TresSugar

Ninety Children Held Hostage in the Congo, UN Makes Appeal

LibertySugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:00:12 -0700

Ninety children are being help hostage by Ugandan rebels in the north-east region of the Democratic Republican of Congo. In simultaneous attacks carried out by the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) last week, 40 children were abducted from a primary school and 50 from a secondary school. Three people died, and the village chief and three Italian missionaries were also taken.

The UN is demanding unconditional release of the children it believes the LRA will force into combat. The LRA has been fighting the Ugandan government for 20 years. The rebels won't agree to disarmament unless the ICC (International Criminal Court) drops war crime charges against its leader.

Imagine if a mass school abduction like this happened in Europe or America. I'm sure we would be hearing a lot more about it! I hope the kids make it out safe, and don't meet the fate of forced fighting that has burdened thousands of other children.

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Georgia Man Holds Family Captive in Trailer For 3 Years

CitizenSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:15:59 -0700

Ack, ack, ack. This story! It gives the Austrian incest case a run for its money for sheer disgusting details alone. Raymond Daniel Thurmond, 36, is in jail today and accused of keeping his wife and four kids hostage inside a filthy single-wide trailer. How filthy? I'll allow the police to describe:

"The walls looked like they were moving sometimes. There were so many bugs and roaches on the wall. When the door first opened roaches fell from the ceiling down to the floor. So, I knew then we were in for something."
"There was garbage packed up to the ceiling. The smell was so overwhelming the investigator had to where a gas mask"
"It was probably the most disgusting scene that I've ever been involved in as far as human waste and filth, and the sad thing about it is you had a wife and four kids who were confined to these four walls and were not permitted to go outside."

To see the condition of the kids, and how the case was busted, read more.

The children, aged 14, 13, 12, and nine were never allowed to go or even look outside. The 14-year-old has only completed the first or second grade, they were all severely undernourished, and none of the children have been outside since 2005. Apparently, Thurmond even raped his wife in front of his children.

The case was discovered when the wife finally escaped and went for help. According to investigators, "from what I understand, he just left and didn't come back and she got word somehow. I don't know what happened, but she got word somehow that he got involved with another lady." The neighbors, as is so often the case in stories like this, were stunned.

How is this always the case? Why are the neighbors always the last to know? Perhaps there is hope for the kids; the Austrian children are progressing and have just given the police a gift of appreciation for protecting them. What drives someone to behave this way?

After FARC Rescue One Says End Hate, One Says "Terrorist"

CitizenSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:00:28 -0700

After the stunning rescue last week of 15 hostages held by FARC rebels in Colombia, Ingrid Betancourt - the most well-known of those rescued after being held hostage for six years - has urged the end of a vocabulary of hate against her former captors.

She says:

I think we have reached a point where we must change this radical, extremist vocabulary of hate of very strong words that intimately wound the human being.

Though her sympathy for her captors sounds a little Stockholm Syndrome-y, she says she has no illusions as to the true nature of the group, but that a honey trap of kindness would be a better way to ensure more hostage releases.

And there are many more to be released from the group one American is calling "terrorist." To see the extent of the situation, read more.

Despite the high-profile rescue last week, the 14 saved are the tiniest portion of those being held. It's thought that at least 700 to 2,000 Colombians remain in the custody of the rebels, and the rescue has destabilized the group - whose main source of income is ransom money - endangering those left. One mother whose son was abducted ten years ago, feels the sting stronger now that rescues have been shown possible. She says, “I know my son isn’t a trophy, but I demand to have him back.”

In the US, the three Americans rescued echo that concern. Marc Gonsalves, one of those saved, says, “there are people in this exact moment who are being punished because we got rescued successfully.” He went on to call FARC "a terrorist group with a capital T." The three men are said to be in good health despite their concerns including Keith Stansell who has 5-year-old twin sons that he's just met.

Which is a better method to negotiate for the release of the hundreds of hostages left? Honey, or force? Was the rescue mission a good move given the number still held? How will they be rescued now that the "trick them" hand has been played?

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Front Page: A Perfect Rescue Operation, Mandela Not a Terrorist, Jobs and Airlines in Trouble

CitizenSugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:00:22 -0700

A Perfect Rescue Operation:
French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages freed from FARC rebels in a daring rescue mission has called her release after more than 6 years, a "miracle." She says, "there is no historical precedent for such a perfect operation." The mission was accomplished without a shot fired after the Colombian military penetrated the highest level of FARC and tricked them into handing over the hostages. Among those rescued were three American military contractors and 11 members of the Colombian security forces, all said to be in relatively good health. FARC has been trying to overthrow the Colombian government for 40 years, and still holds over 40 high-profile hostages, among up to 700 other captives.

Mandela Not a Terrorist:
US President George W Bush signed a bill removing Nelson Mandela and South African leaders from the US terror watch list. Mandela and ANC party members will now be able to travel to the US without a waiver from the secretary of state. The African National Congress (ANC) was labeled as a terrorist organization by South Africa's former apartheid regime.
Jobs and Airlines in Trouble:
The number of former workers signing up for unemployment insurance rose sharply last week. According to a Labor Department report, new applications jumped by 16,000 to 404,000, the highest level since late March. Meanwhile, the airline industry is predicting a $6.5 billion loss for the year, having been hit harder by fuel costs than expected.

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Front Page: Bush Speaks, Children Hostages in Cameroon, Kenya Peace

CitizenSugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:10:30 -0800

President Bush is currently giving a news conference. Topics are expected to include the economy and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. More details to follow.
It's estimated that 2,000 boarding school children are being used as human shields by demonstrators in Cameroon. Overnight, thousands of protesters entered the schools to escape police chasing them after demonstrations turned violent. This comes after days of protests across the country, set off by a taxi-driver strike over a fuel price rise. John Fru Ndi of the opposition Social Democratic Front said, "the people have no other alternative than to express themselves by marching on the streets to draw government's attention to issues affecting their everyday lives."
Better news from another part of Africa: Leaders in Kenya have signed a peace deal to end the post-election violence. Kofi Annan has been in Kenya mediating the talks, which have successfully resulted in President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga agreeing to form a coalition government. Annan announced, "We have come to an understanding on the coalition government," but offered no further details.

Colombia Crossed Geneva Convention By Rescuing Hostages?

LibertySugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:00:21 -0700

Colombia violated the Geneva Convention when its military used the Red Cross' symbol to help free 15 hostages from FARC rebels last month, according to the International Red Cross. The first Geneva Convention prohibits using the Red Cross emblem in military operations because it could compromise the perceived neutrality of the group's humanitarian and medical missions.

The Colombia operatives posed as faux-humanitarian workers, and video shows that one soldier wore the Red Cross emblem. Colombia initially misrepresented its use of the emblem, but later apologized, calling the soldier's decision to wear the cross unauthorized.

While officials consider the details of their rescue, the most famous former hostage, Ingrid Betancourt, avoids discussing the details of her six-year captivity. To see what she has said however, read more.

Betancourt says her years of physical and psychological torture and humiliation taught her about the human capacity to be cruel, but she hopes to one day forgive her captors. While the Colombian and French citizen tries to move on from her ordeal in Paris, Ingrid is urging FARC to free the remaining hostages while cautioning against using a vocabulary of hate against her former captors.

Do you think the rescue of Betancourt and the other hostages jeopardized the work and safety of the Red Cross? Was it a risk worth taking?

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Briefing Book! French Workers Hold Bosses Hostage

CitizenSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:00:13 -0700

French workers angry at Caterpillar for cutting 700 jobs are holding their bosses hostage in their offices. – CNN
In Europe, it's war of the rosés. - YumSugar
Trya tells you everything you need to know about sex changes.- Jezebel
Man gets DUI on motorized bar stool. - Huffington Post
Despite intense snowstorm, the water levels of the Red River in Fargo, ND, are slowly falling. - New York Times
Despite Obama being hit by the left and right, 42 percent of Americans think the country is on the right track, up from 15 percent in December. - The Daily Beast
The Obama administration has given up on bipartisanship. - Slate
Authors worried about Kindle for the wrong reasons. - Boing Boing
Poll dancing as an Olympic sport? - Feministing

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Front Page: School Shooting in Finland, Iran President Blames Economy on War, Germany Bids for Hostages

CitizenSugar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:00:39 -0700

School Shooting in Finland:
Nine people have been killed and the gunman wounded after he opened fire at a vocational school in western Finland this morning. Chaos ensued after the hooded gunman entered the school and began firing with what appeared to be an automatic weapon. The superintendent of police says, ''The incident is over now." The gunman had posted video of himself on YouTube prior to the attack.

Iran President Blames Economy on War:
In New York for the opening of the UN, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today that the economic crisis could be blamed on global US military intervention and President Bush's "logic of force." He said, "The world economy can no longer tolerate the budgetary deficit and the financial pressures occurring from markets here in the United States." Bush says he's confident Congress will quickly pass a bailout bill.
Germany Bids for Hostages:
Germany continues efforts to free 11 foreign tourists kidnapped in Egypt on Friday. The kidnappers are holding five Germans, five Italians, and one Romanian tourist for a ransom of $15 million. Germany has formed a "crisis team" to deal with the situation as the kidnappers have threatened to kill the captives if any aircraft attempt to reach them.

Source

Front Page: School Hostage Resolution, Church Leaders, Kenya

CitizenSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 07:09:16 -0800

250 schoolchildren and teachers taken hostage in Pakistan and held for seven hours, have been released this morning. Seven militants armed with rocket launchers used the school and the children as a refuge after an attempt to kidnap a local health official. The incident occurred near the border with Afghanistan where Pakistanis have been fighting with the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Pakistan is set to hold elections February 18th.
Leaders of two major churches, died this weekend. Archbishop Christodoulus, head of the Greek Orthodox Church, credited with easing tensions with the Vatican, died of cancer. He was 69. Also, Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed this weekend. He presided over the Mormon church during a period of great expansion. He was 97.
Violence continues to mount in Kenya. Yesterday, 19 people including 11 children, were burned to death when a mob set their house on fire. In the past four days, more that 100 people have been killed, many horribly burned, shot with arrows, or hacked with machetes. This terrible violence occurred after the government and the opposition party met with Kofi Annan to try to mediate an agreement. An editorial in Kenya's newspaper read, "“For the umpteenth time, we again ask President Kibaki and Orange Democratic Movement leader Mr. Raila Odinga to work for peace, truth and justice. Kenya has bled enough.”

Art Mimics Life: Obama Holding Jack Bauer Hostage?

LibertySugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:00:08 -0800

When the new season of 24 kicked off last night, hero Jack Bauer was the subject of a congressional investigation looking into his hasty executions and use of torture. The Telegraph quotes Bauer, who said:

We've done so many things in the name of protecting this country, we've created two worlds. Ours and the people's we've promised to protect. They deserve to hear the truth and decide how far they want to let us go.

Bauer's sharp turn left is now torturing conservatives, who appreciated 24 as a beacon of Hollywood hope in a sea of liberal films, actors, and TV shows. Vocal conservatives say that before Obama, the show took seriously the threat of terrorism, along with the necessity of using extreme measures to protect innocent Americans.

Do you think the show is kowtowing to liberal bullies, or is the plot just trying to stay relevant?

Photos courtesy of Fox