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Kidnapped Christian Peacemaker team has no thanks

Cal

Well-known member
Who Are The Real Peacemakers?
By Aaron Goldstein
http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2006/who-are-the-real-peacemakers/
The Christian Peacemaker team would still be held hostage, if not for the U.S. military it believes is the root cause of Islamic fundamentalism.


U.S. and British military personnel risked their lives to rescue three hostages who had been held in Iraq since November. Two of the three hostages were Canadian – James Loney and Harmeet Sooden. The other a Briton, Norman Kember. Sadly, a fourth man who had been kidnapped along with them was found shot to death two weeks earlier. He was an American named Tom Fox.

The men were in Iraq on behalf of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) – an organization that vigorously opposes the liberation of Iraq. Indeed, CPT was one of those organizations that supplied so-called “human shields” to protect Saddam Hussein’s infrastructure and preserve the status quo. More recently, CPT has focused its attention on documenting abuse of detainees by Coalition forces and even launched an Adopt-a-Detainee Campaign, inviting churches to advocate on behalf on those detained by Coalition forces. Whether any of these detainees provided support to al Qaeda or any other terrorist organization does not enter into the discussion.

CPT also provided assistance “to a variety of new and old Iraqi human rights groups which suddenly found themselves with space and freedom to operate.” Oh yes, the Iraqi human rights groups just suddenly found themselves with the space and freedom to operate one day. This wouldn’t have anything to do with those very Coalition forces that ousted Saddam Hussein from power now would it?

Needless to say it should have come as no surprise when upon the release of the hostages CPT issued a statement; they did not thank Coalition forces for their efforts in rescuing their members but rather blamed them for the kidnapping in the first place:

Harmeet, Jim and Norman and Tom were in Iraq to learn of the struggles facing the people in that country. They went, motivated by a passion for justice and peace to live out a nonviolent alternative in a nation wracked by armed conflict. They knew that their only protection was in the power of the love of God and of their Iraqi and international co-workers. 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. The occupation must end.

So let’s see if I xN get this straight. It was the Coalition forces who were responsible for the kidnapping of the CPT members and not the Swords of the Righteousness Brigades. They were the group that took responsibility for seizing the CPT members last November. Indeed, CPT placed a sign on a house north of Baghdad with a message for the Swords of the Righteousness Brigades. Translated into English from Arabic it reads, “God forgives you.”

Well, CPT might very well forgive the kidnappers but cannot bring themselves to thank their rescuers. How ungrateful. The CPT should worship the ground on which Coalition forces walk. Instead they spit into their faces.

To be fair, upon Kember’s return to Britain he said, “I do not believe that a lasting peace is achieved by armed force, but I pay tribute to their courage and thank those who played a part in my release.” Still, if there was ever a backhanded compliment that was certainly it. As of this writing, neither Loney nor Sooden have made a public statement. Loney is en route back to Canada and Sooden is evidently heading to New Zealand where his sister lives. Loney and Sooden should thank Coalition forces for saving their lives. It ought not have been left to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to do the thanking for the hostages.

Allow me to be brutally honest here. It was not the presence of the Multinational forces in Iraq that led to this kidnapping. It was in part due to the evil nature of the Swords of the Righteousness Brigades and the Islamic fundamentalism to which they subscribe. Islamic fundamentalists do not discern between CPT volunteers or Halliburton employees. To them, they are infidels just the same. It was also in part due to the sheer stupidity of the CPT for having gone over to Iraq in the first place.

That’s right. The CPT has no business being in Iraq.

The U.S. State Department, British Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Foreign Affairs Canada have all issued travel advisories instructing their citizens not to enter Iraq. Indeed, the Government of Canada currently neither has an embassy nor consular office in Iraq. Hence the reason why all three hostages were taken to the British Embassy in Baghdad to enjoy cake and ice cream.

By its own mission, the CPT is clearly present in Iraq to undermine — not assist — the efforts of the Coalition forces. For all CPT’s adherence to non-violence, by undermining Coalition efforts in Iraq they put our soldiers’ lives in danger. Their efforts attempt to convince Iraqis that Coalition forces are the enemy, effectively tell Iraqis that they side with the terrorist insurgents. If CPT can forgive their kidnappers but not extend a thank you to the forces that rescued them, it means CPT has taken sides. CPT is not on our side.

Despite CPT’s hostility to Coalition forces, the Coalition had a mission to rescue the hostages. According to the Associated Press, U.S. Major General Rick Lynch said the whereabouts of the hostages became known as a result of an interrogation conducted a mere three hours earlier.

Imagine that? These interrogations actually work. The Coalition forces were able to extract information from an individual either involved or at the very minimum aware of an ongoing hostage situation and were able to act on that information. I am sure the CPT is aghast that the military was able to obtain this information and is eager to find out if torture was utilized against this individual. Perhaps CPT will encourage their member churches to advocate for the release of their captors via the Adopt-a-Detainee program. Given the CPT’s contempt for the Coalition forces one cannot help but wonder if they would rather have seen their members remain hostages than be freed by American and British forces.

The fact that the military forces rescued the CPT personnel demonstrates it is the American, British and other Coalition soldiers who are the real peacemakers in Iraq. The CPT members get to go home and those who kidnapped them will be brought to justice. These soldiers will probably never be properly thanked for their trouble. Then again, soldiers neither ask for nor do they expect thanks. They just have a job to do and they do it.
 

Liberty Belle

Well-known member
Isn't it too bad that our soldiers had to take the time and put their own lives in danger to rescue this thankless and ungrateful bunch? This may sound harsh, but it's too bad that the terrorists didn't put the other three out of their misery like they did the only American.
 

Mrs.Greg

Well-known member
FUNNY THING....I remember watching the Canadian hostages on T.V the other day saying although they didn't support the war they were VERY grateful to thier rescueres and thanked them very much!! Don't get me wrong I DO NOT support thier cause AT ALL BUT they did thank the soliders!!!!! By the way it was a joint task force that got them out,not just American soldiers.The writer of the aritical didn't do a very good job at looking into facts!!!
 

theHiredMansWife

Well-known member
And from the CPT website:
A great hand of solidarity reached out
for us, a hand that included the hands of Palestinian children holding
pictures of us, and the hands of the British soldier who cut our chains with
a bolt cutter. That great hand was able to deliver three of us from the
shadow of death. I am grateful in a way that can never be adequately
expressed in words.


And

For the British soldiers who risked their lives to rescue us, for the
Government of Canada who sent a team to Baghdad to help secure our release, for all those who thought about and prayed for us, for all those who spoke for us when we had no voice, I am forever and truly grateful.


I'm inclined to think the author of the article above has an ax to grind and is willing to manipulate things a touch to make sure the hone is clean.
 

Cal

Well-known member
theHiredMansWife said:
And from the CPT website:
A great hand of solidarity reached out
for us, a hand that included the hands of Palestinian children holding
pictures of us, and the hands of the British soldier who cut our chains with
a bolt cutter. That great hand was able to deliver three of us from the
shadow of death. I am grateful in a way that can never be adequately
expressed in words.


And

For the British soldiers who risked their lives to rescue us, for the
Government of Canada who sent a team to Baghdad to help secure our release, for all those who thought about and prayed for us, for all those who spoke for us when we had no voice, I am forever and truly grateful.


I'm inclined to think the author of the article above has an ax to grind and is willing to manipulate things a touch to make sure the hone is clean.
Did you see any mention of gratitude to US forces?
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
The folks that got kidnapped, said on some TV interview I watched that they ' understood' why they were taken.....NOT ME I'd be hard pressed to understand why some body i was trying to help turn on me like that!! I'm not that forgiving. I carry a grudge!!! and a .357!!!


Well..if we're gonne be over there I wish SOMEONE would bring back a tanker or two of oil!!! I just paid $2.43/gal filling up my truck.....BOTH TANKS......a war pension sum!!!
 

Mrs.Greg

Well-known member
BBJ said:
No Cal remember we are the mean, killing occupiers. We're not there for nothing but the oil! :D
NOBODY said that,not me for sure we have soldiers there and lost one and three more wounded yesterday, WE support the troops,all three countries in there,what I'm saying is the artical is BS,they thanked the people who got them out,thats a fact!!!
 

theHiredMansWife

Well-known member
Did you see any mention of gratitude to US forces?
Wasn't your complaint that there was no gratitude? Now you're bent out of shape that our country wasn't mentioned specifically? The first quote was from one of the hostages when he first got home. He might not have known yet that it was a multi-national coalition that freed them since it was a Brit that actually freed him.

Also, the entire premise of the artice you posted was here:
Needless to say it should have come as no surprise when upon the release of the hostages CPT issued a statement; they did not thank Coalition forces for their efforts in rescuing their members but rather blamed them for the kidnapping in the first place

And an entire 30 seconds on Google, and about 1 minute on the CPT website revealed that that was absolute bull hockey. :roll:

BTW, they also said:
We are grateful to the soldiers who risked their lives to free Jim, Norman and Harmeet. As peacemakers who hold firm to our commitment to nonviolence, we are also deeply grateful that they fired no shots to free our colleagues. We are thankful to all the people who gave of themselves sacrificially to free Jim, Norman, Harmeet and Tom over the last four months, and those supporters who prayed and wept for our brothers in captivity, for their loved ones and for us, their co-workers.

Like I said, the author of that article had an ax to grind and didn't let facts or the lack of, slow him down.
 

Cal

Well-known member
I'm "bent out of shape"?? Ha Ha Ha, HMW is such a drama queen sometimes!

Charges of ingratitude to rescuers
CPT and the victims were criticized for their reluctance to thank the troops who rescued them. Following the rescue, CPT's initial statement omitted any expression of gratitude toward the soldiers involved, but issued such a statement 12 hours later, with their gratitude that no shots were fired in the rescue mission.[2] General Sir Mike Jackson, Commander of the British Army, told British Channel 4 news he was "saddened that there does not seem to have been a note of gratitude [from Mr. Kember] for the soldiers who risked their lives to save those lives".[3][4] James Loney and Norman Kember later publicly thanked the soldiers for rescuing them. Harmeet Sooden issued a statement thanking the soldiers for saving him as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Christian_Peacemaker_hostage_crisis
 

Cal

Well-known member
stevec said:
Cal said:
U.S. and British military personnel risked their lives to rescue three hostages

Actually, it is the other way around. The peacemakers risked thier lives to save everyone who thought fighting was a solution. They walked onto the battlefield unarmed to talk about finding a solution. (Quite of few people have suggested that I try the same thing.)

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

I'd only maybe suggested that you do the same because you may be kidnapped, but actually I'd hate to have the military risk their lives and waist their time to save you, especially since you don't think much of them anyway.
 

BBJ

Well-known member
Why don't you take your, make love not war, peace loving, tree huggin hippy ass over there and teach those degenerates about "living in peace and finding better ways to share the Earth's bounty".

You start over there and if it works then I'll start preaching it over here.

:evil:
 

theHiredMansWife

Well-known member
Cal said:
I'm "bent out of shape"?? Ha Ha Ha, HMW is such a drama queen sometimes!
:???: Huh?
How does questioning your irritation make me a drama queen??

And regardless of when they issued their appreciation, it was definately before Mr. Goldstein published his article.
(their addenda that said, We are grateful to the soldiers who risked their lives to free Jim, Norman and Harmeet. etc, etc. was issued on the 23rd of March whereas that articles was printed on the 27th.)

I can understand getting upset had his article been accurate. But like I said, less than two minutes worth of double checking showed that it was not.

I guess I'm just not sure what you're trying to prove here...
confused-smiley-013.gif
 

passin thru

Well-known member
One of the complaints about terrorists is that they are plotting war during peacetime, but that is exactly what the military and the military-industrial complex does, too. There are lots of DOD jobs in Massachusetts and New England generally.

The way I look at it, they go to work everyday building death. You guys go to work growing food, which is better, but if you think that plotting how to kill "better" everyday is a good use of time, then you are pretty much on the same wavelength as them.

My wavelength is in the opposite direction. I am more interested in our living in peace and finding better ways to share the Earth's bounty and leaving a more loving and kind world for our children's children to experience.

Someones living in la la land..............I'll give you three guesses who it is and the first two don't count.

Geez where do these people come from...........
 

BBJ

Well-known member
passin thru said:
One of the complaints about terrorists is that they are plotting war during peacetime, but that is exactly what the military and the military-industrial complex does, too. There are lots of DOD jobs in Massachusetts and New England generally.

The way I look at it, they go to work everyday building death. You guys go to work growing food, which is better, but if you think that plotting how to kill "better" everyday is a good use of time, then you are pretty much on the same wavelength as them.

My wavelength is in the opposite direction. I am more interested in our living in peace and finding better ways to share the Earth's bounty and leaving a more loving and kind world for our children's children to experience.

Someones living in la la land..............I'll give you three guesses who it is and the first two don't count.

Geez where do these people come from...........


Massachusetts.
( :oops: SP?)

:wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

Cal

Well-known member
theHiredMansWife said:
Cal said:
I'm "bent out of shape"?? Ha Ha Ha, HMW is such a drama queen sometimes!
:???: Huh?
How does questioning your irritation make me a drama queen??

And regardless of when they issued their appreciation, it was definately before Mr. Goldstein published his article.
(their addenda that said, We are grateful to the soldiers who risked their lives to free Jim, Norman and Harmeet. etc, etc. was issued on the 23rd of March whereas that articles was printed on the 27th.)

I can understand getting upset had his article been accurate. But like I said, less than two minutes worth of double checking showed that it was not.

I guess I'm just not sure what you're trying to prove here...
confused-smiley-013.gif
How are you so sure I'm bent out of shape or irritated unless you're an imaginative drama queen? BTW, while you were so busy double clicking you could have checked that this article was first on the web on the 25th and probably written and in print before these Polyanna do-gooders decided that they'd better decide to thank their rescuers, which I doubt like hell they would have done if they hadn't had a little prompting. Shame on these people for putting our soldiers and allied troops in harms way to go to the trouble of rescuing them during a time of war when they shouldn't have been there in the first place. Were they able to even speak the language?

http://newsbyus.com/more.php?id=2702_0_1_90_M
 

theHiredMansWife

Well-known member
So you're not bent out of shape or irritated.
What was your purpose for starting this thread, then? :???:
Especially when you go on to say, "Shame on these people." Drama queen or not, that seems pretty indicative of someone who is irritated.


Not so?




BTW... the 25th is still two days after the statement of gratitude was issued. It still seems abundantly clear the author of your article had an ax to grind.

I think you're grasping at straws here, Cal.
 

Cal

Well-known member
theHiredMansWife said:
So you're not bent out of shape or irritated.
What was your purpose for starting this thread, then? :???:
Especially when you go on to say, "Shame on these people." Drama queen or not, that seems pretty indicative of someone who is irritated.


Not so?




BTW... the 25th is still two days after the statement of gratitude was issued. It still seems abundantly clear the author of your article had an ax to grind.

I think you're grasping at straws here, Cal.
No, I think you're grasping at straws here trying to discredit a columnist, and if you're not careful you'll have your broom picked clean and end up walking. :lol:

An article is first posted on the internet on the 25th and you're certain it was written and submitted on the 24th? Besides CPT website being edited? You've got nothing but a burning desire to always have the last word.
 
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