Freedom in Iraq

The Christian peace activist Norman Kember, who has been rescued from a relatively short period of detention without trial, was "well treated throughout", according to an anonymous but informative source "close to the rescue operation".

The gang holding Kember and his Canadian colleagues apparently got nervous after the murder of his fellow hostage Tom Fox: although an Islamist group was involved, "the guards holding Mr Kember and his colleagues were part of a cell motivated by money rather than politics", much like professional soldiers. The anonymous but informative source considers it "a bit absurd" that such people should consider themselves innocent, "even though they were looking for money". Indeed, it seems that a tip-off from the guards "played a significant role in allowing the authorities to find the hostages" and opening the way for the heroic storming of an unguarded house by which the heroic SAS rescued the men. No British soldier or "military civilian" could ever be capable of such a ridiculous degree of moral turpitude.

In illustration of the fact, a prominent war activist has expressed regret that the peace activist did not evince "a note of gratitude for the soldiers who risked their lives to save those lives". Alas, such behaviour is prevalent almost everywhere these days. Even in New Orleans, after the levees were breached, it seems that some people who had floated to safety failed to thank the flood-waters.