Mar 23 2006
They could have at least said thank you
UPDATED:
From the CPT.org site:
Addenda
23 March 2006, 9 p.m. ETWe have been so overwhelmed and overjoyed to have Jim, Harmeet and Norman freed, that we have not adequately thanked the people involved with freeing them, nor remembered those still in captivity. So we offer these paragraphs as the first of several addenda:
We are grateful to the soldiers who risked their lives to free Jim, Norman and Harmeet. As peacemakers who hold firm to our commitment to nonviolence, we are also deeply grateful that they fired no shots to free our colleagues. We are thankful to all the people who gave of themselves sacrificially to free Jim, Norman, Harmeet and Tom over the last four months, and those supporters who prayed and wept for our brothers in captivity, for their loved ones and for us, their co-workers.
We will continue to lift Jill Carroll up in our prayers for her safe return. In addition, we will continue to advocate for the human rights of Iraqi detainees and assert their right to due process in a just legal system.
Better late then never I guess....
2nd Update:
...though maybe this had something to do with it:
From Freedom Folks bloggers via Michelle Malkin, this was posted after attending a celebration about the hostages rescue:
We ended up having a long talk with Sara, who is part of CPT. She said that the phones had been ringing off the hook today with people calling to express their anger over the lack of acknowledgement of the troops' role in freeing the CPT workers. May I just say HUZZAH?
Well I already figured their "apology addenda" was in response to the blogstorm, but it's nice confirmation. They haven't gone too far in concessions though, it is also reported that:
...''every speaker continued to use the word "released" and the best they could bring themselves to say about the troops who saved their people's lives was "thank god it happened non-violently."
Well, I won't say too little too late or anything like that, but it is sadly unsurprising that gratitude is still taking a back seat to their rhetoric.
************
I should file this under ungrateful idiots. Read on to see why.
U.S., British Troops Rescue Iraq Hostages
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- U.S. and British troops Thursday freed three Christian peace activists in rural Iraq without firing a shot, ending a four-month hostage drama in which an American among the group was shot to death and dumped on a Baghdad street.
Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, the U.S. military spokesman, said the hostages were being held by a "kidnapping cell" in a house, and the operation to free the Canadian and British captives was based on information from a man captured by U.S. forces only three hours earlier.
"They were bound, they were together, there were no kidnappers in the areas," Lynch told a news briefing.
...
The freed hostages were Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, and Briton Norman Kember, 74. The men - members of the Chicago-based Christian Peacemaker Teams - were kidnapped Nov. 26 along with their American colleague, Tom Fox.
The body of Fox, 54, of Clear Brook, Va., was found earlier this month.
With all the hostages that have been killed by the insurgents, one would expect that the group who represents these rescued peace activists would be at least moderately grateful. Considering one of their number had already been killed, the possibility that they were living on borrowed time is fairly good.
Instead, the group, Christian Peacemaker Teams, issued a page long statement that rejoiced in their return, expressed sorrow for the fallen member, and then turned on the US and their allies.
Our hearts are filled with joy today as we heard that Harmeet Singh Sooden, Jim Loney and Norman Kember have been safely released (emphasis added) in Baghdad. Christian Peacemaker Teams rejoices with their families and friends at the expectation of their return to their loved ones and community. Together we have endured uncertainty, hope, fear, grief and now joy during the four months since they were abducted in Baghdad.
Released? Excuse me? WTH? Since when is an armed raid to rescue you the same as being released? This is just stupid. Talk about denial of facts...
They continue...
...We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by Multinational Forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq. The occupation must end.
...
...We pray that Christians throughout the world will, in the same spirit, call for justice and for respect for the human rights of the thousands of Iraqis who are being detained illegally by the U.S. and British forces occupying Iraq.
Here is what I consider the most outrageous statement:
We renew our commitment to work for an end to the war and the occupation of Iraq as a way to continue the witness of Tom Fox. We trust in God’s compassionate love to show us the way.
So if I read this right, they are happy their folks are released, pissed at the people who rescued them, hold the death of one of their own to be the rally cry and want to make him the martyr to support the cause of the bastards that killed him?
What they hell is up with that?
I am at a loss to understand the motivations of people like this some times. I would never have thought people could be that twisted in their ideology.
Sure, no one is asking you to kiss the military's collective ass, but a simple thank you to the fact that that same military just saved the lives of 3 of your people is simple courtesy. I make my kids say thank you for much less.
The military could just wash their hands of the captives, but instead they made an effort to free them. They keep rescuing these ungrateful people a priority even though they know they will be spit on metaphorically after the fact.
Say what you want, but if I have to pick the group who is operating with moral authority, well to me it's a no brainer....
So since the CPT won't say it I will:
Thank you US and British soldiers for your efforts to rescue these hostages.
Well done.
To show your support of the troops and to say thank you (since CPT will not), go here:
America Supports You
Others posting about this outrage:
Sister Toldjah
Michelle Malkin
Stop The ACLU
Church and State
Soldier's Angels Germany
7 Responses to “They could have at least said thank you”
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I really hate to defend these four-star Darwin award candidates, but…
Cops "rescue" battered spouses who punch out their "rescuers"…
I think this gratitude shtick is a bit silly. If the troops want gratitude they should get a dog. I’m not sure anyone these days can expect genuine gratitude. If it comes your way, great… If not, welcome to the real world…
And I think you’re making too much of this in other ways. from the article Sagebrush links:
"The U.S. military described the hostage-takers, which they are still looking for, as a "kidnapping cell that has been robust over the past several months." Loney reportedly decried his captors, who called themselves the Swords of Righteousness Brigade, calling them a simple criminal gang."
Just criminals, not insurgents, and certainly not Al-Qaeda… Just opportunists who fluorish in the lawlessness that unfortunately, the army has helped to create, albeit unintentionally…
Was someone asking for a thank you???
And screw Malkin… She has descended so far into her pit of hate she no longer contributes to serious debate but instead just throws raw meat to the rabid right.
Cross-posted to Sagebrush.
I really hate to defend these four-star Darwin award candidates, but…
…you will….
Cops "rescue" battered spouses who punch out their "rescuers"…
err, yea maybe so, but so what? That has nothing to do with the principle of gratitude.
I think this gratitude shtick is a bit silly. If the troops want gratitude they should get a dog. I’m not sure anyone these days can expect genuine gratitude. If it comes your way, great… If not, welcome to the real world…
I dont think its an aexpectatoin by the troops. I have yet to see any credible posting saying they are any less satisfied by knowing they did the right thing. In the military, I can say from experience, you are often presented with internal knowledge of well doing as your only recognition. In the present climate of war hostility I think they are used to not being appreciated.
And I think you’re making too much of this in other ways. from the article Sagebrush links:
"The U.S. military described the hostage-takers, which they are still looking for, as a "kidnapping cell that has been robust over the past several months." Loney reportedly decried his captors, who called themselves the Swords of Righteousness Brigade, calling them a simple criminal gang."
Just criminals, not insurgents, and certainly not Al-Qaeda… Just opportunists who fluorish in the lawlessness that unfortunately, the army has helped to create, albeit unintentionally…
Well, that’s a tough accusation to prove isnt it? And the fact is that the insurgency is not a single cohesive group, though the al qaeda and sunni elements may make up a large segment, the truth is it is very diverse. And the group in question has ties to other islamic underground groups as well.
Further, they openly declared they wereholding them hostage with the demand that all Iraqi prisoners be freed. This sounds a little more common to insurgents then criminals who would likely ask for money or other immediate gain.
Was someone asking for a thank you???
And screw Malkin… She has descended so far into her pit of hate she no longer contributes to serious debate but instead just throws raw meat to the rabid right.
Cross-posted to Sagebrush.
Did you see the update? They back filled the apology. It was just an excited oops I guess, right?
Thanks for the update…I linked you. I appreciate it.
Well, they would not be the first person to forget to thank someone…I don’t find it as malicious as Malkin does…I know a lot of people opposed to the war…I don’t know any who take it out on the troops, in fact part of their opposition is they want the troops brought home alive…
Karl,
I found your Weblog through a link from Michelle Malkin. I thanked her so I will do the same for you.
Thanks for your public condemnation of the "Christian Peacemaker Teams" after they failed to properly thank the US and British Military teams who rescued their hostages (from certain death I am sure).
I worked in Iraq for a year as a contract firefighter on two US Military bases. While I was there I got to know many Military Civil Affairs personnel, Special Forces, contractors and others who daily helped the Iraqi people. What is so ironic about the “Christian Peacekeepers” attitude about our Military in Iraq is that the Civil Affairs people, Special Forces, USAID, and such have done more for the Iraqi people in the three years that they have been there than Saddam did in his entire time in office. And they do more for the Iraqi people than these anti-American, headline grabbing twits called “Christian Peacemaker Teams”. My final question about this group is where the hell was the "CPT" when Saddam was starving his people while he built dozens of Palaces, and murdering hundreds of thousands of his citizens. Don”t think CPT would have an answer for that.
Take care and I will add your blog to my Politics folder
Thom,
I think people would have cared less about them appearing ungrateful if their press release had not been so filled with anti US rhetoric.
Just my 2 cents.
I am a disabled vet (12 years Air Force) and served during the Gulf War, though I never deployed. But my service has made me very aware and sensitive to the respect, and or lack of respect that is commonly paid to our military.
I also have a very close friend who served for a year in Iraq. We had his fiance living with while he was gone, and her frustration while seeing the protestors and other anti war people describing his efforts as an illegal occuppation and a quagmire has forever made me aware of the wider effect people like this have.
I am all for a wide range of topics, but in the area of the military, I admit my views are a bit narrow.
And as I said in the article, even my kids have to say thank you. It burns me the lack of common courtesy that is so common in our nation.
Thanks for the comment, and thanks for supporting my blog with your reading.
Thanks you also for your service in Iraq, and as a Firefighter. My Father, in addition to being a Marine Corp vet, was also a career fire fighter and police officer.
Salute!
LSU