"But, I Thought We Were Friends"
Tuesday, November 29, 2005 at 08:13PM 
The Christian Peacemaker Team is an anti-war, "getting in the way of injustice" group that attempts "nonviolent alternatives to war", who traveled to Iraq in a fact-finding mission against the US liberation, gathering evidence of war atrocities. They define their work in Iraq as:
"A Baghdad-based presence since October 2002. Team members accompanied the Iraqi people through the U.S.-led 2003 war and continue during the post-war occupation to expose abusive acts by U.S. Armed Forces and support Iraqis committed to nonviolent resistance."
A scripture on their website reads:
John 15:13 No one has greater love has any man than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
The "friends" they claim to be laying down their lives for are Iraqis "victimized" by the United States liberation. However, this also puts the CPT in the uncomfortable position of aligning themselves with terrorists and insurgents who seek to drive the US in defeat from Iraq and who continue to murder innocent Iraqi civilians.
In an odd (or perhaps just) twist of fate, four anti-war Christian Peacemakers Team activists were abducted in Iraq by a terrorist group on Tuesday while investigating human rights abuses by the USA. The four are made up of 2 Canadians, one American and one Brit. The CPT official statement includes:
We are angry because what has happened to our teammates is the result of the actions of the U.S. and U.K. governments due to the illegal attack on Iraq and the continuing occupation and oppression of its people. Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) has worked for the rights of Iraqi prisoners who have been illegally detained and abused by the U.S. government. We were the first people to publicly denounce the torture of Iraqi people at the hands of U.S. forces, long before the western media admitted what was happening at Abu Ghraib. We are some of the few internationals left in Iraq who are telling the truth about what is happening to the Iraqi people We hope that we can continue to do this work and we pray for the speedy release of our beloved teammates.
The reality of the situation is lost on pacifists. Terrorists DO NOT respond to "nonviolent alternatives to war", rather, they exist for just the opposite. There are no planting of olive trees that will appeal to or appease terrorists. Then when pacifists are victimized by warmongering thugs, they blame the people who seek to bring freedom to their plight, and to the people they are trying to help, yet hinder.
This pacifistic group epitomizes the problem and irony of the anti-war evil-America movement. In March 2004, the CPT instituted its Adopt a Detainee Campaign . In it, supposed Iraqis captured by the Multinational Force in Iraq and by the new Iraqi Forces were adopted by loving, non-violent citizens of the US and abroad. The adopter wrote letters of support to their adoptee terrorist and to the US government on behalf of their "human rights." What were these detainees incarcerated for? Murdering Iraqi civilians and coalition troops.
Some detainees have been released. And…. how’s that working for you, Christian Peacemaker Team?
Michelle Malkin
Political Teen
Conservative Revolution
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Amy Proctor
The four men have been gathering evidence about people being treated poorly while "detained by occupation forces," Edward Loney said.
"So it was important for my brother’s team to be there to hear the testimonials of people who are being snatched up in the night and detained against their will," Edward Loney said. "He has really strong values about peace and loving people equally, and getting a message out about human rights, the importance of human rights for all individuals."
Matthew Loney, who said his brother has been to Iraq three times, added that the four men were gathering information once left to other humanitarian groups, the ranks of which have thinned because of insurgent attacks.
And…
A high-ranking member of al Qaeda in Iraq, known as the "Butcher," was captured by local citizens and turned over to the U.S. military and Iraqi forces Friday, the U.S. military said.
Amir Khalaf Fanus was wanted in connection with several killings and kidnappings and was No. 3 on the most-wanted list of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team that patrols the area west of Baghdad.
Local citizens brought him to a base in the city of Ramadi, in the Sunni Triangle about 60 miles west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
Further details were not available.
"His capture is another indication that the local citizens tire of the insurgents’ presence within their community," the U.S. military said in a written statement. "Iraqi and U.S. forces have witnessed increasing signs of citizens fighting the terrorists within Ramadi as the December 15 national elections draw nearer."
Security in Ramadi has recently been bolstered by the addition of 1,200 Iraqi security-force soldiers, a move the Pentagon hopes will enable Iraq forces to take over more security operations.
Christian Peacemakers should recognize who the real enemy is. It is not the United States, nor the soldier, it is animalistic terrorists who cannot be hugged out of their hatred. Instead, they believe naively (at best) that an olive branch and lobbying on the terrorists’ behalf will overcome all evil. It seems this lesson is still lost on them. People being snatched up in the middle of the night and held against their will? I wonder if Peacemakers prefer home visits after morning prayers so the terrorists won’t be inconvenienced by justice.
Iraqi citizens are working WITH US forces to capture terrorist themselves. Peacemakers should have learned a lesson from them as well, rather than John Kerry.
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Reader Comments (18)
Will they learn from it? Hard to say. In CPT's official statement on their web site, they blamed the US for the abductions! Idiots! They enable and help the terrorists and they blame the soldiers and the US.
http://torontosun.canoe.ca/News/TorontoAndGTA/2005/11/21/1315976-sun.html
"The period between 9/11 and Iraq was not a good time for America. There wasn't a robust discussion of what we were doing," Matthews said.
"If we stop trying to figure out the other side, we've given up. The person on the other side is not evil -- they just have a different perspective."
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE? Well, I can't disagree with that, but that's precisely why they have to be stopped and not reasoned with!
I may be insensitive, but these people have not only got to grow up, but they have to understand the consequences of their words and actions. It is going to take this kidnapping, and probable beheadings, and a few more from this group before they get it.
Peace through strength is not only a motto, but a truism.
The matter is serious because they not only put their lives at high risk but, in addition, they embarrass their own countries and governments now forced to make whatever move possible to get them free. That will probably mean ramson, money later used to kill more people while the freed hostages show their smiles in the news.
Please, understand me. I want all of them back at home safely but this should be the last time civilians play Nobel Peace Prize candidate at a war zone. Or, at least, they should be made to sign a disclaimer.
These people never learn, unfortunately. Look at Mr. Kim, the South Korean they beheaded. Look at others who went in the name of peace that these terrorists slaughtered. Some of them are very mercenary in their greed for money. Look at that Italian reporter who was freed after a huge ransom.
If you check the Iraq blogs written by Iraqis themselves, you notice that they complain about the kidnap gangs roaming Iraq. Westerners are BIG target because they are rumored to be rich and they don't come after the kidnappers and the kidnappers' families to kill them after the hostage is returned as Iraqi families do if they have the chance.
I just wish the lock-stepping, brain damaged, Bush bashing, peace-niks would learn from this. If we quit the fight THERE, and the terrorists come HERE, they will chop off their heads as quick, if not quicker than they will ours!
Peace-niks should have realized this long ago. Americans are the ONLY ones who value innocent lives, especially women and children.
Jose, again, we agree. The CPT took risks, and admittedly so, and yet the organization blames the US. Apparently they don't feel the terrorists put them at risk..... DOH. Stupidity begets danger.
RAM, good comments. :)
Probably US government doesn't pay ramson but European countries do. Terrorists in Iraq know these two facts pretty well. So they kidnap Europeans for ramson and they do kidnap US citizens probably just to kill them. Anyway, foreign civilians should keep themselves away from war zones.
Islamic terrorist attack in Madrid on March 11th was a direct consequence of Spain's involvement in Iraq war. 200 unarmed civilians were killed because our former government chose to "fight terrorism" in Iraq, but terrorists were already at home. Probably we'll suffer more attacks on the future and that will have nothing to do with Spanish troops' withdrawal from Iraq. (Madrid terrorists were not Iraqis)
In the meantime, Spanish security forces are one of the most active police in Europe fighting terrorism.
The left's view of our own system of government is that it should be a socialist or communist system. That way, in their view, the poor won't be so poor anymore. I guess one of their sayings, "Shut the TV and read" is not something they actually practice in their own lives. The left in this country is an enemy within. Sometimes, like Teddy Kennedy, they can do some real damage to our troops. They know just what to say to get their side in the war all in a tither and they use their political offices and their media in furtherance of their treason.
In spite of our left we will prevail and have made unbelievable progress.
Amy, you have another friend here in faith.
God bless you and all whom you love this Christmas.
Linda Rattigan
Merry Christmas!
I was actually thinking yesterday, "what if a bunch of peace-loving liberal celebrities were taken hostage in the middle of a 'get out of Iraq/Bush Lied/Quagmire' tirades?" Would they THEN understand that these terrorist whackjobs don't discriminate? They want to kill us. All of us. Red and Blue. They're not going to pass up the chance to murder a liberal just because they're against the war.
Or maybe that's what it's going to take for some of these idiots to realize what we're up against.