SBS Reporter captured by mistake
AN Australian journalist held captive by Iraqi insurgents for less than 24 hours over the weekend has been released unharmed.
John Martinkus, a veteran freelancer who was compiling a report for SBS’s Dateline program, was seized outside his Baghdad hotel about 5pm on Saturday Australian time (10am Baghdad time).My guess is that after some questioning it became apparent to the terrorists that John Martinkus was on their side so they they released him to continue his work as one of the anti-coalition/pro-terrorist journalists. As an aside in this article from stopthewar.com journalists quote the ‘country mile’ when they say
News of Mr Martinkus’s kidnapping came as a car bomb exploded near the Australian embassy in Baghdad, killing seven people, and as Mr Downer confirmed the government had rejected a United Nations approach for Australian troops to help protect UN officials in Iraq.near the Australian embassy turns out to be half a kilometer from the Embassy which in CBD terms could be the next suburb. Still, maybe it looks better or worse, depending on your viewpoint, if Australia is seen as being the target. Drawing a long bow, methinks.
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I’m starting to wonder a little at all the Australians being kidnapped and released by Iraqi terrorists.
The “Horror Brigades of the Secret Islamic Army” kidnap story turned out to be bullshit, but not before many families and friends of Australian soldiers and other workers were seriously alarmed and feared the worst for their kin.
Donna Mulhearn, allegedly kidnapped, has never satisfactorily answered her critics over being shot at (and missed) by USMC snipers, and why she was even held at all. Her story is paper thin, and her anti-war agenda is on record.
The BS meter is swinging alarmingly over these stories.
Mr Martinkus also has some history in East Timor, is he genuinely unlucky, a total dummy in the wrong place at the wrong time or a fame whore?
My money is on the latter.
Martinkus displayed his true colours with the post-release statement, “… they had a reason to kill Bigley, they had a reason to kill Americans, they didn’t have a reson to kill me…”
They had a REASON to kill innocent people, Mr. Martinkus?
Pity they didn’t find a reason to practice their murder techniques on you, by the sound of it.