Canada's Post Follows Up Scoop Hostage Exclusive

Canada's National Post newspaper has followed up on a Scoop Media exclusive that links the group Swords of the Righteousness Brigades to the feared Islam Army in Iraq (IAI). On Tuesday December 13, the National Post's Stewart Bell wrote from Toronto: "The kidnappers holding four Christian activists hostage are connected to the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI), one of the country's leading insurgent groups, a U.S. researcher said yesterday.

"Although the previously unknown Swords of Righteousness Brigades has claimed it kidnapped the two Canadians, one Briton and one American, the SITE Institute said it had found ties to the Islamic Army. At least two of the videotaped statements issued by the hostage-takers were uploaded on to a hidden directory on the IAI Web site prior to broadcast, suggesting a link to the insurgent group, Rita Katz said.

On Friday December 9, Scoop Media reported that possible links between the Swords of the Righteousness Brigades and the IAI had been detected. See… Foreign Affairs: Is Righteous Brigade Group Linked To IAI?

Scoop wrote: " Information has come to light that the group The Swords of the Righteousness Brigades may be linked to the entity IAI (Islamist Army in Iraq). It appears there are similarities between the modus operandi of the IAI and the group that is holding Harmeet Sooden, James Loney, Tom Fox, and Norman Kember.

"For example: reports show that the IAI kidnaps an individual or group of people, makes a demand that is in all practicalities impossible to achieve, often the demands are indirectly related to the kidnapped victims.

"Readers may remember that the IAI captured Enzo Baldoni, an Italian journalist who also volunteered for the Red Cross in Iraq. To quote reports: "IAI demanded that Italy withdraw all troops from Iraq or Enzo Baldoni, both an independent journalist and humanitarian volunteer, would be killed. Italy did not recall its troops and Baldoni was murdered."

Scoop added: "The Sword of the Righteous Brigades has extended the deadline until Saturday for its demands that all Iraqi prisoners be released by the United States and British governments, it appears both the Brigade and IAI may have used a 'third party' intermediary as the Brigade's statements seem to have been first released on the IAI's website and signed by the same individual who had earlier published IAI demands in previous hostage operations."

Latest News: Canadian agencies report that an envoy sent by the Canadian Islamic Congress to Iraq has returned with no new information about two Canadian hostages. Ehab Lotayef says he is hoping his efforts paid off. Lotayef says he was also able to state he had full confidence in the Christian Peacemaker Teams workers while appearing on Arab television. The hostages were to have been killed last Saturday if Iraqi detainees were not released. There's been no word on their fate.

FULL COVERAGE:

IAI Released French Journalists – Is It Linked To Righteous Brigade? - Scoop Report: Information has come to light that the group The Swords of the Righteousness Brigades may be linked to the entity IAI (Islamist Army in Iraq). It appears there are similarities between the modus operandi of the IAI and the group that is holding Harmeet Sooden, James Loney, Tom Fox, and Norman Kember. For example: reports show that the IAI kidnaps an individual or group of people, makes a demand that is in all practicalities impossible to achieve, often the demands are indirectly related to the kidnapped victims. There also appears to be an ICT link between the two groups. See... Hostages: Is Righteous Brigade Linked To IAI?

ALSO: Scoop Video: Abu Qatada Seeks Release Of Hostages Scoop Video: Captors Release Video Of Two Hostages (2) Scoop Video: Captors Release Video Of Two Hostages (1)
• Scoop Editorial: Hostage Deadline Looms - Palestinians Urge Release
• TEAR Fund urges for hostage release
• NZ Free the Peacemakers Messages + Wgtn Vigil
• Update on NZ support for Peacemakers
• A Week of Palestinian Calls for Hostage Release
• Palestine: Demonstrations For Four CPT Hostages
• Letter From Palestinian Leaders To Al-Jazeera
• Al-Jazeera Publishes NZ Palestine Leaders' Plea
• Mufti of Palestine Calls For Hostages Release

Foreign Affairs: Hostage's Friend Calls All To Evening Vigil "I am a personal friend of Harmeet Sooden kidnapped on the 26th of November. I am gathering friends for a vigil for Harmeet and his companions (Monday) at Aotea Square at 6:00 pm, every one is invited regardless of religion or political views. I only want to pray for the life of my dear friend and to see him out of harms way. I can not say how important the presence of the media is in this vigil given the dead line of December 8th for their execution. It maybe our only possible way to have our plea heard by their captors in Iraq." See... Letters: Vigil For Harmeet Sooden 6pm Monday ALSO:

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