[GreatBriton]

Typical peace activists.

British peace activist Norman Kember hates the British and American troops so much for being in Iraq that he has failed to thank them for rescuing him.

But he's not the only one. The Canadians also didn't thank their rescuers -




The Times March 25, 2006


Army's top general attacks Kember for failing to thank SAS rescue team
By Nick Meo, Michael Evans and Daniel McGrory

Freed hostage will arrive home today amid growing concern, report our correspondents


NORMAN KEMBER, the freed peace activist, will arrive back in Britain today amid growing controversy over his failure publicly to thank the military forces who rescued him.

Neither Professor Kember nor the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) organisation for whom he worked have acknowledged the work of the soldiers who rescued him and two Canadian hostages on Thursday, or of the teams of military and intelligence officials who spent months trying to track them down.

General Sir Mike Jackson, the head of the British Army, expressed the unhappiness of the military last night when he told Channel 4 News that he was “saddened that there doesn’t seem to have been a note of gratitude for the soldiers who risked their lives to save those lives”.

Before flying out of Baghdad on an RAF aircraft yesterday, Professor Kember and his two fellow hostages released a brief statement that said nothing about the rescue force. It read simply: “We are deeply grateful for all those who prayed for our release. We don’t have words to describe our feelings, our joy and gratitude. Our heads are swirling; when we are ready, we will speak to the media.”

It was the third set of comments Professor Kember had relayed to the media that failed to mention his rescuers. A lengthy statement released by CPT after the hostages’ rescue on Thursday not only failed to thank their rescuers, but called on coalition forces to withdraw from Iraq.

The only oblique acknowledgement came from Professor Kember’s wife, Pat. In a statement released through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office last night, she thanked “all those who have helped secure his release”. But she, too, made no mention of the British-led unit that freed her husband in western Baghdad. She praised “government agencies and my family liaison officers”, but did not directly refer to the soldiers who stormed the kidnappers’ hideout in darkness.

CPT has always made it clear that its members did not want force to be used to rescue them if they were kidnapped or held hostage.

But, in the event, the coalition devoted huge resources to securing their release. The SAS, special forces from the US and Canada and military intelligence officers spent months trying to locate them.

A force consisting of SAS troopers backed up by about 50 paratroops and Marines spearheaded the task force that rescued them. US and Iraqi troops were also involved in the mission. Relaxed and rested after his 36-hour stay at the fortified British Embassy in Baghdad, Professor Kember was flown out of the green zone by military helicopter yesterday to begin his journey home. He then boarded an RAF military transport at Baghdad airport for the short flight to neighbouring Kuwait. From there he was being flown home.

Maxine Nash, of CPT in Baghdad, said that the organisation had not paid for his flight back to Britain. She said: “He elected to go through the Embassy, they arranged it. We did offer to pay for commercial flights for everyone but that can be difficult because it means driving through dangerous areas.”

She admitted that the pacifist hostages had mixed feelings about being rescued by the military. She said: “Our mandate is violence reduction so this was a tough call. Before they were kidnapped both Tom and Jim had said they didn’t want to be rescued.” Ms Nash said that the group was now considering leaving Baghdad. “After what has happened we’re going to spend some time thinking about what to do.”

Last night British diplomats in Iraq tried to sidestep the row over the apparently ungracious behaviour of the peace activists. Diplomatic sources let it be known that the three men did agree to face further questioning yesterday from intelligence agents trying to hunt down the group who held them for 118 days.

An intelligence source said: “They gave what help they could. They recognise that there are other hostages, including Westerners, still in captivity who we believe were taken by the same group.”

The source added that Professor Kember had “privately expressed his thanks to his rescuers” though he did not meet them. The activists explained that they could not be of much help with descriptions of their captors as the group kept their faces covered.

The three men revealed how, shortly before the SAS burst their way into their prison before dawn on Wednesday, their captors suddenly moved them to a downstairs room.

They were tied up and bound together. The hostages heard their captives leaving. British officials insisted that there had been no deal to free the trio.

They said that interrogators told the gang member they arrested this week that he must reveal the location of the hostages or face 30 years in jail.

RESCUE FIGURES

The hunt for Norman Kember and his fellow hostages involved

250 men from the Task Force Black US/British/Australian counter-kidnap unit

100 men from Task Force Maroon, the Paras and Royal Marines backing special forces

15 men in helicopter crews

AND tens of thousands of pounds spent on helicopter and transport aircraft flights

thetimesonline.co.uk

[GreatBriton]

Not only that, but Kember and the two ungrateful Canucks refuse to help the British and Americans as they search for other hostages held in Iraq -



Released hostages 'refuse to help their rescuers'
By Oliver Poole in Baghdad
(Filed: 25/03/2006)

The three peace activists freed by an SAS-led coalition force after being held hostage in Iraq for four months refused to co-operate fully with an intelligence unit sent to debrief them, a security source claimed yesterday.

The claim has infuriated those searching for other hostages.


SAS should send them back to their captors: ungrateful Canadians Harmeet Sooden and Jim Loney

Neither the men nor the Canadian group that sent them to Iraq have thanked the people who saved them in any of their public statements.

One of them, Norman Kember, 74, a retired physics professor, of Pinner, north-west London, was in Kuwait last night and was expected to return to Britain today. He is understood to have given some helpful information.

He provided details of the semi-rural area north-west of Baghdad where he was held and confirmed that his captors were criminals, rather than insurgents. Their motive was believed to be money.

The two Canadians kidnapped with Mr Kember - Harmeet Sooden, 32, and Jim Loney, 41 - were said to have been co-operative at first but less so on arriving at the British embassy in Baghdad after being given the opportunity to wash, eat and rest.

Previous hostages have been questioned on everything from what shoes their kidnappers wore to the number of mobile phones they had. The pacifist Christian Peacemaker Teams with which the men were visiting Iraq is opposed to the coalition's presence and has accused it of illegally detaining thousands of Iraqis.

Jan Benvie, 51, an Edinburgh teacher who is due to go to Iraq with the organisation this summer, said: "We make clear that if we are kidnapped we do not want there to be force or any form of violence used to release us."

Although the CPTs has welcomed the men's release, it has not thanked the rescuers in any of its statements. It blamed the kidnapping on the presence of foreign troops in the country, which was "responsible for so much pain and suffering in Iraq today".

When told how angry the coalition was feeling, Claire Evans, a spokesman for the CPTs in America, said: "We are extremely grateful to everybody who had a role leading to the men's release."

Mr Kember, in a statement through the embassy, said: "I have had the opportunity to have a shave, relax in the bath and a good English breakfast. I am very much looking forward to getting home to British soil and to being reunited with my family." He did not publicly thank his rescuers.

Tony Blair, in Brussels for an EU summit, said: "I'd like to say how pleased I am that he was released and pay tribute to the extraordinary courage, dedication and commitment of the British, American, Iraqi, Canadian and other forces that were involved."

Gen Sir Mike Jackson, the chief of the defence staff, told Channel 4 News: "I am slightly saddened that there does not seem to have been a note of gratitude for the soldiers who risked their lives to save those lives."

Asked if he meant that Mr Kember had not said thank you, he said: "I hope he has and I have missed it."

It emerged that about 50 soldiers, led by the SAS, including men from 1 Bn the Parachute Regiment and the Royal Marines, as well as American and Canadian special forces, entered the kidnap building at dawn.

A deal had been struck with a man detained the previous night who was one of the leaders of the kidnappers. He was allowed a telephone call to warn his henchmen to leave the kidnap house. When the troops moved in and found the prisoners alive, they also let him go as promised.

telegraph.co.uk

[danikyvor]

I find their attitudes to be appalling!

I only hope that it's due to the fact that they have a lot of emotions and thoughts to sort though from being held captive for so long that their brains are swirling.

I'd like to hear more about what actually happened the moment they were picked up....like when the forces went into the house and how they reacted. It all sounds very nonchalant right now.

[Arctic_Menace]

$1:

Before flying out of Baghdad on an RAF aircraft yesterday, Professor Kember and his two fellow hostages released a brief statement that said nothing about the rescue force. It read simply: “We are deeply grateful for all those who prayed for our release. We don’t have words to describe our feelings, our joy and gratitude. Our heads are swirling; when we are ready, we will speak to the media.”

I think that they do mean to include the soldiers, and think about it....Anyone would be shook up and not really have their manners about them after a situation like that.

Although I do find their attitude appaling.




I also love how you failed to mention the fact, as reported before in the media, that Canada's JTF2 and RCMP were instrumental in this mission. Thanks, GreatBritain, for yet again acknowledging the fact that Canadians actually do shit in this world, and that Britain is not the greatest thing to happen since sliced bread.

[danikyvor]

He's good at that Arctic Menace lol

[simma2000]

fair enough he hates violence in every form. does he also hate common manners. send him back if he protests as much.

[hamiltonguyo]

Britain is the greatest thing since sliced bread

but before canada came aboot of course

[BartSimpson]

1) Send the ungrateful fuckers back to their captors.

2) Send a bill for the rescue to the families of the ungrateful fuckers.

3) Arrest the remaining fuckers in the peace activist group and send their asses over to Iraq.

I promise that if I see either of these sunzabitches over there I will sanction them personally.

[Zoraja]

They said they did not want to be rescued by the military, If I didnt want to be rescued why would I thank the people who did it?

[Blue_Nose]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

1) Send the ungrateful fuckers back to their captors.

2) Send a bill for the rescue to the families of the ungrateful fuckers.

3) Arrest the remaining fuckers in the peace activist group and send their asses over to Iraq.

I promise that if I see either of these sunzabitches over there I will sanction them personally.

Now, I understand this is a highly emotional reaction, but don't you think that's a little extreme?

What if, somehow, it was known that they would not cooperate with the military after their rescue (which shouldn't be a surprize, with their being activists and all). Are you suggesting they wouldn't be worth rescuing?

You have no right to demand respect for the war efforts while holding their personal safety over their heads.

[1Peg]

This is kind of interesting....

[doopitydoop]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

1) Send the ungrateful fuckers back to their captors.

2) Send a bill for the rescue to the families of the ungrateful fuckers.

3) Arrest the remaining fuckers in the peace activist group and send their asses over to Iraq.

I promise that if I see either of these sunzabitches over there I will sanction them personally.

LMFAO

[EyeBrock]

I agree with Bart.

These arse holes should have been left to rot. At least we see the real motive behind these CPT chaps, they would rather Saddam be back and they just hate the US and UK.

I don’t think they were worth rescuing Blue Nose.
If I was on the rescue team and I got that attitude when I released these tossers, I would not be impressed that I risked my life, as well of the lives of my team mates to receive a snub from pro-Jihadi’s, as the CPT obviously are.
They are not worth the bones of a British Grenadier, to quote Austen Chamberlain.
Sorry, that’s my view.

Oh and Arctic Menace, Jack Straw recognised the effort’s and support of the Canadian Govt, but I haven’t seen it was JTF2 as of yet. Do you have some inside knowledge of this?
Pray do divulge.

[Blue_Nose]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

I don’t think they were worth rescuing Blue Nose.

Un-fucking-believable.

So you, as a former member of the military, didn't fight for freedom and against oppression.... you fought for "thank you"s and pats on the back.

Maybe the military could issue stacks of contracts for people to sign before they're rescued, or otherwise aided by military efforts.

"This contract binds me, ___________, in my acceptance to be assisted, to kiss the ass(es) of my rescuers as they see fit."

Something inheriently "unfree" about that, though...

[ziggy]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

I agree with Bart.

These arse holes should have been left to rot. At least we see the real motive behind these CPT chaps, they would rather Saddam be back and they just hate the US and UK.

I don’t think they were worth rescuing Blue Nose.
If I was on the rescue team and I got that attitude when I released these tossers, I would not be impressed that I risked my life, as well of the lives of my team mates to receive a snub from pro-Jihadi’s, as the CPT obviously are.
They are not worth the bones of a British Grenadier, to quote Austen Chamberlain.
Sorry, that’s my view.

Oh and Arctic Menace, Jack Straw recognised the effort’s and support of the Canadian Govt, but I haven’t seen it was JTF2 as of yet. Do you have some inside knowledge of this?
Pray do divulge.

There was a bit about it on the news last night,of course their not saying for sure.But Canadians were involved in a big way. Maybe they should have left them.