BBC: Female detainees set free in Iraq

[sabra]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4624716.stm

Female detainees set free in Iraq

Iraq's ministry of justice has told the BBC that six of the eight women being held by coalition forces in Iraq have been released early.

The six were freed because there was insufficient evidence to charge them, a justice ministry spokesman said.

The US forces have refused to confirm the releases, but say they would not be based on any operational activities.

The group holding US journalist Jill Carroll has said she will die unless all Iraqi women prisoners are freed.

[benburch]

1. So we capitulate to kidnappers now?

tacky.

[lumpy]

10. Nothing 'tacky' about releasing prisoners

who have been held with insufficicient evidence of wrong doing.

[benburch]

17. It's not the "what" it's the "when".

If they were there on trumped up shit, they could have been, and should have been released long ago. Doing it now is simply capitulation, and will encourage more of this.

[lumpy]

21. Reagan had no problem

capitulating (ranson at that!) to obtain release of American captives in Iran. It didn't appear to change the course of history. Fair exchange = release of innocents for release of an innocent, one of our own. No money involved that we are aware of.

[confludemocrat]

29. As if they were encouraged or otherwise by anything we do n/t

[Chomskyite]

34. Another history lesson

When JFK sent his brother to tell the Soviet back channel that the US would remove missiles from Turkey the following year AFTER the Soviets removed missiles from Cuba, was that caving in? Or was that doing something we should have done anyway, which cost us nothing (those missiles were obsolete because of nuclear subs and long-range missiles in Europe) and which JFK later said had nothing to do with getting the Soviets out of Cuba. And it was half-correct.

Let's not be absolutists. Let's be rational. No one principle works in EVERY case. Let's free the women we need to free and get Jill Carroll out of the clutches of that vermin.

[bpilgrim]

14. we should capitulate to reality

moree...
http://GLobalFreePress.com

peace

[madeline_con]

30. No, we hold people indefinitely without due process.

[malaise]

41. Did you miss this part

The six were freed because there was insufficient evidence to charge them, a justice ministry spokesman said.
Bushco invaded a sovereign country illegally, and murders and detains their citizens at will. Give him leeway and he'll start doing the saem at home. Oh wait he already has done that.

Edit -add

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. Could not have been due to media interest

could it?

[sasha031]

3. this is good

the CSM reporter will be set free.

[Glimmer of Hope]

4. I hope so. The world needs reporters like her.

[sabra]

6. I pray for that, though the captors are demanding for all female

detainees to be released...

[rodeodance]

7. maybe set free

[MrPrax]

20. Don't count on it...

The group that took her is unknown and if you recall the kidnappers of Margaret Hassam demanded the same thing and were her kidnappers were previously unknown as well.

Hassam, inspite of even al-Zawari and virtually every Muslim group on the planet, demanding she be released, was killed nonetheless. In fact, Hassam's family has publicly attack the BLair gov't for scuttling one of their attempts to pay a ransom.

Thing is that the 'real' terrorist groups don't seem to kidnap western women and when they do, they release them after ransom is paid, like both the German and Italian journalists.

One of the rumours regarding the Italian spy killings was payback for 'breaking' the rule of 'no negotiations'.

By all accounts, Ms. Carroll was highly respected and well liked by locals, like Hassam. Ms. Carroll was also involved in critical reporting.

To date, Hassam's body has never been recovered--a body thought to be her's was found, but wasn't her. Why would self-righteous murdering Muslim extremists decide not to 'showcase' her beheading with the same reliability as they do everyone else.?

My theory: intel prog...4 members from Christian Peacemaker Teams and a journalist from Christian Science Monitor...5 people from lefty type groups with 'christian' in the title.

Funny those stupid Muslims fanatics don't seem to grab the more threating 'evangelicals' much.

[CJCRANE]

24. The Hassam case is a definite candidate for a

LIHOP or MIHOP situation.

I remember that it happened just after some coalition atrocity had been revealed, just in time for the RW apologists to jump up and down shouting "we gotta do bad stuff cos the terrorists do too!"

I definitely remember thinking at the time that it seemed a bit strange and somewhat convenient (in terms of the news cycle).

on edit: just based on my instincts, not any hard facts. But veteran DUers will know that we can spot a set-up a mile away (case in point being the al-Zawahiri story last weekend).

[PassingFair]

5. Where's the usual denial...

?

Usually we claim that we aren't holding any women.

[madeline_con]

31. Or children...

[Bozita]

8. "six were freed because there was insufficient evidence to charge them"

So, how long were these women jailed?

The BBC article doesn't say.

[Kablooie]

9. Hey, throw an attractive female face on the screen and everything changes.

Whenever an attractive woman disappears, is indicted for sex crimes, or goes brain dead, it's BIG news.

The WH knows this and can't afford to be partially responsible for her disaster. It's a strange form
of sexism that's very prevalent today in the media.

[ckramer]

11. But still we don't want to see that pretty young lady get killed, do we?

We should save her by all means.

[Kablooie]

12. Absolutely. I'm just commenting on the imbalance of the response.

If Terri Shiavo's husband had been brain dead instead, do you think anyone would have paid attention?

Everything should be done to save her the same as any other kidnap victim.

and being a guy, I have the same instinctive feelings.
If it's a man I feel, "that's terrible. Poor guy.I hope he gets out alive".
If it's a woman I feel, "that's terrible. What a waste. I hope she gets out alive."

There's a subtle value difference there that I can't help.

One's a pawn, the other a knight(ess)

[aquart]

13. Damn shame.

But we have sexual dimorphism in our species. And men who do not use it to protect women and children are of no use on this planet.

I do feel strongly about that.

[Wind Dancer]

16. Thank you, aquart.

Women are treated as subhumans in many parts of the world. Unfortunately, religious fundamentalism doesn't recognize equal rights and women continue be to subjected to male dominance. This was an independent journalist willing to take the risk by reporting the truth from Iraq. I would say that is newsworthy.

[Stockholm]

15. We don´t negotiate with terrorists my ass

Isn´t there a US journalist held captive with this exact demand for her release?

Something smells.

[lumpy]

23. Sure it smells

especially when it involves political maneuvering.

[HippieCowgirl]

18. And all of those released women will be dead in a week.

When they get back to their homes, their husbands, unable to bear the fact that their women may have possibly been raped in US-run prisons, will be "forced" to kill them to sustain their "family honor."

http://www.pbs.org/speaktruthtopower/rana.html

<edited for typo>

[sabra]

19. OMG, that is horrible :-(

[wookie294]

22. Why is she getting special treatment?

CIA?

[madeline_con]

32. She's a gurl...

[bobalu]

43. Actually, she's a "woman" and I hope she's free..

"special considerations", be damned.

[wellst0nev0ter]

25. You Know We've Only Convicted ONE Iraqi Detainee

Throughout this whole mess? Just read it in this month's Harper's.

[Disturbed]

26. "they are a threat to security,"

This is the statement about why these women were in prison. Seems to be a generic charge that is used on a majority of detainees. My guess is that thousands are in prison throughout the world on this generic charge and 99.99% will never get a trial but remain in prison for years with no criminal charges ever brought.

[underpants]

27. ONE woman or ONE over all?

I saw last night that the Brits have arrested 44 people in connection with the July underground bombing...the US is still at 0 for 9/11.

[wellst0nev0ter]

33. Out Of The Total 48,256 Since March 2003 (n/t)

[MasonJar]

28. I think that George should agree to take her place...any honorable

man would, n'est pas?

[rodeodance]

35. Six Iraqi women detainees to be released: ministry (US did not confirm)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/iraq_women_releases_dc&printer=1;_ylt=Allve.j_ycJfrYiRWTe1qQBg.3QA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-
Six Iraqi women detainees to be released: ministry

By Aseel Kami and Michael Georgy2 hours, 56 minutes ago

The Iraqi justice ministry said on Thursday that U.S. forces would release six Iraqi women prisoners but that the move was not related to the demands of a militant group that kidnapped an American journalist.

Al Jazeera television said on Tuesday that the kidnappers of Jill Carroll had threatened to kill her unless all Iraqi women detainees were freed.

The U.S. military did not confirm the releases would take place. A spokesman said it could not discuss individual cases of detainees or ongoing reviews. The military said on Wednesday it was holding eight female prisoners in Iraq.

Jazeera aired a brief video on Tuesday showing Carroll, 28, a freelance journalist working for the Christian Science Monitor. The video was the first glimpse of Carroll since gunmen kidnapped her in a Baghdad street on January 7 and killed her translator........

[bowens43]

36. 'but that the move was not related to the demands '

:rofl:

Yeah, right.

[rodeodance]

39. msnbc said that there are a total of 8 women held in prison by 'coaltian"

forces.

[bowens43]

42. ..

nevermind

[rodeodance]

37. 'not related to current held hostage"--says officials--per msnbc just now.

I shake my head. Of course this release is related.

[JohnnyRingo]

38. I just heard it on MSNBC

They said: "it's not connected to the kidnapper's demands that all women prisoners be released".

Wow....I'm at a loss

[JohnnyRingo]

40. I bet this was advised by battlefield command

The situation there may be worse than reported. Arabs don't care much for outsiders abusing their women. That's their job.

This is the sort of move one expects to avert an uprising.