September 22, 2004

Female Prisoners NOT Being Released

Some earlier reports said we were giving in to the demand by Abu Musab al Zarqawi's al-Tawhid Wal Jihad terrorist organization that "all female prisoners in Iraq be freed" or Briton Kenneth Bigley would be executed. The latest news is that these reports were false. I repeat, we are not caving to terrorist demands. Reuters:

Two Iraqi female prisoners being held by U.S. authorities in Iraq will not be released imminently, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad said on Wednesday.
"The two women are in legal and physical custody of the multinational forces in Iraq and neither will be released imminently," a spokesman for the U.S. embassy said.

Senior officials in the Iraqi Justice Ministry said earlier on Wednesday that at least one of the two, microbiologist Rihab Taha, could be freed as early as Wednesday following a review of her detention status.

If she had been freed, it might have opened the way for the release of British hostage Kenneth Bigley, seized by Islamic militants who have said they will execute him if female prisoners are not released from Iraqi prisons.

By Rusty Shackleford, Ph.D. at 08:41 AM | |