by Natasha Tynes | Jan 17, 2006 | Jill Carroll
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — Al-Jazeera has aired a tape of a hostage American reporter along with a statement saying the U.S. has three days to free female prisoners in Iraq or she will be killed. Al-Jazeera would not tell The Associated Press how it received the tape, but issued its own statement calling for Carroll’s release.
The tape showed the 28-year-old reporter sitting in front of a white background and speaking, but her voice could not be heard.
I haven’t seen it yet. I’m waiting for Aljazeera’s next news bulletin! I can’t write more! Every single bone in my body is shaking!
UPDATE: More of the same via MSNBC, where they too indicated the tape showed Jill and said there was no audio from the tape when aired. The story will likely be updated via this link. CNN has added some new information and published a statement to the kidnappers from Jill’s parents, Jim and Mary Beth, and her twin sister, Katie:
Jill is an innocent journalist, and we respectfully ask that you please show her mercy and allow her to return home to her mother, sister and family.
Jill is a kind person whose love for Iraq and the Iraqi people are evident in her articles. She has been welcomed into the homes of many Iraqis and shown every courtesy.
From that experience, she understands the hardships and suffering that the Iraqi people face every day. Jill is a friend and sister to many Iraqis, and has been dedicated to bringing the truth of the Iraq war to the world.
We appeal for the speedy and safe return of our beloved daughter and sister.
UPDATE 2: I just finished watching the heart-wrenching video on Aljazeera. My dear Jill looked extremely tired but somehow better than I expected. She looked like she hadn’t been sleeping. I’m going crazy here but still praying and hoping for her quick release. I’m hoping that the kidnappers still have some mercy left in them so they can release this innocent young woman, who is but a pawn in the current political mayhem.
Following the airing of the tape, Aljazeera’s anchor read a statement from Aljazeera that appealed for Jill’s release. I hope the kidnappers were watching. In addition, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has appealed for Jill’s release:
Journalists must be free to report on conflicts worldwide without fear of being targeted by combatants. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of Jill Carroll and for the release of all hostages held in Iraq. No cause can be served by harming those who only seek to convey the human suffering caused by war.
CAIR’s statement will be translated into Arabic and distributed to Middle Eastern media outlets. I hope other Muslim organizations follow suit with efforts to appeal to the kidnappers that snatched an innocent in war-torn, a woman there to report the truth and nothing but the truth.
Meanwhile, the US State Department responded to the videotape with a statement: "We continue to make every effort we can, working with Iraqis and others, to see Miss Carroll is returned safe and sound," spokesman Sean McCormack said.
UPDATE 3: MSNBC’s translator Alfred Arian said the tape showed the logo of a group calling itself the Revenge Brigade. The same group claimed responsibility for a Jan. 4 kidnapping of the Iraqi interior minister’s sister, asking for the release of female prisoners at that time as well, according to an NBC News report Tuesday.
UPDATE 4: According to Aljazeera’s English website, the kidnappers have identified themselves as members of a previously unknown armed group calling itself the "Brigades of Vengeance."
by Natasha Tynes | Jan 17, 2006 | Jordan, my nation
My friends and family in Jordan have been telling me that life in Jordan has changed remarkably following the horrible 9 November terrorist attacks that rocked the country. Nowadays, ordinary Jordanians have to go through metal detectors wherever they go, something that has created an overall sense of forboding. Rami wrote a detailed blog entry about this last month, in which he described the changes he’s noticed in his hometown following the attacks.
Another consequence of the 9/11 attacks is that life for Iraqis in Jordan is also no longer the same. In an earlier post, I highlighted an IRIN article examining the harassment Iraqis began receiving after the attacks. The Washington Post ran an article today about new restrictions that are being imposed on Iraqis trying to enter the kingdom. Here are some excerpts:
AMMAN, Jordan — Jordanian border police are turning away hundreds of Iraqi vehicles daily at the Karama border crossing, often without explanation, creating huge parking lots of frustrated travelers in the Iraqi desert. At Queen Alia International Airport, just south of Jordan’s capital, Amman, Iraqi passengers are ushered into a room and interrogated before being allowed to enter the country. And some Iraqis who used to be able to get 30-day visas to Jordan are now being allowed to stay just a few days at a time.
Jordan’s government spokesman, Nasir Judah, confirmed that the country had imposed new border restrictions on Jan. 2 that prohibit vehicles with Iraqi license plates from entering the country. As a result, Iraqi commercial drivers are effectively prevented from taking passengers to and from Jordan, and private vehicles with Iraq’s signature black license plates are stopped at the border. The only Iraqi vehicles allowed into Jordan are those with white license plates, which can be obtained only after the owner puts funds into a trust equal to the value of the car. "It’s only routine measures . . . but because of the circumstances we have to be cautious and take all the essential measures," Judah said.
But some Iraqi citizens say they feel as if they are being profiled — suspected of wrongdoing simply because of their nationality. Their complaints echoed those of Arabs in the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon.
Source: [The Washington Post]
I understand the need for securing the country’s borders after the horrible attacks, but it ails me that immigration officers have to undertake a form of racial profiling in order to achieve this goal. Then again, this is only a news article providing one perspective. The situation on the ground may be a tad bit better than what is depicted here.
by Natasha Tynes | Jan 17, 2006 | Health
The bird flu paranoia continues … Here is the latest statement from a senior Jordanian health official. Yes it is scary!
A senior health official on Monday said Jordan remains a high-risk country with regard to a possible outbreak of bird flu. "Jordan is like any other country in the world that is at risk of facing an outbreak of bird flu," Health Ministry Diseases Control Director Adel Bilbeisi told The Jordan Times yesterday. Bilbeisi’s statements contradict previous statements by other Health Ministry official who said the Kingdom was less vulnerable to a bird flu epidemic than coastal countries, adding that the possibility of an outbreak in the country was not high because of the limited number of water bodies.
"Jordan and countries in the Middle East and North Africa are among the high-risk countries… because they are on the route of migratory birds," said Bilbeisi.
Source: [The Jordan Times]
Ok, I’m officially worried! Allah Yostor!
by Natasha Tynes | Jan 16, 2006 | Health
Via Zandaqa, I came across this Elaph article, which states that two people have died in Syria after exhibiting symptoms similar to those found in bird flu! I’m not sure how credible this news source is, but this really is alarming. In addition to constantly worrying about economic stagnation, regional wars and terrorism, we now have to worry about the spread of pandemics! Great! It keeps getting better and better in the Middle East! I will reiterate Ammarji‘s question: does this seems like the end of days?
Meanwhile, Jordan Health Minister Saeed Darwazeh said that no bird flu cases have been registered in the Kingdom.
UPDATE: Here are the latest victims:
ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) — Turkey said on Monday a fourth person had died of avian flu as authorities slaughtered tens of thousands of birds to try to contain the outbreak. Indonesia announced a 13-year-old girl had also died at the weekend of the H5N1 virus, while two of her siblings were ill. Indonesia has previously reported 12 deaths from bird flu.
by Natasha Tynes | Jan 15, 2006 | Jill Carroll
The Jordan Times, where Jill worked for a year, ran a moving editorial about her today. Here are some excerpts:
The kidnappers who abducted her could not have chosen a more wrong target. True, Jill is a US citizen. But she is also more critical of US policies towards the Middle East than many Arabs. Though as a reporter she always complies with the strictest requirements of objectivity and impartiality, Jill has been from day one opposed to the war, to the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
More than just being sympathetic with average Iraqis under war and occupation, Jill is a true believer in Arab causes. From Arabic food to the Arabic language, Jill has always wanted to know and experience as much as possible about Arab identity, and she is keen on absorbing it, learning, understanding and respecting it. She doesn’t just “like” Arab culture, she loves it.
Meanwhile, according to the Associate Press, Iraqi and US officials working to free an American journalist say they haven’t made contact with her kidnappers. The US Embassy says it’s working with local authorities "and doing everything possible to bring about her safe release." And an Iraqi Interior Ministry official says police are taking the matter "very seriously."
It has been nine days since Jill’s abduction. May God give her strength enough to make it through this horrible ordeal. Our hearts are with you Jill. I took the above picture of her in Amman about three years ago.
