To Release or not to release....

Now that two of the three hostages taken last week from their home in Baghdad, have been found without their heads, there is some question whether or not the release is pending for a couple of female scientists, still in captivity. From the BBC. There does seem to be some confusion concerning, the positive identity of the dead hostages.

There are conflicting reports as to whether two female scientists held by the US in Iraq are to be freed.

Militants are threatening to kill a third hostage unless all Iraqi women in US-run prisons are free.

The US dismissed statements from Iraqi officials that one of the scientists, who have been held as members of Saddam Hussein's regime, would soon be freed.

British hostage Kenneth Bigley is believed to be still alive, after two US contractors were beheaded.

The US says it is only holding two women prisoners - Rihab Rashid Taha and Huda

Salih Mahdi Ammash - and that it has no knowledge of any plan to release them.

I am sure that we are only holding 2 female prisiners, well not really, but for the sake of argument, i'll "trust" the authorities. From this article, we find that the women have nicknames, out of a James Bond, or
Austin Powers movie. Allawi steps in to quell any questions concerning the release of these two:

Allawi told The Associated Press that no release of prisoners is imminent, though his government has begun reviewing the status of its detainees, including the two female scientists known as "Dr. Germ" and "Mrs. Anthrax" for their involvement in Saddam Hussein's biological weapons programs.

Sweet, always a good idea to come up with evil names for captive criminals. In fact I'm pretty convinced that Dr Germ and Mrs. Anthrax are responsible for war crimes, with all that germ warfare, and anthrax they threw at us wile we invaded their country.

What? Saddam didn't use any chemical or biological weapons, holy cow, didn't know that. I might be inclined to believe that these scientist, like their counterparts all over the world might have just been working in positions of national security, and in that context might not be guilty of anything, but the names are cute, and I am reminded that we seem to have a Mr or Mrs Anthrax still running loose in this country.

But we must move on because time is running out for the third hostage we care about ('cause he's white and speaks english).

Sep 22, 11:29 AM (ET)



By Luke Baker

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - With time running out to save a British hostage in Iraq, U.S. officials said on Wednesday they were not about to free female Iraqi prisoners as demanded by an al Qaeda ally whose group has already beheaded two Americans.

The Iraqi government said judges had ruled that a weapons scientist -- one of only two women Washington says it holds -- should be given a conditional release, but only in a few days.

It was unclear whether Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's demand for all women to be freed even referred to this pair at all -- both scientists, they worked for Saddam Hussein's secular government.

Not even sure that the terrorists are talking about the scientists. Yeah beginning to be skeptical about that "only two" and there real bad. I have a small problem trusting the administration. Normally trust is earned, In some cases we trust in institutions, you know, like the government, well some folks anyway, but witht the gang that can't shoot straight at the helm, with George Bush playing the Don Knotts role, I have come to generally rely on the opposite of what has been said. It i generally much closer to the truth. Lets see if the administration or any of their spokespersons have anything to add.

The White House offered condolences to the Hensley family Wednesday.

"Their strength during a difficult time is amazing. The terrorists want to shake our will, but they will not," said Scott McClellan, a White House spokesman. "It shows the true barbaric nature of the enemies we face in Iraq, that they would take innocent civilian life. They will be defeated, they will not prevail."

How about that Scotty, condolences and praise of strength, he swerves right into the tired, banal, and long worn out platitudes, ending with the all to familier sign that the cliff is just a few miles away, that we will prevail.

I know that this post has been stuffed with snark like a christmas goose, will be viewed by some of the more sensitive among us as shrill and disrespectful, and by any mentally challenged supporter of this catastrophe in Iraq, or the Administration that sent too few of our brave men and women, into battle with a fubared supply chain, not enough water, body armour, bullets, or even proper housing for gods sake. If the strident tone alarms, you can shove your sensitivities.
Those bastards (I'm looking at you george, dick and the rest of the neocon cabal) did the equivalent of sending in our troops to an occupation gunfight armed with knives.