Latest Channel 4 News:
Row over Malaysian state's coins
'Four shot at abandoned mine shaft'
Rain fails to stop Moscow wildfires
Cancer blow for identical twins
Need for Afghan progress 'signs'

The nightmare ends

By Lindsey Hilsum

Updated on 23 March 2006

British hostage Norman Kember is freed in Iraq after a tip-off from insurgents.


The British hostage Norman Kember and his two colleagues have been freed after a 117 day kidnapping in Iraq.

>>Watch the report

"It's great to be free:" the words of Norman Kember after his release early this morning in Baghdad. The veteran pacificist was freed along with fellow peacemakers- Canadians Harmeet Sooden and Jim Loney- after four months in captivity.

Their colleague- American Tom Fox- was found dead in Baghdad two weeks ago. The British government said their release was part of an operation lasting several weeks that involved US and Canadian special forces.

Officials have revealed few details of the operation - but according to the Americans, last night coalition forces conducted an operation in which they detained two people.

By 8 this morning, the detainees had said where to find the Christian peacemaker team. So US and other forces then cordoned off a house in Western Baghdad while a rescue mission spearheaded by British troops - many believed to be in the SAS - entered the location. No shots were fired and no captors found - only the three hostages.

IN KEMBER'S PLACE?

On the day Norman Kember is freed More4 News speaks to Kathy Breen, who is waiting to go to Iraq now on a peacekeeping mission.

>>More4 News report

Send this article by email


Watch the Latest Channel 4 News

Watch Channel 4 News when you want

Latest World news

More News blogs

View RSS feed

Pakistan floods

A boy puts cream on in his face during the Pakistan floods (Reuters)

Powerful reports from Jonathan Miller inside Pakistan.

Fears over Taliban deal

image

Lindsey Hilsum reports on the cost of a Taliban deal.

Iran stoning reprieve

image

A campaign to save a woman from stoning wins her a reprieve.

Crisis as famine looms

image

The worst drought in memory grips Niger, Mali
and Chad.

Afghan civilian casualties

image

British compensation payments to Afghan victims "treble".

Amnesty award success

image

Channel 4 News wins Amnesty awards for Sri Lanka reports.

Tamil killings 'ordered'

image

Sri Lanka commander says killings were 'ordered from the top'.

Somalia aid probe

(Getty)

The UN finds corruption is diverting Somali food aid.

Twittering on

Start following Channel 4 News on Twitter today.

Click to launch.

Snowmail

Most watched

image

Find out which reports and videos are getting people clicking online.




Channel 4 © 2010. Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of external websites.