TA-THREATS: Two Americans and a Briton Have 48hrs Till Execution

2 Americans and a Briton have been given 48 hours before they will be executed by beheading. Demands are that women prisoners in Iraq be freed or the men will be executed. The men were abducted 2 days ago from their offices in Baghdad.


Americans Jack Hensley and Eugene Armstrong and Briton Kenneth Bigley were reportedly kidnapped by militants belonging to Tawhid and Jihad � a group led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

The group demands that the women being held in two American controlled prisons be freed or the hostages will face a beheading execution in 48 hours. There is a reported 2 Iraqi women being held.



Related ATS Discussion
Updated [Video]: Group threatens to kill US, UK captives

[edit on 18-9-2004 by deeprivergal]

This is a bad situation and I feel for all these men and their families. I also expect this thread to turn into an anti-Bush diatribe - so be it.

I am of the opinion that the more attention paid to this type of atrocity by media the more of it we will see. Publicizing this falls right into the plans of the terrorists and does a disservice to others that are vulnerable.

No media attention = no kidnappings

Take away the motivation from them. (media attention, free pubicity for their cause)

I for one will NOT be reporting any of this type of story thereby helping their twisted cause.

I feel these men are doomed. There is no doubt in my mind that the 48 hour deadline will pass and we will be, yet again, watching another execution video.

I agree with Phoenix.

Why report it at all, when this is the reward the terrorists are seeking?

But those who drive the mainstream media and feed off of it create the demand for these type stories. As long as it gets noticed it will be top news.

I think one day people will actually become oblivious to the news of beheadings. Right it off as boring. I may be wrong but in some ways it seems to be getting that way now.

[edit on 18-9-2004 by UM_Gazz]

If the media stopped reporting it, it wouldn't go away. I disagree. Although I do apologize for reporting it, and a mod can remove this thread, I believe that we should be informed as to what is happening. That's the point of technology today, is that we can see real time what is happening everywhere. I completely disagree with posting the actual execution videos.

Originally posted by deeprivergal
If the media stopped reporting it, it wouldn't go away. I disagree. Although I do apologize for reporting it, and a mod can remove this thread, I believe that we should be informed as to what is happening. That's the point of technology today, is that we can see real time what is happening everywhere. I completely disagree with posting the actual execution videos.

No deep your reporting it is fine... It was the deeper question as to whether it should be reported at all that I was agreeing with.

If there was no coverage I have to wonder if there would be fewer kidnappings or beheadings?

Really "news happens" .. you can't stop the coverage and there is nothing wrong with reporting it.

As always the media will take the lead!

Also I think it is good to question whether it should be reported at all.

That does NOT mean that it should NOT be reported!!

Yes. All media needs to be sanitized so that the terrorists cannot win.

I coverd this story in fred T as a sort of update as this story already exsite.d but I guess it should be a story in its own right I really hope these people won't be killed its just a shame. Atsnn48HRS

No media attention = no kidnappings

Yes. All media needs to be sanitized so that the terrorists cannot win.

Without a free and open media there is no freedom. Do you really want to go down the road to dictatorship and fascism where the only news you read is what the government and other censors authoirizes? The reason we see and hear little about the actual casualities, dead, maimed, and wounded, of Americans, Iraqis, and Afghanis, is that an aware public would form informed opinions and make sound decisions which would generate more opposition at home to this misadventure abroad. No reporting at all would virtually eliminate opposition. Good idea, huh?

I'll have to agree that the media contributes to terrorism, though it may be unintentional. Terrorists have always sought the attention of the world, by committing heinous acts to further their demented and evil causes. I have sympathy for the families of these men, and many will say that they shouldn't have been there. Since when is it not the duty of decent men to go to the aid of people that needs help? Their captors want to keep their own people under tyrannical rule, that is the reason for these tactics they utilize. I can only hope that these men will be released unharmed.

"Demands are that women prisoners in Iraq be freed or the men will be executed."
I don't believe the terrorists will keep their word
The terrorists never keep their word and thus should always be defeated

No getting around that! The media is mostly Leftwing and will report it just for the ensuing attack on Bush.

I don't suffer or agree with any government censorship or decree on the press but I do fully believe the media could and should police itself in these instance's that seem to egg on the perpetrators to incessantly copy and out do each other.

The British guy is from my home town...I just hope and pray that he and his fellow American victims to this horrible kidnapping get home safe and sound...God help all three of them.

[edit on 20-9-2004 by GEORGE]