The Christian Peacemaker hostage crisis involved four human rights workers of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) who were held hostage in Iraq from November 26, 2005 by the Swords of Righteousness Brigade. One hostage, Tom Fox, was killed, and the remaining three freed in a military operation on March 23, 2006.
On 26 November 2005, masked gunman stopped a car carrying 4 members of the CPTs (Christian Peacemaker Teams) and abducted them; the abduction took place in the university area of Baghdad-an area that had been a scene of trouble since US Marines had arrived in the area, with American troops fighting battles with Fedayeen lasting days.[1]
The four CPTs had planned to visit the Muslim Clerics Association, an influential group of Sunni religious leaders formed in 2003 after the collapse of the former regime. They were about 100 metres from the entrance to the mosque where the meeting was to take place when they were abducted. Their driver and translator were not taken.
The hostages were:
The hostages were members of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT's) Iraq project, which began working in 2002, before the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Their goal is to document and publicize abuses of human rights occurring in the country, especially in relation to detainees, and to advocate for peaceful solutions to conflict.
During the crisis, CPT's Iraq team issued statements asking that the hostages be freed so they could continue their work.
A distinctive feature of this crisis was the victims' dedication to non-violence. CPT condemned the actions of the kidnappers, but maintained pacifist principles by refusing to call for any violent rescue effort.[2] The kidnappings led to widespread sympathy and support, with calls for their release coming from diverse Muslim, Christian and secular groups in the West and Middle East. However, supporters of the Iraq War have criticized the team's presence in Iraq.
Throughout the crisis, CPT continued to campaign for Iraqi human rights, attempting to link support for their own workers to support for "thousands of Iraqis who are being detained illegally." CPT continues to hold that the "illegal occupation of Iraq...is the root cause of the insecurity that led to this kidnapping".[3]
The kidnappers called themselves the Swords of Righteousness Brigade, and published a video shown worldwide on November 29, 2005 by Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera, in which they claimed the hostages were spies.[2] They threatened to kill all hostages unless the US freed all Iraqi prisoners held in the US and Iraq by December 8, 2005. They later extended this deadline to December 10, 2005.
The complexity of the crisis deepened when Moazzam Begg and Abu Qatada, who was Osama bin Laden's so-called Ambassador in Europe joined in the appeals for Kember's release – but the appeals were ignored by the kidnappers.[4]
More than a month passed until the next word from the kidnappers. On January 28, 2006, Al Jazeera broadcast a video showing the four hostages alive, dated January 21, 2006. The captors stated that the U.S. and Britain had one last chance to free all Iraqi prisoners or the hostages would be killed.
On March 10, 2006 the body of Tom Fox was found atop a garbage dump in Baghdad, killed by gunshot wounds to the head and chest. The hands of the corpse were bound together. CNN reported that Iraqi policemen claimed Fox's body showed signs of torture.[5] This report was widely repeated in other media outlets, although no further sources were named. This initial report has been challenged by CPT who claim that members of the group saw no evidence of torture upon viewing the body at a stateside funeral home and on examination of Fox's face and hands immediately after the body was recovered.[6] CPT claims that two independent sources who examined the body more closely also found no evidence of torture. A member of the group added that he believed claims of torture "further demonize the other side."[7] The results of an independent autopsy have not been made public.
Upon Fox's death the CPT released a statement of condolences, also asking that the world not "vilify or demonize others, no matter what they have done." They quoted Fox himself, saying, "We reject violence to punish anyone ... We forgive those who consider us their enemies."[8]
Following their kidnapping; Task Force Knight – the British special forces task force in Iraq – initiated Operation Lightwater; spearheaded by B squadron, 22nd SAS Regiment, the aim of which was to find and recover the hostages; a small team of JTF2 (the equivalent Canadian Tier 1 special forces unit) and Canadian intelligence experts joined the task force for the operation; the United States provided technical intelligence to the operation. The Task Force prioritised Operation Lightwater over its new operations under JSOC against AQI and other terrorists and insurgents in Iraq. Operation Lightwater involved raiding houses and arresting suspects almost every day and night-with the main purpose of gathering intelligence; intelligence sources and materials seized in the raids revealed more about the terrorist group the kidnappers belonged to and when exploited (particularly of mobile phone sources), resulted in further raids. The total number of building raids amounted to 50, 44 of them being by British special forces including a total detained 47 people, only 4 of the raids were classed as 'dry holes' – places that were not productive of any useful information, the operation was instrumental in finding the hostages.[9]
In the early hours of 23 March 2006, as part of Operation Lightwater, the SAS carried out Operation Ney 3: their target was a house in Mishahda, 20 miles northwest of Baghdad, they found two men they were looking for, whom revealed under pressure during interrogation/tactical questioning the location of the hostages in western Baghdad. Wary of an ambush, the SAS telephoned the kidnappers moments before the SAS assault on the house and were warned to the kidnappers to leave their location. At 0800, B squadron SAS stormed the house, finding the kidnappers had abandoned the building and rescued the hostages, the hostages were ushered into a waiting Bradley IFV and the SAS exfilled in their Humvees.[10][11]
The Times reported that the SAS were supported by 'Task Force Maroon', a support unit made up of British paratroopers and marines.[12] Other sources include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the rescue effort.[13]
The three surviving hostages were in good medical condition. While captive, they had been allowed to exercise and Kember had received medication he needs.[14]
It was reported that the CPT had not cooperated with the SAS officials who coordinated the operation to recover the hostages. CPT co-director Doug Pritchard stated that they did not want a "military raid" to occur and preferred to work with diplomats.[15]
As they removed the hostages from the scene, the SAS soldiers found Kember hard to get any response from, one SAS soldier said "[He] was the most frustrating individual I have ever met in my life. From the point of lifting him he didn't address one word to us." In the UK, the story of that Kember had refused to thank his rescuers quickly gained currency, the soldier added that "the following day the Ambassador wheeled him over to our house [MSS Fernandez] and Kember finally said, if I remember his actual words, 'Thanks for saving my life'."[16]
CPT and the victims were criticized for their reluctance to thank the troops who freed them. Following the release of the hostages, CPT's initial statement omitted any expression of gratitude toward the soldiers involved, but issued such a statement 12 hours later, with their gratitude that no shots were fired during the mission.[citation needed] General Sir Mike Jackson, Commander of the British Army, told British Channel 4 news he was "saddened that there does not seem to have been a note of gratitude [from Mr. Kember] for the soldiers who risked their lives to save those lives".[17][18] James Loney and Norman Kember later publicly thanked the soldiers for rescuing them. Harmeet Sooden issued a statement thanking the soldiers for saving him as well.
Maj. Gen Rick Lynch, the briefer at Multi-National Force – Iraq Headquarters exploited Operation Lightwater success to counter stories from the previous months of Iraqi prisoner abuse, telling reporters that "the key point is it was intelligence-led. It was information provided by a detainee."[16]
On December 8, 2006, the three ex-hostages held a press conference at St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation, in London, to announce that they would not testify at the trial of their captors if there was a risk they will face execution. Under Iraqi law, kidnapping is currently punishable by the death penalty. Loney was quoted as saying, "We bear no malice towards them and have no wish for retribution."
Norman Kember said that if he did testify, it would likely be only to plea for clemency on behalf of their captors.[19]
Years later, the kidnappers were arrested by the Iraqi police, but Kember still refused to testify.[11]
On March 23, 2007, one year after the release of the three hostages, Norman Kember published Hostage in Iraq.[20] Published by Darton Longman and Todd, it told the story of his captivity and included previously unseen drawings and notes made by Norman Kember, who during his captivity invented games with his fellow captives.
On June 5, 2008, Christian Peacemaker Teams published a collection of essays by those involved in the crisis including Kember, Sooden and Loney.[21] The book was initially self-published after two different religious publishing houses insisted on changes to a chapter written by Dan Hunt, Loney's same-sex partner.[22] The book is now available from Cascadia Publishing House.[23] It examines the events surrounding the captivity from multiple points of view, including CPT members who remained in Baghdad during the crisis; members working on other teams (Palestine, Colombia, the Chicago and Toronto offices); friends, supporters and family members of the hostages.
Knopf Canada published a book written by James Loney in the spring of 2011.