2 Western Journalists Freed, but Questions Linger
We rejoice at the liberation of Canadian freelance journalist Amanda Lindhout and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan.
But we still wonder what it would have been like had any of the reportedly numerous attempts to liberate them succeeded.
Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, speaking from his exile office in Nairobi, Kenya, said Lindhout and Brennan were freed in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, after a 15-month-long captivity.
But he said there were numerous failed attempts to free the two journalists, who were kidnapped by Islamic insurgents in a lawless country controlled by warlords.
The Canadian Television Network:
Welcome home, both of you, and thank you for your courage and dedication.
But we still wonder what it would have been like had any of the reportedly numerous attempts to liberate them succeeded.
Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, speaking from his exile office in Nairobi, Kenya, said Lindhout and Brennan were freed in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, after a 15-month-long captivity.
But he said there were numerous failed attempts to free the two journalists, who were kidnapped by Islamic insurgents in a lawless country controlled by warlords.
The Canadian Television Network:
Lindhout spoke to CTV News Channel only hours after her release, describing a months-long ordeal that saw her beaten and tortured and forced to live in a room without windows.
"It was extremely oppressive. I was kept by myself at all times. I had no one to speak to. I was normally kept in a room with a light, no window, I had nothing to write on or with. There was very little food. I was allowed to use the toilet exactly five times a day," Lindhout told CTV during a telephone interview from Mogadishu on the day she was freed.
(...)
Prior to leaving Mogadishu on Thursday, the two journalists met with Sharmarke, who said the pair had been held in an area controlled by Islamic insurgents.
The precise details of Lindhout and Brennan's release are not clear. Lindhout said money "was paid by our families," and a statement from Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that "the Government of Canada was not involved in ransom negotiations."
The exact amount of ransom exchanged for Lindhout and Brennan is unknown.
"It was extremely oppressive. I was kept by myself at all times. I had no one to speak to. I was normally kept in a room with a light, no window, I had nothing to write on or with. There was very little food. I was allowed to use the toilet exactly five times a day," Lindhout told CTV during a telephone interview from Mogadishu on the day she was freed.
(...)
Prior to leaving Mogadishu on Thursday, the two journalists met with Sharmarke, who said the pair had been held in an area controlled by Islamic insurgents.
The precise details of Lindhout and Brennan's release are not clear. Lindhout said money "was paid by our families," and a statement from Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that "the Government of Canada was not involved in ransom negotiations."
The exact amount of ransom exchanged for Lindhout and Brennan is unknown.
Welcome home, both of you, and thank you for your courage and dedication.
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