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Ninety Children Held Hostage in the Congo, UN Makes Appeal

LibertySugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:00:12 -0700

Ninety children are being help hostage by Ugandan rebels in the north-east region of the Democratic Republican of Congo. In simultaneous attacks carried out by the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) last week, 40 children were abducted from a primary school and 50 from a secondary school. Three people died, and the village chief and three Italian missionaries were also taken.

The UN is demanding unconditional release of the children it believes the LRA will force into combat. The LRA has been fighting the Ugandan government for 20 years. The rebels won't agree to disarmament unless the ICC (International Criminal Court) drops war crime charges against its leader.

Imagine if a mass school abduction like this happened in Europe or America. I'm sure we would be hearing a lot more about it! I hope the kids make it out safe, and don't meet the fate of forced fighting that has burdened thousands of other children.

Source

Georgia Man Holds Family Captive in Trailer For 3 Years

CitizenSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:15:59 -0700

Ack, ack, ack. This story! It gives the Austrian incest case a run for its money for sheer disgusting details alone. Raymond Daniel Thurmond, 36, is in jail today and accused of keeping his wife and four kids hostage inside a filthy single-wide trailer. How filthy? I'll allow the police to describe:

"The walls looked like they were moving sometimes. There were so many bugs and roaches on the wall. When the door first opened roaches fell from the ceiling down to the floor. So, I knew then we were in for something."
"There was garbage packed up to the ceiling. The smell was so overwhelming the investigator had to where a gas mask"
"It was probably the most disgusting scene that I've ever been involved in as far as human waste and filth, and the sad thing about it is you had a wife and four kids who were confined to these four walls and were not permitted to go outside."

To see the condition of the kids, and how the case was busted,

After FARC Rescue One Says End Hate, One Says "Terrorist"

CitizenSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:00:28 -0700

After the stunning rescue last week of 15 hostages held by FARC rebels in Colombia, Ingrid Betancourt — the most well-known of those rescued after being held hostage for six years — has urged the end of a vocabulary of hate against her former captors.

She says:

I think we have reached a point where we must change this radical, extremist vocabulary of hate of very strong words that intimately wound the human being.

Though her sympathy for her captors sounds a little Stockholm Syndrome-y, she says she has no illusions as to the true nature of the group, but that a honey trap of kindness would be a better way to ensure more hostage releases.

And there are many more to be released from the group one American is calling "terrorist." To see the extent of the situation,

Front Page: A Perfect Rescue Operation, Mandela Not a Terrorist, Jobs and Airlines in Trouble

CitizenSugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:00:22 -0700

A Perfect Rescue Operation:
French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages freed from FARC rebels in a daring rescue mission has called her release after more than 6 years, a "miracle." She says, "there is no historical precedent for such a perfect operation." The mission was accomplished without a shot fired after the Colombian military penetrated the highest level of FARC and tricked them into handing over the hostages. Among those rescued were three American military contractors and 11 members of the Colombian security forces, all said to be in relatively good health. FARC has been trying to overthrow the Colombian government for 40 years, and still holds over 40 high-profile hostages, among up to 700 other captives.

Mandela Not a Terrorist:
US President George W Bush signed a bill removing Nelson Mandela and South African leaders from the US terror watch list. Mandela and ANC party members will now be able to travel to the US without a waiver from the secretary of state. The African National Congress (ANC) was labeled as a terrorist organization by South Africa's former apartheid regime.
Jobs and Airlines in Trouble:
The number of former workers signing up for unemployment insurance rose sharply last week. According to a Labor Department report, new applications jumped by 16,000 to 404,000, the highest level since late March. Meanwhile, the airline industry is predicting a $6.5 billion loss for the year, having been hit harder by fuel costs than expected.

Source

Front Page: Bush Speaks, Children Hostages in Cameroon, Kenya Peace

CitizenSugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:10:30 -0800

President Bush is currently giving a news conference. Topics are expected to include the economy and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. More details to follow.
It's estimated that 2,000 boarding school children are being used as human shields by demonstrators in Cameroon. Overnight, thousands of protesters entered the schools to escape police chasing them after demonstrations turned violent. This comes after days of protests across the country, set off by a taxi-driver strike over a fuel price rise. John Fru Ndi of the opposition Social Democratic Front said, "the people have no other alternative than to express themselves by marching on the streets to draw government's attention to issues affecting their everyday lives."
Better news from another part of Africa: Leaders in Kenya have signed a peace deal to end the post-election violence. Kofi Annan has been in Kenya mediating the talks, which have successfully resulted in President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga agreeing to form a coalition government. Annan announced, "We have come to an understanding on the coalition government," but offered no further details.