VIDEO - Jill Carroll Unsure of Her Freedom During First TV Interview

[dzika]

broadcast on March 31, 2006

VIDEO - Jill Carroll Unsure of Her Freedom During First TV Interview

The Christian Science Monitor reports that Jill Carroll was not aware that the first (and most replayed) video taped interview would be broadcast in Iraq or internationally. In fact Carroll may not even been certain that she was free during the interview.

This video contain several clips. CNN's Nick Robertson opens with a quick report saying that Jill Carroll was not aware that the interview would be broadcast. Next, we have included the complete raw interview footage. Finally, Miles O'Brien interviews the editor of The Christian Science Monitor for some behind-the-scenes information about Carroll's state of mind during her initial release and during that first video interview.

Jill Carroll's kidnappers simply left her at the offices of the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP) in the city of Amariyah. She had not been released to American or Iraqi officials at the time of the first interview.

Carroll was told that the interview would be for 'internal' party use. The IIP owns Baghdad TV so maybe it isn't surprising that they broadcast the interview.

Richard Bergenheim, editor of The Christian Science Monitor, that Jill Carroll's comments in that first video interview may have been constrained by the uncertainty of her freedom. Miles O'Brien interviews Richard Bergenheim on CNN American Morning:

Miles O'Brien: really going out of her way to make a positive statement... tell us a little about the circumstance she was in at that point.

Bergenheim: ... She had been dropped of on the street. Someone pointed and said "go into that building"... She really wasn't sure what was going on and what her circumstance were.

She was told that if she spoke to Americans, entered the Green Zone or anything of that sort that her life would be in danger. I think it was likely that she was still in a careful measured frame of mind -- very careful of what she said.

Miles O'Brien: She wasn't certain she was free at that point?

Bergenheim: I think if I was Jill Carroll, just suddenly dropped of and said "you're free". It would be really hard to adjust quickly to what was going on.

http://www.ameratsu.com/media/vid/cnn/cnn_am_jcaroll_interview_trick_060331a_320x240.flv&width=320&height=240&OrigWidth=320&OrigHeight=240">
http://www.ameratsu.com/media/vid/cnn/cnn_am_jcaroll_interview_trick_060331a_320x240.flv&width=320&height=240&OrigWidth=320&OrigHeight=240">Video in Streaming Flash format...
Video in Windows Media format...

http://veredictum.com/node/157