Joy after hostage escapes but fears for Briton grow - World - Times Online

Joy after hostage escapes but fears for Briton grow - World - Times Online

First reports aren't always right:

Last night details emerged of the escape of Bernard Planche, a French engineer, who ran away from the farmhouse where he was being held and then helped US troops in the hunt for his kidnappers.

M Planche, 52, climbed out through a window on Saturday after his captors suddenly abandoned the farm. As he ran down the road he saw US forces in the distance.

“He had his hands in the air and, as he approached the US checkpoint, he took his shirt off to show he had no explosives on him,” Major Jim Crawford, of the US armed forces, said.

So, apparently he wasn't riding in a car that was stopped at a checkpoint, his captors realized that Americans were near by and got antsy thinking the jig was up, leaving Mr. Planche to his own devices which included climbing out the window and running to the Americans. He then assisted them for several hours looking for the kidnappers.

I say, good job to both the American Forces and Mr. Planche since I'm thinking the Americans were in the area because they got some intel and Mr. Planche did what any sane hostage should do: look for a way to escape because there are no guarantees that they are going to ransom you as opposed to lop your head off.

In other news, still no word on the Amerian Woman Journalist kidnapped yesterday. I have several confirmations over who the journalist is, but I am withholding the information at the request of some folks in order to see if they can negotiate for her release.

According to the latest report, al Dulaimi the head of the Accord Front (Sunni) group denied having a meeting with the journalist even though that's where she told everyone she was going and why. She was kidnapped about 100 yards from al Dulaimi's office.