Australian Hostage Freed By Iraqi Forces
Douglas Wood, an Australian contractor captured by Iraqi insurgents, was freed this morning following a raid by the Iraqi army's 2nd battalion, Armored Brigade.
With the help of US forces in Ghazaliva, a dangerous Sunni area of Baghdad, Wood, 64, was found alive and in reasonably good health under a blanket where insurgents had hidden him.
The raid was conducted as part of Operation Lightning, a counterinsurgency leg of the ongoing campaign in Iraq, after intelligence sources hinted at the location.
Three insurgents, calling themselves "the Shura Council of the Mujahadeen of Iraq" were arrested after they claimed the man under the blanket was their sick father.
Wood's capture was known worldwide after insurgents released two DVD's six weeks ago depicting the hostage with a gun to his head and pleading for the withdrawal of 1400 Australian troops from Iraq. The Australian government refused to negotiate and though a very large sum of money was demanded, no ransom was paid.
A short time later, broadcast from Australia and shown on Al-Jazeera, Wood's brother, Malcolm Wood, issued a plea to the insurgents.
"We do not believe Douglas's captivity, or this ultimatum, will make any difference to the policy of the Australian government
"Douglas is a warm man of generous heart and spirit. His work is to help the people of Iraq towards a better life. We respect the people of Iraq, their patriotic spirit and their right to independence," he said.
After his rescue, Douglas was taken under the protection of the Australian emergency response team and is being given medical treatment. Wood released a statement that was read by Australian counterterrorism chief Nick Warner saying that he was "extremely happy and relieved to be free again."
Iraq's deputy chief of staff, Gen Naseer al-Abadi, was pleased with the Iraqi troop performance.
"This is a great day for Iraq. We are proud of the way our soldiers conducted themselves," al-Abadi said.
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Jason L. Miller is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.
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