Journalist Reports of Kidnapping Ordeal

A reporter for the Institute of War and Peace Reporting was kidnapped near Fallujah by armed 'insurgents' and held for six hours while threatened with death throughout. Inexplicably, he was released and subsequently filed a report. Here are some snippets:

On October 26, I left Baghdad with my driver and headed for a munitions dump near Latifiya, 30 kilometres south of the capital, to follow up on a report that 350 tonnes of high explosives had gone missing. That was the story I thought I was going to cover - but it wasn't the one I got.

We were within 100 metres of the entrance gates of the Qaqa dump when two Opel cars, one black, the other grey, stopped on the road in front of us and the men inside got out.

They told us to halt and get out of our vehicle. As they were carrying guns, we obeyed.

They ordered us into their cars and we drove off, taking a left turn onto the dual carriageway leading away from Latifiya, west towards Fallujah.

[ ... ]

We realised what the group was looking for when they accused us of being intelligence-gatherers for the Iraqi National Guard. "You're either here to get information for the National Guard and the Americans, or to find out about the two [kidnapped] French journalists," said one of the gunmen.

We were bundled back into the cars, the men holding their guns so close to our heads I could feel them pressing on my skull. They told us to admit we were spies, or we'd be killed. I had a horrible feeling we were about to become the latest in the growing line of victims kidnapped and beheaded by armed groups.

[ ... ]

The decision to free us seemed to change the dynamics of our relationship with them, and as they drove us back towards the bridge, I asked why they had decided we were spies.

"Listen," said Abu Marwan, "The American army and the National Guard have been able to do us a lot of damage through the intelligence they've got from their spies. That's why we conduct regular patrols, so we can find out who's new in the area, and who might be working for them.

"We know everyone who lives around here. No one gets past us."

[ ... ]

I asked whether I could stay to find out why they wanted to fight the Americans so badly, but none of them came up with a reason. The best I could get out of them was an invitation to visit every day and watch the attacks they were mounting on US forces and the National Guard.

"We don't need to show the world what we do - God is the only one who knows what we do, and that's what counts," declared one of them.

The report has more, obviously. It's dated yesterday indicating it was probably being vetted for a day or two. The journalist is not identified by name.

With a major offensive against the insurgent groups in Fallujah looming, the reporter's description of his ordeal indicates some apprehension and nervousness on the part of the terrorists. Also, noteworthy is the fact that it is not only the American forces that are feared, but also the Iraqi National Guard. This would seem to indicate that the National Guard is carrying its weight in the conflict.