Good News from Iraq
A combined effort by US, British, and Canadian forces freed three hostages who had been held in Iraq for four months. The men, members of Christian Peacemaker Teams, had been held along with Tom Fox, who was found dead earlier this month.
The freed men 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 an American colleague, Tom Fox, 54.
This is wonderful news, and I am thrilled for these men and their families. The rescue operation is also renewing hopes that Christian Science Monitor reporter Jill Carroll will be found and freed as well.
[Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Rick] Lynch said there was no new information on Carroll that “I can discuss at this time.” But, he said: “There are other operations that continue probably as a result of what we’re finding at this time. So you’ve got to give us the opportunity to work through that.”
Unfortunately, “mission accomplished” and the “last throes” of the insurgency don’t seem any closer.
But the joyful news was tempered by violence that raged throughout Iraq as the day wore on. Fifty-eight people were killed in execution-style slayings, bombings and gun battles. For the third straight day, Sunni insurgents hit a major police and jail facility - this time with a suicide car bombing that killed 25 in central Baghdad.