Jill Carroll: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 02:12, 29 April 2006

Jill Carroll appeared in a video released by the terrorist group Brigades of Vengeance

Jill C. Carroll (b. 1977 in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is an American freelance journalist who was kidnapped in Baghdad on January 7, 2006. Carroll was released by her captors unharmed on March 30, 2006.[1]

Carroll was reporting in Iraq for the Christian Science Monitor. She has also worked as a commentator for news networks such as MSNBC. She has been in Iraq since October 2003. Before covering the Middle East, Carroll was a reporter in Washington, D.C., for the Wall Street Journal and States News Service.

Carroll graduated from Huron High School in Ann Arbor in 1995. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a bachelor's degree in Journalism in 1999.

Abduction

On January 7, Carroll, along with an interpreter and driver, traveled to the Adel district of Baghdad to interview Adnan al-Dulaimi, a Sunni politician and leader of the Iraqi People's Conference. After discovering that al-Dulaimi was not at his office, they left and soon after were ambushed by masked gunmen. The driver managed to escape, but Carroll was kidnapped and her interpreter, Allan Enwiyah, 32, was shot dead and his body abandoned nearby by the kidnappers during the abduction. Carroll's driver, quoted in a story posted on the Monitor's website, said gunmen jumped in front of the car, pulled him from it, and drove off with their two captives all within 15 seconds.

Enwiyah, also known as Alan John Ghazi, was formerly a well-known music retailer in Baghdad. [2] [3]

According to the watchdog group Reporters without Borders, Carroll was the 31st foreign journalist to be kidnapped in Iraq since the Iraq War began in March 2003.

Among the many kidnappings in Iraq, Carroll's kidnapping evoked one of the most widespread outcries.

"We are urgently seeking information about Ms. Carroll and are pursuing every avenue to secure her release," Monitor editor Richard Bergenheim said in January.

"I, her father and her sister are appealing directly to her captors to release this young woman who has worked so hard to show the sufferings of Iraqis to the world," Mary Beth Carroll told CNN's American Morning on January 19.

In the efforts to locate and rescue Carroll, U.S. forces initially raided a mosque in the west of the capital after a tip that "activities related to the kidnapping were being carried out inside," triggering angry protests from Sunni Muslim citizens.

The Hoax

This is NOT "vandalism."

Jill Carroll's faulty story has been proven to be the largest kidnapping hoax in the war in Iraq

Let's break a few things down and we'll see what we can come up with.

http://images.capitalnews9.com/media/2006/1/30/images/01___jillcarroll2.jpg Her first picture: She's still dressed as an American but does that look like the face of a woman abducted at gunpoint by terrorists? Her face looks a little routine, if you ask me. She looks like she's getting the first stage of the hoax out of the way and she's just making a brief appearance. If this were truely a kidnapped woman, taken at gunpoint by terrorists, my guess is she'd be crying hysterically and begging for her life. But ask yourself a few questions.

Having seen what happens to "freelance" folks in Iraq, even to some contractors, why would you venture into the middle of a war zone without a destination and without a set purpose? And if I get the libertard answer that "one person can make a difference" I'm gonna puke. Any idiot knows if they go into a war zone without a calling, their chances of getting killed are huge. So, if this is real, did she ask for this? Yes, just like Nick Berg did.
She claimed to have been kidnapped at gunpoint and that her translator was killed. <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,184522,00.html">Having seen yesterday's news</a>, we learn that, in fact, her translator was not killed. The rumor that the translator was killed sure was a good way to make this hoax look seriously real. But where's the translator? He hightailed it outta there because this is Jill Carroll's stage. This is her spotlight. We can't have a woman and a translator dying for Arab women. We can only have an American woman die.
Once again, in a world, in a religion where women are hated and treated like dogs, why would "terrorists" be demanding the release of women? What's more is if they hate women so badly, why are "terrorists" sparing Carroll's life?
Why is the release of female prisoners such a priority if we just released 5 of them and the US is only holding 6 more? This "kidnapping" is about 6 detained females? 6 females hated by their society and religion? Can it get any more ridiculous than that?
If her "terrorist captives" hate women so badly and we haven't met their demands, why hasn't she been killed? I thought terrorists were hardcore killers? But they're holding out for 6 women?
Who are these "sources close to the kidnappers" who are giving all this information?
If the captors are serious about this ordeal and she's in such danger, why would these unknown sources reveal that she's in a "safe house" owned by one of the kidnappers in downtown Baghdad? Can't we trace stuff like that? Don't we have the capability of locating a house where hostages are being held? Of course we do, so why would they reveal that much info? Because she's not there, they're not terrorists and this whole thing is a hoax.
What exactly is a "safe house" where terrorists hold Americans hostage and threaten to slaughter them? I didn't hear Nick Berg's captors tell anyone he was being held in a "safe house."
Jill Carroll tells America to "give the terrorists whatever they want." Right? But the report we get says the kidnappers have "more specific demands than releasing all women from jail," 'but refused to disclose these demands.'" Riiiiiiiiiiiight.
If you put a deadline on someone's life that if you didn't get all your demands met by that time you'd kill them, why wouldn't you release the details of all your demands? Possibly because they need to think of some more? Possibly related to females in that area? Mark my words, they'll have no other demands unless they're related to women.
Her kidnappers say they have to kill her "according to Islamic law." What exactly is this Islamic law and why would women freelance into this land if Islamic law requires them to be killed?
Her kidnappers claim Carroll is in "good psychological condition." Are you kidding me? Terrorists now give a damn about a captive's state of mind? Even after they've put out a deadline until their murder? And who did this psych eval? Do they have doctors in the "safe house," tending to captives who are going to be killed?
NONE OF THIS MAKES SENSE!
The report also says Carroll is "doing housework with the other women in the place where she's being held." Again, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!?! She's doing housework because she's not a captive. Why would a terrorist disclose that information anyway? This sounds like Queer Eye For The Terrorist Guy. They've given her a makeover, she's wearing Arab clothing now, she's doing housework.........where does it end? Will this ever begin to look like a real kidnapping?
And finally, I know my family's response even when I was in the military and spent 277 days in a combat zone, but let's take a civilian's family into the spotlight this time. What would your family say to you if you came home from work one day and told them you were going to Iraq to "make a difference?" They'd beg you not to go because it's not safe, it's a combat zone, it's a terrorist's haven and you WILL GET YOURSELF KILLED!
Ignoring those facts, are you just asking to die if you're untrained for a combat zone but go anyway? Yes. You are asking to be killed.
And mark my words, ladies and gentlemen. If Jill Carroll ends up dead, it will be because of one thing and one thing only.............
It'll be a choreographed killing, planned out to look real but ultimately make Jill Carroll look like a martyr for the Arab Woman. I can see it now.
"Poor Jill Carroll. She was killed because 6 Arab women weren't released from US custody. Damn that President Bush. He doesn't give in to terrorist's demands and doesn't release terror suspects. He killed Jill Carroll. Poor Jill Carroll. "
Sounds nice, huh?
She'll die by her own hands. Sure, someone else may do the actual killing and they may even get it on video tape, but this whole ordeal is a hoax and if she dies it'll be because she has requested it to "send a message." My guess? The U.S. won't give in to some lame terrorist group staging a kidnapping and Jill Carroll will miraculously escape or be rescued because they'll finally realize they're fighting a losing battle. She'll either have to gather the guts of a martyr and actually die for the Arab woman's cause or they'll dream up some stupid rescue or escape story.
Analysis Written By: Republican Vet @ http://republicanvet.blogspot.com on 11Feb2006 before Jill Carroll's "miraculous" release, after weeks of silence and multiple "failed" "execution deadlines."

Video
On January 17, Qatar-based news network Al-Jazeera aired a silent 20-second video-tape that showed Carroll, and indicated that, in an accompanying message, an as-yet unidentified group was giving the United States 72 hours to release all female prisoners in Iraq. If that demand were not met, the group says it would kill Carroll.
The silent video showed Carroll speaking in front of a white background.
The Qatar-based station said the kidnappers identified themselves as members of a previously unknown armed group calling itself the "Brigades of Vengeance" (or "Revenge Brigade", as they were described on NPR's All Things Considered).
Adnan al-Dulaimi
Sunni political leader Adnan al-Dulaimi, whom Carroll was attempting to visit when she was kidnapped, gave a press conference on January 20 and gave the following statements.
"This act has hurt me and makes me sad because the journalist was trying to meet me when she was kidnapped. After she left my office because she was unable to meet me, she was kidnapped 300 meters from my office."
"We are against violence by any group, and we call the government and U.S. forces to stop raiding houses, arresting women. I call upon the kidnappers to immediately release this reporter who came here to cover Iraq's news and defending our rights."
Iraqi prisoners released
On January 27, five female Iraqi prisoners were released from U.S. custody. The U.S. military stated that the prisoner release was already planned and had nothing to do with Carroll's kidnapper's initial demand to kill her within 72 hours unless all female detainees in Iraqi prisons were released.
Second video
On January 30, a second video appeared on Al Jazeera showing Carroll wearing a headscarf and crying. The footage was timestamped with a date of January 28 and also featured the logo of the Brigades of Vengeance a militant group. Although the initial airing of the video did not include audio, Carroll is said to repeat earlier pleas to release all female hostages under American custody.
Third video
On February 9, a third video appeared on private Kuwaiti TV channel Alrai TV. The 22-second video showed Carroll sitting in a chair behind a large floral pattern, in full islamic dress. She's pleading for supporters to do whatever it takes to release her. Unlike the previous two videos, both audio and video is included. Carroll mentions that the date of the tape is February 2.
In the tape, she mentions letters that she has written as evidence for the authenticity of the tape. A letter accompanied the tape that was written by Carroll, but no previous letters have been found. The contents of the letter have not been disclosed.
The following is a transcript from the video:
"Today is Thursday, February 6-[corrects herself]-February 2, 2006. I'm with the mujahideen. I sent you a letter written by my hand that you wanted more evidence so we're sending you this new letter now just to prove that I am with the mujahideen.
I'm here, I'm fine. Please, just do whatever they want, give them whatever they want as quickly as possible. There is very short time; please do it fast. That's all."

February 26 deadline
A Kuwaiti television station reported February 10 that the kidnappers had communicated to them a deadline set for February 26 for their demands to be met, or Carroll would be killed. [4]
Earlier, people close to the kidnappers told Al Rai TV that Carroll is "in a safe house owned by one of the kidnappers in downtown Baghdad with a group of women."
On February 14, Iraqi TV began airing a Public Service Announcement appealing for her release.
February 26 passes
Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabr al Zubaidi believed Jill Carroll to still be alive, even as the deadline for her execution has passed, according to ABC News.
Release
On March 30, 2006, Carroll entered the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party offices in western Baghdad around midday and handed office personnel a letter, thought to be from her kidnappers, asking for help, a party official later said. At that time, Carroll said she had just been freed unharmed and was treated humanely during her captivity.
Post-Release Video
Within days of Carroll's release, a video of Carroll criticizing the "occupation" of Iraq and praising the insurgents as "good people fighting an honorable fight" appeared on an Islamist website. While counterterrorism expert Laura Mansfield, (who had neither met nor interviewed Carroll), posited on CNN that Carroll's actions "may indicate she was experiencing a touch of Stockholm syndrome,"[5] The Christian Science Monitor, Carroll's paper, reported:
"The night before journalist Jill Carroll's release, her captors said they had one final demand as the price of her freedom: She would have to make a video praising her captors and attacking the United States, according to Jim Carroll.
In a long phone conversation with his daughter on Friday, Mr. Carroll says that Jill was 'under her captor's control.'
Ms. Carroll had been their captive for three months and even the smallest details of her life - what she ate and when, what she wore, when she could speak - were at her captors' whim. They had murdered her friend and colleague Allan Enwiya, "she had been taught to fear them," he says. And before making one last video the day before her release, she was told that they had already killed another American hostage.
That video appeared Thursday on a jihadist website that carries videos of beheadings and attacks on American forces. In it, Carroll told her father she felt compelled to make statements strongly critical of President Bush and his policy in Iraq.
Her remarks are now making the rounds of the Internet, attracting heavy criticism from conservative bloggers and commentators." [6]
Carroll's post-release statement
On April 1, 2006, Carroll released a statement through the Christian Science Monitor's website. In the statement, Carroll states that she participated in the video critical of the United States and praiseworthy of her abductors only because she feared for her life and because her captors said they would let her go if she participated to their satisfaction.[7] Carroll calls her captors "criminals, at best" and says she remains "deeply angry" with them.
Return home
On April 2, Carroll returned to Boston, where she was greeted at the airport by Monitor Editor Bergenheim and whisked off to a joyful and tearful reunion with her family (Photo gallery). On the flight, she said "I finally feel like I am alive again. I feel so good. To be able to step outside anytime, to feel the sun directly on your face - to see the whole sky. These are luxuries that we just don't appreciate every day." [8] The newspaper says she will tell her story when she is ready to.
International release efforts
Support for Jill Carroll's safe release was international. Efforts included a Baghdad newspaper whose front page read, "She loves Iraq. Now she needs your help."
On February 5, 2006, in Rome a giant poster of Carroll, urging her release, was hung on the city hall building. The poster was removed after her release. In previous months, similar efforts were shown by hanging photographs of other kidnapped individuals from the same spot.
In Paris, on February 7, 2006, 30 white balloons were released to mark the 30 days of Carroll's captivity (in actuality 32 days at that point). French actress Juliette Binoche appeared to show her support. Both the Rome and Paris efforts were coordinated by Reporters Without Borders.
On February 27, 2006, 25 organizations belonging to the International Freedom of Expression Exchange called for Carroll's immediate release.[9]
On February 29, 2006, Carroll's twin sister Katie Carroll read a statement on Al Arabiya television asking for her sister to be released.[10][11]
The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) called for Carroll's release in the name of Islam and its message of mercy.
References
"Abductors threaten to kill journalist in Iraq". Reuters. 2006-01-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

"Abductors threaten to kill American journalist", MSNBC. 2006-01-17. Retrieved 2006-01-17. Updated 2006-01-20

Peterson, Scott. "Reporter abducted in Iraq", Christian Science Monitor. 2006-01-10 edition. Retrieved 2006-01-17.

"Iraq: Suspects in Carroll kidnapping arrested", Adnkronos International. January 24, 2006. Retrieved January 24, 2006.

"Five Iraqi women are released from US custody", Christian Science Monitor. 2006-01-27 edition. Retrieved 2006-01-26.

"Kidnapped journalist appears in new video", San Jose Mercury News. January 30, 2006. Retrieved January 30, 2006.

"Kidnapped U.S. reporter appeals for help", New York Times. February 9, 2006. Retrieved February 9, 2006.

"Let young writer go, metro Muslims urge", Detroit Free Press 2006-01-19. Retrieved 2006-02-24.

"Iraqi Official: Jill Carroll Is Alive", ABC news, February 27, 2006. Retrieved 2006-02-27.

Jill Carroll Statement, Christian Science Monitor, April 1, 2006. Retrieved April 1, 2006.

External links
Carroll, Jill. "Politics, Mesopotamian Style", U.S. News & World Report. 2006-01-09 edition. Retrieved 2006-01-23.

Carroll, Jill. "Violence threatens Iraqi coalition", Christian Science Monitor. 2006-01-06 edition. Retrieved 2006-01-23.

Carroll, Jill and Murphy, Dan. "America's waning clout in Iraq", Christian Science Monitor. 2006-01-05 edition. Retrieved 2006-01-23.

Carroll, Jill. "Shiites, Kurds forge ahead", Christian Science Monitor. 2005-12-30 edition. Retrieved 2006-01-23.

Carroll, Jill. Notebook: Iraq blog, Christian Science Monitor. (occasionally filed by Jill Carroll). Retrieved 2006-02-16.

Official Website of the Christian Science Monitor
Blogs
Mental Mayhem A blog by a friend of Jill's with regular updates. This link directs to the Jill Carroll category.