TA-THREATS: Kidnapped Journalist Has 48 Hours

Micah Garen, a journalist, has reportedly been kidnapped by a militant group called the Martyrs Brigade. The Martyrs Brigade has released a video showing Micah Garen and demanding that the United States remove itself from the holy city Najaf within 48 hours or they will kill him.


Micah Garen, 36, was allegedly kidnapped while reporting on a story about archaelogical sites and the looting there. He was kidnapped, along with his translator, in Nasiriyah on Friday.

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Related ATS Discussion
Journalist and Translator Missing, Reports of Kidnapping


[edit on 8-20-2004 by Valhall]

It would seem that these radical Muslims are never going to stop. Even though we give them no quarter or recognition. Also and rather unfortunate, it seems we have assimilated and adapted and loping an innocent mans head off no longer draws a reaction from us. It has become common place [a.k.a.-acceptable].
Therefore no response to this topic.

tut tut

Hello,

I mean 130 views and 0 responses, no one cares.

Get it,

TUT

They wont kill him I think its not good for them to kill a reporter there is no way the troops are going leave Najaf.

I hate to say it, but wether the reporter is killed or not doesnt matter, its not going to get troops pulled out. After all the demands, threats, and actuall killings has the US shown any intentions of pulling back or caving to demands? no, and I don't see it hapening here. I would think after seeing that these tactics dont work that the insurgents would find something that works rather than the same old crap.

[edit on 18-8-2004 by alternateheaven]

They are trying to make us seem like the bad guys and murderers not caring about our own innocent lives. They will proably kill anyone they capture because they dont care just as long as it shows us in a bad light, no matter how wrong what they do is. Then dont believe that two wrongs dont make a right. I do however, believe that they will continue to capture and kill anyone they can get there hands on... maybe if enough innocent lives go we will back out... or just stop hearing about it... Silenced just like everything else that really happens.

Either way you look at it. That reporter was in a bad place at the wrong time. You have to expect being there isnt just a walk in the park. You are in danger even if you cannot see it.




[edit on 18-8-2004 by porschedrifter]

It is time to stop pussyfooting around in Najaf. When the radicals come out to accept the peace deal, we should tell them we reject their acceptance and give them hot lead.

Originally posted by groingrinder
It is time to stop pussyfooting around in Najaf. When the radicals come out to accept the peace deal, we should tell them we reject their acceptance and give them hot lead.

Sigh...its people like you that increase the hatred towards the US.

Well after announcing that the Allies will most certainly not give in to demands, this guy is going to be dead in 48hours.

Originally posted by groingrinder
It is time to stop pussyfooting around in Najaf. When the radicals come out to accept the peace deal, we should tell them we reject their acceptance and give them hot lead.

Yeah, they've only killed a few hundred Iraqis in Najaf this month.
They really been pussyfooting around over there.


US forces killed 50 just yesterday. Reuters
How many more dead Iraqis do you need to see?

[edit on 19-8-2004 by AceOfBase]

I am curious to see that if this peace agreement actually starts going through if these terrorists will back off. Probably not because it won't be in the next 48 hours. Also they seem to have a thing for beheading americans. Iraq right now is filled with some of the worst people around. I don't care what any of you say, because aside from just them trying to stop the American forces by what ever means neccesary, they are also kidnapping men, woman and children of weathly families left and right for money. We don't see that in the news everyday unfortunately and this is what I find most aggravating about this situation in Iraq. From either the terrorist of the military, the Iraqi people are the ones who suffer and they are the ones who are not being represented.

Any death is too many. However, 'most' of the Iraqis killed are insurgents or radicals.5, 50 0r 500..and they are not news reporters.

I would think after seeing that these tactics dont work that the insurgents would find something that works rather than the same old crap.

You would think so...but we're not dealing with very intelligent people here... These are fringe groups and nut jobs, trying to make a name for themselves and increase their financing. This is, in essence, a commercial for them. Of course, wimp-outs have just encouraged this (won't mention Spain or others...oops). Sad to say, but I hope his family has his affairs in order...because he won't live. (regardless of whether we pulled out of Najaf or not)...

EDIT: He's been missing since the 13th, reported in Canadian news (he's a French-American) on the 17th. Interesting we're hearing about this so much later....

MONTREAL, Aug. 17 /CNW Telbec/ - "I am appealing to Micah Garen's
kidnappers to please release him-he was simply doing his job as a journalist
by independently reporting on the outcome of recent events in Iraq and by
trying to help preserve Iraq's archaeological heritage," stated Marie-H�l�ne
Carleton, Micah Garen's fianc�e, in a telephone conversation with Reporters
Without Borders.
"We were making a documentary film on the country's cultural history and
the archaeological sites at risk inside the war zones, in the hope that they
might soon be afforded some protection," she explained from New York City,
where she resides. Micah Garen went missing on 13 August 2004, but for
Ms. Marie-H�l�ne Carleton, kidnapping is the most likely explanation.
Reporters Without Borders is very concerned as to the fate of the 36-year-
old American reporter who disappeared, along with his Iraqi translator-Amir
Doshe-in Nassiriyah (in southern Iraq).
"We are urging the Iraqi police, as well as any Italian military
authorities present in the area, to do everything possible to locate the two
men, but avoid doing anything that may put their lives in danger," the
organization declared.
Micah Garen is one of the directors of Four Corners Media, a media
production company based in New York, which specializes in producing video,
photographic and written reports for major media clients. The journalist's
family has had no news of him since August 13th.
Members of Amir Doshe's family have also protested against their family
member's kidnapping. According to several press agencies, the two men may have
been kidnapped while they were visiting Nassiriyah's downtown shop.
So far, no one has come forward to claim credit for the kidnapping. There
is no indication as to whether Micah Garen was abducted by an Iraqi faction in
order to exert pressure on the opposing faction, as was the case with the
British journalist, James Brandon, who was abducted in Bassorah, on August
12th. Other possibilities are that this may have been a kidnapping for ransom,
or that certain circles worried about looters of ancient relics may have been
troubled by the journalist's work.

[edit on 19-8-2004 by Gazrok]

He shouldn't have gotten involved with U.S big business interests. Unlike other countries that reflect their constituency (say Spain) the U.S will never put life before profits...its survival of the fittest and since this guy is a "reporter" hence a "nobody" he's FUBAR'ed.

Too bad he couldn't have been a Senator's son or something...they might've worked out a backroom deal to get his ass free, while still maintaining "credibility" on the international scene.


Somewhere I heard a slogan that said, "People not profits"...where was it?....oh ya, it was printed on tha back of a card from the American Communist Party...no wonder they never get any media coverage, they're FREAKS BABY!!!


There is no friend anywhere - Lao Tse

(a lesson I believe the journalist will be soon learning)