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Stringer / Reuters
After months of protests and violent crackdowns, a look back at the violence that has overtaken the country.
LONDON -- Two foreign journalists held hostage for a week by Islamic extremists have been rescued by anti-government Syrian fighters, reports said Friday.
Dutch freelance photographer Jeroen Oerlemans, on assignment for Britain’s Panos Pictures, and British freelance photographer John Cantlie were held at a camp by a group of young fighters, Josh Lustig, assignments editor for Panos Pictures, confirmed to NBCNews.com
According to The New York Times, which said it spoke to Oerlemans by telephone in Turkey, the men were hooded and blindfolded and repeatedly threatened with death.
The man hired as a local guide by the men inadvertently led the journalists into a camp controlled by the fighters, who then took the two as hostages on July 19, Lustig said.
"They were only foreign jihadis, I don't think there was one Syrian among them," The Times quoted Oerlemans as saying. He told the newspaper there were between 30 and 100 fighters in the camp.
"They were from all over the world I think," he told The Times, adding their captors, who spoke English, referred to being under the leadership of an "emir."
The men were rescued on Thursday evening when a larger group of fighters, who Oerlemans told The Times he believed were from the anti-Assad Free Syrian Army, entered the camp and forced the extremists to release the journalists.
Rebels dismayed over US statement on Syrian conflict
"They were shouting at everyone, saying how long has this been going on, this is outrageous, yelling at the jihadis, and then they told us, 'You are free.' Our hearts leapt of course,” he told the newspaper.
The revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's rule began 16 months ago.
PhotoBlog: Who are the Syrian rebels?
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which compiles reports from activists, has said at least 1,261 people have been killed since the fighting intensified in the capital Damascus on July 15. That made last week by far the bloodiest in an uprising in which activists say at least 18,000 people have been killed.
US official: Syrian regime seems to be readying for massacre
The key city of Aleppo has come under ferocious assault, bombarded by fighter jets and machine gun fire. The Syrian government's main priority is taking control of the major cities – without enough troops to control the entire country, they are on the offensive. NBC's Richard Engel reports from northern Syria.
'Phew!'
"Overjoyed to have photojournalists Jeroen Oerlemans and John Cantlie - who were kidnapped last week in #Syria - out of danger. Phew!," Panos wrote on its Twitter feed on Friday.
Before heading out to Syria, Cantlie wrote on his blog that he was excited about the assignment.
"I'm thrilled to be going back in with a cool Dutch photographer I met in Libya last year. ... (Oerlemans is) the perfect travel buddy," he wrote.
The captors accused the journalists of being spies and discussed holding them for ransom, The Times reported.
"They were definitely quite extreme in their religious beliefs," Oerlemans told The Times.
Machine guns operated by motorcycle brakes? Get a glimpse at the rebels fighting against Assad's forces in Syria's mountainous Jabal al-Zawiya area.
"All day we were spoken to about the Koran and how they would bring Sharia law to Syria. I don’t think they were al-Qaida, they seemed too amateurish for that. They said, 'We're not al-Qaida, but al-Qaida is down the road,'" the newspaper quoted him as saying.
The fighters repeatedly referenced the American prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and threatened to kill the journalists, Oerlemans told The Times.
Syria regime 'reeling, armed to the teeth' with chemical weapons
"They would cock their weapons and say, 'Prepare for the after life,' or, 'You better repent and accept Islam.' It was pretty terrifying, I can assure you," the paper quoted Oerlemans as saying.
The men attempted to escape on Saturday night, but were recaptured, Lustig told NBC. Both men suffered gunshot wounds in the attempted escape, reports said. Lustig said Oerlemans was injured in the groin but is apparently recovering in good shape.
Both journalists are now safe in Turkey, Lustig and The Times said.
Full international news coverage from NBCNews.com
Cantlie was on assignment for The Sunday Times of London (site operates behind a pay wall), reports said.
NBC News' Daniel Strieff and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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News on NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
Well, say what you want. Look at photos of the murderous al-Queda thugs (((hugging))) purring kittens. The MFer's are nasty rapists, torturers, looters, thugs and you have 'only' to see what continues to happen in Libya as these mad dogs are killing each other in their ecstasy of victory to undersatnd why Libya will never again be the most prosperous, richest most progressive nation on the African continent since the United Snakes (US/Israel/NATO) destroyed the nation as they 'went for the black gold."
Add more!
See the damages these Sunni Islamic religious Nazis have been doing in S. Sudan, Darfur, Mali, Nigeria and other nations.
"The fighters repeatedly referenced the American prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba"
The big boost to the Sunni Saudis, Kuwaiti, UAE and other highly bigoted autocratic, despotic and seventh century desert mindset rulers and sharks were through Iraqi wars and saving them.
We did their dirty jobs by removing Saddam, and they gave back high oil prices and Sunni Islamic extremist Salaffi and Wahhabi mosques all over the world.
Sunni Islamic radical and extremists al-Qaida, MB, Taliban and other groups who target US and West are Sunni Saudis and co and their proxies.
Hope most don't forget the recent 9/11 and Osama case in Pakistan.
Just watch what they are doing Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan!
In Iran, Iraqi like dramas are unfolding!
It's the United Snakes (US/Israel/NATO) you have to worry about - they have the biggest guns, ya know? Target the US?!!!! Seems to me that aggressing on other people's turf is what get's the hot lead parting your hair, huh?
Yep, a "rotting" country really brings out the best in their "neighbors" extremists. Now, where could those "foreign jihadis" come from ? Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Somali, Yemen, Algeria, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, to name a few. Take your pick.
Maybe that is why the Secretary of the State's surrogate indicated no arms would be given to the "Freedom Fighters", "All for Democracy", "Rebels", or whatever these jihadis call themselves.......because supporting the Egyptian Arab Spring did not work out so well
You ignored Pakistan.
With the Sunni Saudi Salaffi and Wahhabi hate preaching and killer training centers all over the world, these could be from any nation including the US.
Start from Iraqi wars. Has it worked well for us?
We are having heavy debts, high unemployment, health care cuts and soldiers who came back are not well cared.
Europe has PIIGS.
If Sunni Islamic religious Nazis al-Qaida, MB and others win in Syria and Iran, we will be next targets!
I really wish the US would do more to help the Syrian government out, rather than try and punish them with sanctions. They have done so much to help their people prior to this outbreak of fighting brought on by the rebles. I don't know why the rebles did not stop fighting sooner, and try and work with the government. Probably would have went a lot smoother.
AZCowboy: I was with you right up to the end of your post. You refer to the United States as a partner in the "United Snakes"? Really? Listen moron, maybe you'd be happer in a mud hut in some islamic country. How's Iran sound? Whatever, just get the f*%# out of my country.
"The man hired as a local guide by the men inadvertently led the journalists into a camp controlled by the fighters"
what kinda of local guide was that, he didn't even know his own neighborhood!
Do you think he didn't know? This smells like more "freedom fighter" spin. Notice the choice of photos? - toddler-loving guys on a Honda - whew!
So they were rescued by anti-government fighters from other anti-government fighters.
So tell me, why do you write stories that you fail to include all the facts. Like, both anti-government fighters include extremists.
It is very difficult to get facts when these Sunni Islamic religious Nazis have too many voices for others.
In any bad things, they don't have a role! They are all good, secular and tolerant allies.
On 9/11, Saudis, UAE and Pakis were the key players.
If you ask them or many Muslims, they would say: "We were not involved, it was a Zionist conspiracy! We are all good US allies."
On Osama, Pakis would say: "We did not know. We are good allies for fighting in Afghanistan."
With al-Qaida, MB and other label Sunni Islamic militants in action in Syria, each one can still act as "freedom fighters", "religious warriors" and so on.
On these labels, these Sunni Islamic militants have different labels in different nations and if required in sub areas within an area.
Sounds like we need to release our big bad criminals and ship them to Syria. Might as well make it more confusing of bad guys-good guys in this conflict. Instead of issuing guns out, they should issue whiskey out to all these people. Drunks might find a better way to peace on this country. As it is, everyone is shooting others, not knowing who they are shooting at. (Master!!! We got a problem!!!!!)
As a retired US Army officer I find it disgusting that the US is supporting al Qaeda fighters in Syria. The “Free Syrian Syrian Army” is made up of the Saudi Sunnis who attacked the US on 9/11.
Yes Saddam was a Sunni, but like Iran and Syria he despised al Qaeda and viewed the Saudi al Qaeda jihadists as too radical and a threat to his rule. Yet, we have supported al Qaeda fighters in Libya and now are doing it again in Syria. Meanwhile, these foreign al Qaeda fighters the US is supporting in Syria are slaughtering Christians, Druze, Shiite and Alawite. Christians and Jews were protected in Iraq under Saddam. Syria, like Iran, also has Christians and Jews that are protected under the rule of law and that have lived in their country for generations.
How many Syrians of any ethnic or religious non-Sunni group attacked the US? ZERO. It was Saudi Sunnis WHO ATTACKED US and yet we continue to fight their enemies and support the corrupt House of Saud that is the most brutal dictatorship in the Middle East. It acts under the guise of a monarchy, but the Saudis are a brutal and heinous regime who supported the 9/11 attacks on the US.
The Israelis act as if they care for Muslims and demand the US stop the slaughter of Syrians all the while slaughtering Palestinians, committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. All of the above information about the al Qaeda fighters the US is supporting is being hidden by the Zionist media organizations owned by Zionist groups. Reuters is nothing but Israeli propaganda.
This support for al Qaeda in Syria shows the last decade of spending trillions of dollars in the “Global War on Terror” fighting al Qaeda to stop the Islamo-fascists from establishing a “global caliphate has been a complete scam to steal our money.
Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain all want to manipulate the US into a war with Iran. This situation shows how all the Jews in the intelligence and armed services committees, the State Department, Pentagon and DHS control our government.
Now the media says the US must intervene because Syria has chemical weapons. Did the UN or Israel care when the US gave Saddam chemical weapons to attack and invade Iran and kill 600,000 Iranians? Did the US or UN care when sanctions against Iraq killed 500,000 Iraqi children?
In the US Civil War Lincoln killed 600,000 from a population of 30 million. Syria has 20 million and he has only killed 15,000, many of them foreign al Qaeda invaders from Saudi Arabia. Assad would have to kill 385,000 more Syrians to kill the 2% of the population as Lincoln did in his civil war. Yet, the neocons worship Lincoln.
Assad has said his chemical weapons will only be used against a foreign invasion. The US maintains the right to use its stockpile, the largest in the world, in its defense. So, what does Assad not have the same right?
If I have to listen to anymore Zionist propaganda, I will puke. The fact is this: If we do not stop our government we will be fighting Iran, Russia and China for Israel.
after reading your erroneous rant I can easily see the reason you're a former officer, way too many negative OERs
Joe, please get off the pipe, take a breath, you give Israel to much credit. Man , if they could pull off what you stated, they would truely be God's chosen. Man don't puke, just enjoy Ramadon.
They just pulled off getting the US to send them an additional 9 billion dollars, military equipment and training, all because some Jew Congressme and women wrote a bill for them to sign.
NOTE: Obama signed the bill today. I believe it was veto proof.
The Senate and House Vote to Extend $9 Billion in Loan
Guarantees for the Benefit of Israel
Have you heard about the the "United States-Israel Enhanced Security
Cooperation Act of 2012"? It was introduced by Senator Barbara Boxer on
3/6/12 with 71 Cosponsors.
The House passed their version [H.R.4133] on May 9, pledging unlimited loyalty
and riches to our "special friend" Israel, with only two congressman
dissenting- Ron Paul and Democrat John Dingell of Michigan.
The U.S. Senate passed their version on Friday June 29, 2012. Known in the
Senate as S.2165, the measure guaranteed an astonishing $9 billion dollars in
loans to Israel (plus all fees and interest!) in addition to giving
"military assistance- stockpiles of defense articles" valued at $200
million for 2013 and $200 million for 2014.
Boxer praised passage of the bill, stating "I am so pleased that the
Senate moved quickly to pass this important bill, which reaffirms the important
bond between the United States and Israel and helps ensure that Israel has the
necessary tools to defend itself in this time of dynamic change in the Middle
East."
Initially seeking documentation of which way turncoat Rand Paul voted on this
treasonous bill, I tried to find the roll call votes. But as Harry Reid pointed
out during the session, "THE NEXT ROLL CALL VOTE WILL BE AT NOON ON
TUESDAY, JULY 10". The Senators passed this bill anonymously, in a
so-called "voice vote"!...
After tracking down the actual video of this travesty, which was no easy task-
(they seem to make these things hard to find on purpose)- it was like watching
something straight out of the twilight zone. Two old guys in suits mumbling
under their breath in a strange monotone fashion, with the entire U.S. Senate
taking literally less than six seconds total to squander 9 BILLION DOLLARS from
the American people. A true outrage. They did not even call out each Senators
name so that their constituents can hear whether they voted yea or nay.
The bill will soon be sent to Obama for his signature. By going to http://thomas.loc.gov and typing the term United
States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 in the search box,
one can read full details on both the house and senate versions of this bill.
The Senate version summary states that
"it is U.S. policy to: (1)
reaffirm the commitment to Israel's security as a Jewish state, (2) provide
Israel with the military capabilities to defend itself and help preserve its
qualitative military edge, (3) expand military and civilian cooperation, (4)
assist in a negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that
results in two states living side by side in peace and security, and (5)
encourage Israel's neighbors to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish
state.
Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should take specified
actions to assist in Israel's defense.
Amends the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2005 to extend authority
to transfer certain obsolete or surplus Department of Defense (DOD) items to
Israel.
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to extend authority to make additions
to foreign-based defense stockpiles.
Amends the Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2003 to extend
specified loan guarantee authority to Israel.
The law required that a Senate report
be done on the bill. The law required that a
Senate report be done on the bill. On June 27, two days before the voice vote,
Skull and bones member John Kerry presented the obligatory "written report No. 112-179"...
The report states "That the interest rate for loans guaranteed under
this heading may include a reasonable fee to cover the costs and fees incurred
by the borrower in connection with this program", but then goes on to
state "That funds made available for assistance to Israel under chapter
4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, may be utilized
by the Government of Israel to pay such fees to the United States
Government"!
So we can charge them interest and fees on the $9 billion dollars, but then let
them use our money to pay the fees!
"Almost as frightening, experts say, would be if rebel forces seized some of the [Syrian chemical] weapons."
Despite claims by the rebel forces to the contrary, there are foreign jihadists in Syria. As the story says,
"They were only foreign jihadis, I don't think there was one Syrian among them," The Times quoted Oerlemans as saying. He told the newspaper there were between 30 and 100 fighters in the camp.
"They were from all over the world I think," he told The Times, adding their captors, who spoke English, referred to being under the leadership of an "emir."
It will be ironic if Barack Obama's strong support for the Syrian rebellion turns out to give the extremists chemical weapons which are then used in Israel and right here in the U.S.
Joe , let me guess you are a @!$%#e Muslim. No I didn't spell it wrong. You are right about a couple of things though, the USA did back the Sunni freedom fighters in Afghanistan against the Russians. We thought we were helping the local people run off a Invading army,if we hadn't backed them ,they never would have run the Russians off and we would not have to be there now fighting for our life. We didn't realize that the Muslim Freedom fighters would turn their weapons on us as soon as the Russians left. We still haven't learned our lesson ,just look at Libya and Egypt, we helped them and now they are killing Christians and hating us. I guess we will never learn , you cant help Muslims countries and you cant make them like us, I guess we could if we converted to Islam and started hating Jews and Christians but that ain't never gonna happen.
You are also right about Abraham Lincoln, he waged war on his own people and sent General Sherman through the south , burning homes , raping women and killing innocent civilians, hell, he even burnt Atlanta to the ground, after they surrendered,but you are wrong about one thing , down here in the south , we still see him as the war criminal that he truly was. But you know what I have to say about it all, if you don't like it here, GET THE F___K OUT!!!!!
Hey - Take a look at all the help we have given Israel. They then turned around and attacked the USS Liberty and then attacked us again on 9/11. They had inside help to rig the WTC's so they would fall in a controlled demolition.
http://www.rense.com/general29/perl.htm
http://www.serendipity.li/iraqwar/ignoble_liars.htm
http://www.thornwalker.com/ditch/snieg_conc1.htm
http://www.thornwalker.com/ditch/snieg_conc2.htm
Would enjoy it if someone with an outside view would do a show about what would have happen if the North had lost , Lincoln , Sherman and Jackson all were lying about their concerns for non whites living in America . Jackson and Sherman were both open biggots and Jacksonwith time made no effort to help the native Americans that he force illegally from the southern states and sent on a death march called the Trail of Tears . Native women and children freezing and staving to death while northen carpet baggers went south to raped southern whites and steal their land
Doesn't seem like Lincolns party has changed much
First kick out the al-Qaida, MB front criminals and jihadists of Syrian Observatory from UK.
Let them operate from a Muslim nation.
Just check all languages of the UN, human rights groups, media and others!
If atrocities and barbarism on girls, children and women are the criteria, then the most despotic, autocratic and bigoted Sunni Saudi ruler with his 5000 princes and princesses, Kuwaiti, UAE and other Arab League Sunni rulers and their rich sheiks are the biggest culprits in the history.
Through the Muslim immoral trafficking gangs, these barbarians have assembled all varieties of poor and helpless girls and women from all over the world in their harems and brothels.
In killing of opponents again, these people have established world records.
If the US, Britain and others support such Sunni barbarians and beasts who treat girls and women as cheap sex slaves, then one can only conclude that Saudis, oil companies and their lobbyists determine what to see, how to lecture and where and when to act.
Rest like “human rights”, “killing of children and women”, “militants”, “terrorists”, “WMDs”, “chemical weapons” and so on are a pure hoax.
Similar hoaxes were played each time before Iraqi wars on directions of Saudi, oil companies and their lobbyists.
Now none of them are looking into Iraq, where at least a million have been killed and devastated.
Twice are too much to tolerate.
If Sunni Saudi bigoted Islamic religious Nazis win in Syria and Iran, they will run over us sooner than expected.
Oooooh, but the al-Qaeda killers are our friends - this week anyway. Next week? Who knows.
Ohhh well Journalists: "You play with the bull - You get the horn, LOL! :)