Freed, Alive And Well

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http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...216332,00.html

Freed, Alive And Well
Updated: 11:49, Thursday March 23, 2006

British aid worker Norman Kember and two other peace activists have been freed in an early-morning raid by multi-national forces in Iraq.

Mr Kember and two Canadian colleagues from the Christian Peacemaker Teams have been released.

The three men, who were abducted on November 26, are now safely in the British Embassy compound in Baghdad's Green Zone.

Mr Kember, Harmeet Sooden, 32, and Jim Loney, 41, have all undergone medical checks.

The 74-year-old Briton is said to be in a "reasonable condition" and has spoken to his wife, at home in Pinner, north London.

Pat Kember has said it is "very good news, I am delighted". Police officers are with her at the couple's house.

A spokesman for the Christian Peacemakers, Doug Pritchard, said: "Together we have endured uncertainty, hope, fear, grief and now joy in the four months since they were taken."

He added that he has no news of the men's conditions other than they are "alive and well".

Prime Minister Tony Blair has said he is "pleased for those released and their families" and he congratulated those involved in the operation, paying tribute to their courage.

The men's release comes just two weeks after the tortured body of fellow hostage Tom Fox, 54, from the US, was found in Baghdad.

The discovery increased fears for the remaining hostages, who had been paraded on video dressed in orange boiler suits and blindfolded.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said multi-national forces, including British military were involved in the planned operation in the town of Mishahda, north of the capital - no one was hurt.

Mr Straw said it was a "team effort" and he added: "I am delighted that now we have a happy ending in this terrible ordeal."

Bruce Kent, friend of Mr Kember and fellow campaigner, told Sky News: "This is news beyond belief."

He added: "In this awful mess of Baghdad thank God there is one bright light anyway."

Friend Pat Gaffney told Sky News he would have coped by being "very focused, very clear about what he was doing and why he was there; very focused on his faith".

According to Sky News' Foreign Editor Tim Marshall, British officials will now be questioning the three men about the identities of the kidnappers and other information.

it really didn't look good for them

glad they are safe

[Steve]

sounded like a good job done by the military