TV Shows Apparent US Prisoner In Iraq (Gives Name to Camera)

Associated Press Breaking News ^ | April 10, 2004 -3 minutes ago | wire staff

[threat matrix]

Television pictures on Saturday showed Iraqi 'insurgents' holding a foreigner, apparently American, prisoner in a car outside of Baghdad the day before, the latest in a rash of kidnappings of foriegners in Iraq.

The prisoner, who spoke with a southern accent and was apparently wounded in the arm, spoke to a cameraman from the back seat of a car with a masked gunman next to him, on the main highway on Baghdad's western edge where fighting took place Friday.

The footage was apparently filmed Friday.

The prisoner identified himself as Thomas Hamill to the cameraman (from Australian ABC television news) and said he was part of a convoy that was attacked.

The car then drove down the highway with him still in the back seat, passing a burning tanker truck on the road.

The prisoner wore what appeared to be a light flak jacket of the sort worn by private security guards, who are often contracted to protect convoys.

[threat matrix]

AP should call them terrorists..that's what they are!

[threat matrix]

[samtheman]

One formula for getting tough in Iraq is tell the new government this: "Look, you guys are going to fall without our help. And you know it. So you either give us public support and lots of private assistance, or we're going to make a deal with the bad guys, get our hostages back and leave town tomorrow."

Of course we'd just be bluffing. But it's a bluff that just might work. The provisional government does not want us to exit the scene. And they could be doing more to back us up.

[SheLion]

Wow! How did you get this? Fox News won't show his face yet. I sure pray for him. Thanks for the post!

[GraniteStateConservative]

Of course we'd just be bluffing. But it's a bluff that just might work.

The IGC aren't that stupid. They know that Bush is running for re-election. They know they have him by the balls.

[gracex7]

keeping him and his family in prayer.

[SkyPilot]

"Insurgents." You know what AP and Reuters? Insurgent this! I am sooooooooooooooo sick of these anti-Ameridcan apologists in the media calling these vermin "freedom fighters", "seperatists", "insurgents", and the like.

They are Terrorists.

[Steel Wolf]

He's apparently not military; must be a contractor or other type of civilian worker. He seems pretty calm. I wish him the ability to keep that calm for the next few days. Right now he's in as bad a place as they come.

[TomGuy]

A lesson from history:

Hostages got Jimmy Carter defeated.

Hostages could get George W. Bush defeated.

Based on their successful intimidation in Spain, the terrorists will try to use similar tactics to get GWB defeated.

Just as their lobbing a few mortars at hotels (near where the reporters stay, of course) gets them plenty of cable news air time, they will seek other means to get their message of intimidation out. And they will make full use of the useful idiots such as Kennedy, Kerry, Byrd, Perky Katie, CNN, etc.

Expect it to get worse. Batten down the hatches. It's still a long way to November.

[threat matrix]

I think the militia in Fallujah needs a taste of what this man did marching to the sea ..(after the civilians in the city are evacuated)

[threat matrix]

Voice of America has the picture up.

[don-o]

Oh, great!

Problem with that is that rats always will find a way to escape. When battling rats, the solution is not to burn the barn.

They just move to another barn.

And looks like that lovely made the thread real wide.

[Ben Hecks]

"I am sooooooooooooooo sick of these anti-Ameridcan apologists in the media calling these vermin "freedom fighters", "seperatists", "insurgents", and the like."

The mask indicates to me that this terrorist is not an Iraqi - the ski mask thing has been a trademark of Hezbollah, Hamas and other organized terrorist organizations. We should issue an ultimatum to Iran and Syria - pull back their terrorists or prepare for shock and awe.

[janette]

http://www.welt.de/data/2004/04/10/263272.html

This is a link to see the American, his Name is given:Thomas Hamill. I hope this will work

[CyberAnt]

I tend to agree with you - if they don't want us to leave, then the very least they can do is support us.

[CyberAnt]

Well .. maybe CentCom didn't want his face out there - maybe his family hadn't been notified yet .. I don't agree with showing his face.

[CyberAnt]

What did Bush do when China took hostages ..?? Are they hostages any more ..??

I rest my case.

[CyberAnt]

Are you saying we should level the place ..??

And .. as far as I know - all women/children/elderly were allowed to leave Fallujah yesterday during the "pause" in fighting. What's stopping us from leveling the place ..??

I think we need to consider what the consequences would be for us if we do that.

[Sam the Sham]

Of course we'd just be bluffing. But it's a bluff that just might work. The provisional government does not want us to exit the scene. And they could be doing more to back us up

With what ? Of the 2000 Iraqi Civil Defense Corps troops we brought to Fallujah, 1,980 headed straight over the nearest hill. The Iraqi Army we have created is nothing but a paycheck to the men in it. They have not the least intention of dying for us.

What provisional government ? What does it control ? Do you think they want to end up like quislings ?

[keats5]

We need to make it clear to the IGC that without their plainly visible support, Bush may lose this election, in which case Kerry will abandon Iraq.

This is not a threat. It's reality.