree your use is for ABC business purposes.
If you wish to continue, click here: http://timblair.net/
UPDATE III. Brief item on Wood runs as final piece before weather; newsreader mentions this as “returning to our lead story”. Must’ve been the world’s speediest lead. Still, apologies from me for getting it wrong—the ABC evidently did catch this.
UPDATE IV. Early News Ltd report.
UPDATE V. Wood was rescued in a military operation. The SMH describes him as being released. (Via ausdiplomad in comments.)
The coverage of the SMH and Age is to be expected.
He’s been freed by the use of Iraqi and American military force, and their story is entitled “Australian hostage in Iraq has been released”.
To quote the PM: “Mr Wood was recovered a short while ago in Baghdad in a military operation that I am told was conducted by Iraqi forces in cooperation in a general way with force elements of the United States.”
Hardly ‘released’.
I really shouldn’t be surprised, should I?
Posted by ausdiplomad on 2005 06 15 at 05:12 AM • permalinkWOO HOO!
(Would do a happy dance, but my coworkers might find that odd. Even for night shift.)Posted by Patrick Chester on 2005 06 15 at 05:50 AM • permalinkThe 7.30 Report had Kerry talking with Alexander Downer about it, and I had to do a double-take. I didn’t catch all of it, just that Doug Wood was under medical care and would probably go back home to the States when he is well enough.
No talk of the mufti, of course. What a surprise!
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2005 06 15 at 06:10 AM • permalinkThe SMH is now saying “rescued in military operation” rather than “released”. In fairness I think there might have been some earlier confusion, because I saw the “released” line on a commercial network (can’t remember which one) a few hours ago.
Hooray for killing terrorists! Boo sucks for negotiating with them!
#14. Concur. It appears that a combination of Iraqi forces with what has been euphemistically descibed as ‘US force elements’ freed Douglas Wood. Likely scenario, the Iraqis held the outer cordon, US/AUS elements assisted the brave captors to gallantly release the hostage, with extreme prejudice.
“Mohammed, is that someone at the door….?”
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer later said a number of militants had been detained following the operation.
He did not know if anyone was killed during the rescue.I’ll bet it was the first %$#$ question the luvvies at the ABC asked. Whats the bet this will be their focus?
Congratulations to Mr. Wood, his family and the soldiers involved.
Nine did say released,Louis.
SBS did a cross to the P.M. which (footage)spectacularly self destructed.On their second attempt they said “released”.
However, all credit to the ABC local television (state} news which announced” Douglas Wood was rescued.”“He WASN’T released he WAS rescued.”
Maybe someone took a forbidden peek at this site and your comments Tim.Crikey! News folks can’t visit the personal web site of a fellow journalist. Cross-contamination, I suppose.
My wife’s employer has blocked Yahoo.
Yahoos, all, I suppose.
Posted by William Young on 2005 06 15 at 07:45 AM • permalinkExcellent news! Glad to hear it!
Re, #23:
Likely scenario, the Iraqis held the outer cordon, US/AUS elements assisted the brave captors to gallantly release the hostage, with extreme prejudice.
I wouldn’t bet on that scenario, although it is possible. Nonetheless, the Iraqi Army is engaging the terrorists directly and constantly. What is more likely is that the Iraqis planned the operation under US mentorship, and executed it while US forces provided close air support and back up forces. We’ll have to wait for the full story on this one.
Bottom line: Mr. Wood is safe. Hopefully, some terrorists are dead.
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2005 06 15 at 07:48 AM • permalinkI don’t know, rexie, and I won’t speculate.
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2005 06 15 at 08:04 AM • permalinkA big fist-pumping whoop of joy from Atlanta, Georgia for y’all! If it’s true that the terrorists were captured and not killed, I hope they have lots of information and are very ticklish.
“Mohammed, is that someone at the door….?”
I don’t know. But say, didn’t that bush used to be…over…there…?
Posted by The Sanity Inspector on 2005 06 15 at 08:06 AM • permalinkJohn Burns of NYT is saying on Lateline that the US has been in position to attempt rescue on Italian and French hostages in the past but had been stopped by the respective governments, who preferred to pay ransom.
The people most responsible for this kidnapping epidemic, after the kidnappers themselves, are those craven payers of ransom.
I’m just waiting for the idiotarians to denounce military rescue action as endangering other hostages, as in next time, they’ll kill the hostage more quickly.
Maybe, just maybe, the stupid fuckers might think next time that they’ll be the ones being killed if they take a hostage.
The only legitimate negotiation with a hostage-taker: let the hostage go, and we might let you live.
I stayed up for Keyser Trad on Lateline and had to take a couple of hours to cool down. According to the Mufti’s Mouthpiece, it was a collaborative effort between the sheik and Australian intelligence. I was so angry I nearly threw up!!!
And when questioned on the spin put on by the sheik’s team that there was no ‘raid’ MM’s take was that as they were in a war zone they were just being careful; there really was no need for any ‘raid’.
Good old Al Vis and his lickspittle.
I wonder what those who did the actual work think of this.
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2005 06 15 at 06:16 PM • permalink
Page 1 of 1 pages
Members:
Login | Register
| Member List
All thanks to Al-Vis no doubt?