Group to Kill U.S. Hostage if U.S. Doesn't Quit Najaf (Breaking - Reuters)

[VolcanoJen]

Just reported by Wolf Blitzer on CNN:

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6011296

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iraqi militants who said they captured a U.S. journalist last week have threatened to kill him if U.S. forces do not pull out from the holy city of Najaf, Al Jazeera television reported on Thursday.

The television showed footage of a man with a mustache kneeling in front of five masked men holding rifles. No audio could be heard but the channel identified the man as Micah Garen, and said the group called itself the Martyrs Brigades.

Micah Garen is a French journalist with American citizenship, according to CNN.


Good Luck, Micah Garen. :-(

[efhmc]

1. Like they care.

[Nambe]

2. Anybody but a journalist! What do they gain.

French - Journalist Surely they are smarter than that. Unfortunately, they have made the threat and would lose face if they withdraw it. As a fellow DUer pointed out, the people have seen the body parts of their children strewn about far too many times. 'Desparate' may not be strong enough of a word.

[VolcanoJen]

4. Agreed, and my thoughts are with Micah Garen.

This is truly awful, and I'm going to try to hold onto a little bit of hope that, as a journalist, he'll be released.

He's there to tell the story. He's not a soldier, he's not an arm of government, he's not a contractor.

I hope we'll all think about Micah tonight. :-(

[Born Free]

3. Hostage taking is to increase more violence

They want the troops to do more, they love the way things in are in Iraq, it allows them to recruit more and grow stronger. Al Quaeda is playing the bush team like a fiddle, they love this guy and want to keep him in charge, it helps them meet their goal of getting every Muslim in the world to hate USA. The know bush is a radical and they know what to do to make him overreact.

[Nambe]

5. They are fighting a vastly superior force. Their options are few.

I hardly think it is unpatriotic for an American to consider their point of view, after all, at one time we too revolted against a vastly superior force. Our troups are in a horrible situation. All we can do is vote and hope Kerry can bring the UN in to iron this out for the Iraqi people.

[VolcanoJen]

6. I'm full of hope, Nambe.

It's all I have left, so I'm going to cling to it.

Something about seeing Micah's picture really brought it home for me tonight. My thoughts are with him, and I hope he, and his family, can somehow be eased through the pain and worry he must be suffering right now.

:-(