November 19, 2004

The Mysterious Death (or not) of Margaret Hassan

An article from Yamin Zakaria at Bellaciao provides more food for thought on the disappearance (and alleged murder) of Margaret Hassan.

1. Margaret Hassan is now believed to be the first woman killed by kidnappers.

2. The Iraqi resistance has denied any role in her captivity from the onset. In fact, Abu-Musab Al-Zarqawi’s group issued a statement that they don’t hold women prisoners unless they are proven to be belligerent enemies and they actually called for her release!

3. No group has claimed responsibility, which is unprecedented in relation to previous cases of killing kidnapped hostages.

4. Two Italian women hostages were released once the kidnappers had verified they were innocent. They claim they were treated well while captive.

5. Since money was not demanded, one can rule out the criminal elements.

6. The captors did not use the same flags and the usual style in the video given the description given so far.

7. If this was the work of the Iraqi resistance how does it benefit their cause? Particularly now, and especially when Margaret had wide support amongst Iraqis?

8. A well-known website (http://www.jihadunspun.net) - which broke the Abu Ghraib story before Seymour Hersh and allegedly receives information directly from the people who are closely operating with the Iraqi resistance and the Mujahideen in Iraq - claims that according to their sources the kidnapping was concocted by British agents inside the country, in an effort to divert attention away from the British troop deployment into Latifiyah and for what was to come in Fallujah.

Zakaria concludes that
Even if Margaret is found to be alive the timing of the release of the video was a counter-insurgency operation. It only served to discredit the Iraqi resistance at a time when they needed support. If she is found to be dead it has only provided maximum benefit to the criminal and murderous regime of Blair and Bush.

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