Comments on: five days as an Iraqi hostage

five days as an Iraqi hostage

madamjujujive — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 10:50:33 -0800

Five Days in Hell - what's it like to be an Iraqi hostage? Canadian war journalist Scott Taylor provides a harrowing account of his recent 5-day ordeal as a hostage of notorious Islamic mujahedin groups. Christopher Delisso has an interview with Taylor, and blogger Zeyad of Healing Iraq offers informed local commentary on kidnappings in his post, "On clerics, fatwas and terrorism."

By: semmi

semmi — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 11:49:54 -0800

Great links, thank you.

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 11:57:06 -0800

For instance, when asked, "Have you ever visited the State of Israel?" I answered, "No, I have never been to the occupied State of Palestine". Now that's a guy who can think on his feet. Amazing story.

By: GriffX

GriffX — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 12:04:06 -0800

Amazing story indeed... I can't even imagine how I would have comported myself in that situation.

By: lazaruslong

lazaruslong — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 12:18:08 -0800

wow. civil, that comment also struck me as quite impressive. amazing story.

By: kokogiak

kokogiak — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 12:39:27 -0800

Most chilling quote for me was, while his captors were under fire: "On several occasions, the mujahedeen fighters all across the city would scream out "Allah akbar! Allah akbar!" (God is great!) I had first thought that these cries were in response to them downing a helicopter, but our young guard explained that they were cheering the deaths of their own, newly created martyrs." Whole article is chilling. Great find. Sad world.

By: a3matrix

a3matrix — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 12:43:32 -0800

Wow, that guy is lucky to be alive.

By: a3matrix

a3matrix — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 12:46:10 -0800

Quick question. What is their fascination with cutting peoples heads off? Is there some symbolism to being decapitated or is it just for gruesome affect?

By: gwint

gwint — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 12:49:27 -0800

When your Lord revealed to the angels: I am with you, therefore make firm those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.

By: udeups

udeups — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 12:57:07 -0800

What struck me was the arbitrariness of the situation. In the many situations in which he was to be executed, he seemed to get saved by trivial stuff. One captor has a brother who's also Canadian... another captor got in an argument with another man and had an untimely end... his stalling by saying he wanted to convert to Islam, giving enough time for the cleric to return announcing his freedom... all kinds of random events like that. It's strange to think that such insignificant events all add up to sparing a man his life.

By: a3matrix

a3matrix — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 13:00:09 -0800

Thanks for that link qwint. Religion at its best, again.

By: dhartung

dhartung — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 19:08:44 -0800

a3matrix: There is some justification in shari'a (viz. decapitation as a form of capital punishment in strict Islamic states), but for the most part it's intended to make the militants appear savage and implacable. It wasn't used in the many hostage-takings in Lebanon's Civil War (largely between Sunni Arabs and Maronite Christians), for instance.

By: amberglow

amberglow — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 19:42:29 -0800

very enlightening, and chilling. and I had just finished reading this account of an Iraqi woman's incarceration at Abu Ghraib too. (the current crop of beheaders are using women imprisoned as their thing.)

By: Devils Slide

Devils Slide — Wed, 22 Sep 2004 07:54:30 -0800

Very compelling read. Thanks madam.

By: togdon

togdon — Tue, 28 Sep 2004 08:16:36 -0800

This will probably get missed, but I wouldn't want to double post... NPR had a good interview with Scott this morning. I find it interesting that no one has commented on the fact that he was essentially saved by Google.