Posted on 06/20/2005 7:38:58 AM PDT by Millee
An Australian engineer held hostage in Iraq until he was rescued last week has apologized to the U.S. and Australian governments for calling at gunpoint for foreign troops to leave the country.
Douglas Wood, who was held by terrorists for 47 days, told a press conference on his arrival in Australia Monday that the comments had been made under duress.
The fact that he was rescued by members the new Iraqi army demonstrated the correctness of U.S. and Australian policies in Iraq, which he supported, he said.
Iraqi troops found Wood hidden under a blanket during an armed raid on a house in Baghdad last Wednesday.
U.S. and Australian forces are training the new Iraqi military, established after a U.S.-led coalition ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003.
"I'm proof positive that ... the current policies of the American and Australian governments are the right ones," Wood said.
"I think the quicker we hire, recruit, train police and the Iraq Army up to speed, then, when they're fully engaged and ready, they can start going around door to door and start developing confidence in the Iraq population," he said.
Wood apologized to President Bush and Prime Minister John Howard for some of the things he had said while in captivity.
In the first of two video clips released by the hostages to Arab television networks, Wood in early May begged for his life and appealed to the U.S. and Australia to withdraw their troops from Iraq.
A second clip five days later showed the 63-year-old hostage, shaven-headed and evidently having been assaulted. Two machine-guns were held to his head as he read out an ultimatum for a troop withdrawal within 72 hours.
The Australian government sent a response team to handle the crisis, but insisted that it would neither give in to terrorists' political demands nor pay a ransom.
Howard later Monday told Australian radio he appreciated the apology although he had not sought it.
"The government's policy on Iraq is well-known and it won't change because it's right," he said. "Naturally when it's endorsed, that's a good thing."
The opposition Labor Party welcomed Wood's safe release, but disagreed with his assessment about the government's policy in Iraq.
"Things are going very badly in Iraq indeed," said Labor leader Kim Beazley.
A senior Muslim leader in Iraq, Sheikh Taj al-Din al Hilaly, claims that Wood was to have been released anyway thanks to his efforts to secure the hostage's release.
Hilaly earlier traveled to Iraq for talks with religious and tribal leaders.
Wood, who lives in California and is married to an American, said he had not ruled out returning to Iraq, but said he would listen carefully to his family's concerns.
Temporary Stockholm Syndrome?
Guy had a gun to his head, he can't be fairly held responsible for what he might say under those circumstances.
Stockholm Syndrome and coerced "testimony" are entirely different things.
Here's a guy who's been held hostage and has more faith in our war effort then some of our spinless politicians
No apology necessary but glad he did anyway.
He has nothing to apologize for, but it's a great sign that he apologized anyway. This guy has character.
Hell, the Democrat party does it without any duress at all.
Well said!
Maybe a "double coercion with a Stockholm Syndrome chaser?"
> This guy has character.
Indeed. He should be rewarded in some small way. A vacation trip to the States, perhaps? Visit "flyover country," and see some of the most beautiful terrain and best people on the planet?
Absolutely. It would be easy to say what any of us would do in the same situation, but I suspect most of us would say whatever they told us to. I'm glad he's back, glad he's safe, and it's nice that he apologized. Hope he has a nice long and happy life. Maybe he'll write a book. It might be interesting.
susie
That's what makes me like this guy. He's got integrity and is genuinely thankful. He didn't have to apologize or say anything at all, but he wanted to set the record straight; even about something that no one held him accountable for.
A good story. Expect it to be buried by the MSM.
I've said (and done) stupider stuff while drunk.
Especially in the 'Frisco area, which gave saturation coverage to this story while the man was held hostage.
LOL, so true!
I somehow read this as "most barren terrain"..
mustv'e been thinking about that stretch of US 60
west of Ft Sumner NM. Now that is barren!
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