WAR: Captors Promise to Free Hostage, page 1

posted on Aug, 20 2004 @ 06:07 AM

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Radical Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has ordered the immediate release of French- American journalist Micah Garen taken hostage in Iraq, the captive's sister has told Al Arabiya television. On Wednesday, Al Jazeera television reported that an armed group threatened to kill Micah Garen unless U.S. forces withdraw from the Shiite holy city of Najaf within 48 hours.

www.boston.com
Sheik Aws al-Khafaji, a top aide to al-Sadr whose rebel Mahdi army has been fighting coalition forces in Najaf for two weeks, said he had spoken Friday to the kidnappers, who told him they would release Garen later Friday

''The kidnappers have put the journalist in a safe place,'' al-Khafaji said from the southern city of Nasiriyah, where Garen and his Iraqi translator, Amir Doushi, were seized while walking through a market on Aug. 13. There was no word on Doushi's fate.

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Mr Garen, 36, is the founder of Four Corners Media of New York and Colorado, a company that produces documentary videos, photos and text.

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
TOP STORY: Kidnapped Journalist Has 48 Hours
TA-ATTACKS: Journalist and Translator Missing, Reports of Kidnapping

[edit on 8-20-2004 by Valhall]

[edit on 21-8-2004 by Riwka]

[edit on 8-21-2004 by Valhall]

Valhall

posted on Aug, 20 2004 @ 06:09 AM

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Captors of archeological journalist Micah Garen have promised to free him according to an aide to the embattled cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Mr. Garen had been on a 48 hour countdown for execution by the group Martyrs Brigade who kidnapped him August 13th.

Kidnappers Vow to Free Hostage

A top aide to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who appealed to kidnappers to free a Western journalist, said Friday they had promised to release him. The pan-Arab television station Al-Jazeera reported Thursday that a militant group calling itself the Martyrs Brigade had abducted New York journalist Micah Garen and threatened to kill him within 48 hours unless U.S. pulled out of the wear-shattered city of Najaf.

"The kidnappers have put the journalist in a safe place," al-Khafaji said from the southern city of Nasiriyah, where Garen and his Iraqi translator, Amir Doushi, were seized while walking through a market on Aug. 13. There was no word on Doushi's fate.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

Though this is hopeful news, it remains to be seen if this promise will be kept now that Sadr's militants are approaching a full assault by Iraqi and U.S. forces.

This should be considered a developing story.

Related ATSNN Articles

Kidnapped Journalist Has 48 Hours

[edit on 8-20-2004 by Valhall]

Riwka

posted on Aug, 21 2004 @ 01:04 AM

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According to a statement appeared on an Islamist Web site often used by militant groups in Iraq, an Iraqi group said today it would release Micah Garen Saturday in the afternoon

Reuters

"As for the American journalist we have, we will release him tomorrow, Saturday, in the afternoon, because he disagrees very much with the American administration," said the statement, signed by the Secret Action Group of the Mehdi Army.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

Al Jazeera television earlier Friday showed scenes from an other video, in which Garen looked well and named his captors as the "Martyrs Brigades"

[edit on 21-8-2004 by Riwka]

Riwka

posted on Aug, 21 2004 @ 12:50 PM

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Kidnappers have lifted their threat to kill Micah Garen.

AP

Al-Sadr aide Sheik Awas al-Khafaji said Saturday he had spoken to mediators who said the death threat had been lifted and they were working out a way to have Garen released.

"We hope that he will be released today and our efforts would be fruitful," he said Saturday by telephone from Nasiriyah. "As for the Iraqi translator, we have received assurances that he is going to be released with the journalist."

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

An other journalist believed to be in Najaf, Italian freelance journalist Enzo Baldoni, has been missing since Friday.

The Italian Foreign Ministry expressed hope that the reporter had not been taken hostage, saying he could have moved on to nearby Kufa and might be unable to communicate from there.

Riwka

posted on Aug, 22 2004 @ 02:50 AM

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Hopes are still high that Micah Garen will be freed.

Meanwhile, Italy's Foreign Ministry said Italian freelance journalist Enzo Baldoni who had been working in Najaf was missing and his driver had reportedly been killed.

Reuters reports, French Foreign Ministry says two French journalists - George Malbrunot of Le Figaro and Christian Chesnot of Radio France International - are missing in Iraq and have not been heard from since Thursday.