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Original poster

NORMAN KEMBER FREED!!

43 replies

donnie · 23/03/2006 09:52

He and the two Canadian hostages have been released after a military operation in Baghdad.They are FREE!!!!!!!

OP posts:
dejags · 23/03/2006 11:41

great news Smile

flutterbee · 23/03/2006 11:49

What grat news, I heard this little while ago on the news.

Well done to all the troops involved (and not) your doinf a great job.

pashmina · 23/03/2006 12:42

a lot of comments about how well the troops have done (which i agree with), but as a peace activist, how does that sit with norman Kember and his friends? I heard a comment on Radio2 news from a spokesperson which seemed to state that it was Prayer and all the christian support from around the world which kept the hostages alive. no real acknowledgement that troops risked their lives to free them.

Marina · 23/03/2006 12:46

Give them time, I should think they are still in shock from the ordeal and then being suddenly freed. I am sure they will want to thank the forces who released them in due course. The spokesperson has not been through what they have.

pashmina · 23/03/2006 13:05

have just listened to news ohn radio2, Norman kember's statement (just released) did not thank the troops, neither did a senior spokesperson. idon't get me wrong, it is fantastic that they are freed, I am not pro the war, I have no links to any military personnel, but I would have thought the christian thing to do would be to thank the troops who freed you without question.

lunarx · 23/03/2006 13:06

while this is fantastic news..
its a shame they couldnt have saved the american as well :(

Original poster
donnie · 23/03/2006 13:13

yes, very sad that the American man Tom Fox was murdered.

OP posts:
HappyMumof2 · 23/03/2006 13:18

I am overjoyed about this Smile

so, so tragic that Tom Fox didn't get to go home though Sad

wannaBe1974 · 24/03/2006 17:01

They interviewed a spokesperson for the organization he was working for, and have also just interviewed some other woman who is due to go out ther in the summer, and they both said that they would not have wanted any military intervention to free these peace activists. Kember did not thank the troops that saved him. They're bloody ungrateful b*stards imo, perhaps they would have rather been beheaded instead! If I was the one who'd gone in to rescue him I'd have been bloody tempted to take him back!

ruty · 24/03/2006 18:24

i think its brilliant news.

HappyMumof2 · 24/03/2006 18:32

I read that they hugged the troops who saved them. How can you say for sure they weren't grateful? Only they know that. I really can't believe that they wouldn't be grateful

Original poster
donnie · 24/03/2006 18:43

that does seem pretty awful if it's true wannabe1974 - can't understand it myself. They must have been elated to be rescued - I would be!

OP posts:
Nightynight · 24/03/2006 19:22

The one thing we can be sure of, is that we don't know what really happened.
Sorry, I am such a cynic, cant help remembering the rescue of Jessica thingy....not that I am suggesting the British army would be so unsubtle...

HappyMumof2 · 24/03/2006 19:24

tbh, it makes no difference to me whether they were 'grateful' or not. I am very, very happy they have been freed. No one deserves that, and you don't have to be grateful to deserve to get out of there alive (and in one piece)

Maybe they were in real shock? they are also quite ill and week and the 2 others have been hospitilised. They have also seen their friend tortured and murdered after being held since November - so maybe it didn't immeidetaly occur to them to be 'grateful'??

evequemartien · 24/03/2006 19:25

this is a quote from the family
'A statement from Mr Kember's family, released by the Foreign Office, said: "We are very pleased that Norman and his friends are safe.

"We are grateful for all the support we have had from so many people since Norman was taken hostage.

"We also thank everyone who has worked so hard for him to be set free." '

HappyMumof2 · 24/03/2006 19:27

oh, so they are grateful after all, that's alright then, we don't have to take him back now Wink

Hulababy · 24/03/2006 19:35

I think it is wonderful news. No one deserves that type of treatment.

I don't think he is ungraeful at all. No one really knows what happened at the time, bar those who were there. And to be honest they'd have probably been so shocked, and probably scred too as they'd have been unsure of what was happening, to start thanking people there and then. Give him time to get over his ordeal!

HappyMumof2 · 24/03/2006 19:36

he's an old man, I think it's an absolute disgrace the way he's been treated Angry

and poor Tom Fox Sad

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