Jan Benvie, also from Christian Peacemaker Teams, told BBC News she intends to go to Iraq in July. She said she did not accept her presence should mean an extra responsibility for the security forces.
Norman Kember
Is he a silly old duffer who shouldn't have been in Iraq in the first place?
Good question. Yes, I suppose you could call him an old duffer, but I admire this man enormously. While I can never understand how anyone could place their life in such danger by going to Iraq, it was a risk he was prepared to take and he made clear that he never wanted the armed forces to rescue him.
Personally I'm a bit dubious about this "tremedous skill and courage" of his rescuers and I think it's down to luck not skill that he was rescued alive. It was highly risky to storm the building and could have led to Kember being shot by his kidnappers if they'd been present. This was a political not a humanitarian rescue.
I do love the way Mr Kember and his wife have shunned the media (Mrs Kember gave her only interview to a radio station in New Zealand despite every news channel being camped outside her front door for 48 hours) and declined the offer of a military flight home - I get the impression they don't want to give the British government the slice of glory they so desperately want.
This is a huge and rare "good news story" to come out of Iraq, and I found it sickening to see Blair trying to muscle in on the glory, putting on his Shakesperian man of virtue act with trembling voice. Blair didn't want quite so much association with the beheading of Ken Bigley or the families of the dead soldiers, who he refuses to talk to.
Personally I'm a bit dubious about this "tremedous skill and courage" of his rescuers and I think it's down to luck not skill that he was rescued alive. It was highly risky to storm the building and could have led to Kember being shot by his kidnappers if they'd been present. This was a political not a humanitarian rescue.
I do love the way Mr Kember and his wife have shunned the media (Mrs Kember gave her only interview to a radio station in New Zealand despite every news channel being camped outside her front door for 48 hours) and declined the offer of a military flight home - I get the impression they don't want to give the British government the slice of glory they so desperately want.
This is a huge and rare "good news story" to come out of Iraq, and I found it sickening to see Blair trying to muscle in on the glory, putting on his Shakesperian man of virtue act with trembling voice. Blair didn't want quite so much association with the beheading of Ken Bigley or the families of the dead soldiers, who he refuses to talk to.
What exactly was Mr Kember trying to achieve in Iraq, and how was he planning on achieving it? No matter how morally wonderful he is I suspect he's rather naieve if he thought he was going to effect any change whatsoever.
I think he's in pretty much the same league as pot-holers to be honest. If they want to crawl down rabbit holes in the rain that's up to them, but if they get stuck I don't expect my taxes to pay for a rescue mission.
I think he's in pretty much the same league as pot-holers to be honest. If they want to crawl down rabbit holes in the rain that's up to them, but if they get stuck I don't expect my taxes to pay for a rescue mission.
I think Kember was insane to go to Iraq in the first place to try and spread his bible-bashing propaganda to what is a wholly MUSLIM country.
It's like trying to sell snow to an eskimo.
We then have to put up with his bible-bashing friends appearing on every news channel saying what a lovely man he is etc. and how great his faith is blah blah...
My personal opinion is that this man should have died in Iraq. He obviously has no fear of death, so the allied forces should just have left him to die with a bullet in his brainwashed head.
It's like trying to sell snow to an eskimo.
We then have to put up with his bible-bashing friends appearing on every news channel saying what a lovely man he is etc. and how great his faith is blah blah...
My personal opinion is that this man should have died in Iraq. He obviously has no fear of death, so the allied forces should just have left him to die with a bullet in his brainwashed head.
We should all feel very lucky that we live in a country where, if we go against official warnings and follow an inner voice (whatever that may be) and go somewhere advised against, in this case Iraq, our Government will actually make efforts to rescue us, rather than leave us to rot.
The strength and composure, and hints at possible "fool hardiness", shows to me someone of great intellegence and courage, who appears to be dealing with such a maddening ordeal far better than a lot of other people would in his situation.
The strength and composure, and hints at possible "fool hardiness", shows to me someone of great intellegence and courage, who appears to be dealing with such a maddening ordeal far better than a lot of other people would in his situation.
CorrectJamez wrote:I think Kember was insane to go to Iraq in the first place
Not really, I am quite sure the Koran states as long as there is a certain level of faith and a belief in God/Allah or the equivalent then it does not matter whether you are muslim/christian or whatever.and spread his bible-bashing propaganda to what is a wholly MUSLIM country. It's like trying to sell snow to an eskimo.
What else do you expect, the media want to cover it and the closest they can get to him is through these friends.We then have to put up with his bible-bashing friends appearing on every news channel saying what a lovely man he is etc. and how great his faith is blah blah...
Its unwise in my opinion to wish death onto another human being, karma is an interesting concept and what goes around comes around Jamez. Also Kember has not said that he profusely "has no fear of death", deep down that is most probably unrealistic for anybody to say it with any real belief or conviction.My personal opinion is that this man should have died in Iraq. He obviously has no fear of death, so the allied forces should just have left him to die with a bullet in his brainwashed head.
I don't know why we say bible-bashing, surely if someone bashes the bible they are doing it harm.Jamez wrote:I think Kember was insane to go to Iraq in the first place to try and spread his bible-bashing propaganda to what is a wholly MUSLIM country.
It's like trying to sell snow to an eskimo.
We then have to put up with his bible-bashing friends appearing on every news channel saying what a lovely man he is etc. and how great his faith is blah blah...
My personal opinion is that this man should have died in Iraq. He obviously has no fear of death, so the allied forces should just have left him to die with a bullet in his brainwashed head.
Anyway, Jamez, let's use a different example. Your mum (who as you've said previously you love dearly) is out in Iraq, helping out with the relief and doing what she can to speread the message of peace (and yes, I'm aware it's very far fetched). She then gets kidnapped.
Do you wish for her death? Do you want her to be left to die with a bullet in her head?
If my mother was stupid and insane enough to go to Iraq, even against my wishes, then kidnap or death would become a very real possibility. If you're going to be arrogant and deluded enough to want to go to such a hostile war zone to spread messages of god, then you accept the risks which are substantially high.James H wrote:I don't know why we say bible-bashing, surely if someone bashes the bible they are doing it harm.Jamez wrote:I think Kember was insane to go to Iraq in the first place to try and spread his bible-bashing propaganda to what is a wholly MUSLIM country.
It's like trying to sell snow to an eskimo.
We then have to put up with his bible-bashing friends appearing on every news channel saying what a lovely man he is etc. and how great his faith is blah blah...
My personal opinion is that this man should have died in Iraq. He obviously has no fear of death, so the allied forces should just have left him to die with a bullet in his brainwashed head.
Anyway, Jamez, let's use a different example. Your mum (who as you've said previously you love dearly) is out in Iraq, helping out with the relief and doing what she can to speread the message of peace (and yes, I'm aware it's very far fetched). She then gets kidnapped.
Do you wish for her death? Do you want her to be left to die with a bullet in her head?
Kember should not have been in Iraq in the first place, and his inability to show any gratitude for the SAS rescue immediately after his release, shows what a stubborn and ungrateful man he is.
A thank you costs nothing. But when your life has just been saved, a thank you would be the first thing to come out of my mouth, regardless of the fact I was a religious maniac or not.
Just because he made no formal statement doesn't mean he didn't say thank you when he was rescued.
Whilst I agree you'd have to be insane to go to Iraq, these people really believe they can make a difference to the poor Iraqis. It's just like being in the military, there's always a danger, and whilst military service is a paid job, Christian whatsit followers believe it is their job.
Whilst I agree you'd have to be insane to go to Iraq, these people really believe they can make a difference to the poor Iraqis. It's just like being in the military, there's always a danger, and whilst military service is a paid job, Christian whatsit followers believe it is their job.
At what point does foolhardiness become stupidity?rts wrote:The strength and composure, and hints at possible "fool hardiness", shows to me someone of great intellegence and courage, who appears to be dealing with such a maddening ordeal far better than a lot of other people would in his situation.