aus man (douglas wood) being held hostage in iraq? (1 Viewer)

[Korn]

yeah like wtf
what happened to him
no more media on him
is he dead
wtf
i wanna know..oh wellz

Well here is the latest:

Douglas Wood, the Australian being held by terrorists in Iraq is discussed...

361 words
30 May 2005
Federal Government Broadcast Alerts
English
Copyright 2005 Media Monitors Australia Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved

30/05/2005 9:33:20 AM 2BL ABC 702 Sydney Sydney Statewide Mornings Sally Loane

- Douglas Wood, the Australian being held by terrorists in Iraq is discussed with Loane saying that there are reports of him being moved around and Sheikh Al-Hilaly still in touch with the captors. Cassidy talks about reports from Sheikh Al-Hilaly who has been asked to return to Baghdad to facilitate a handover. Cassidy says that hopefully the information is good. - Loane says that the State Premiers 'seem to be having a bob each way on this whole issue of the sweeping changes' to industrial relations. Loane says that the Australian reports that Bob Carr has said that he is not against a national system. The response of Bob Carr and other politicians is briefly discussed. It is noted that the Victorian system is different as Victoria gave up the industrial relations powers now being ceded throughout the country. Loane says that she has a press release from Bob Carr explaining why the first priority of the NSW Government is to preserve the State industrial relations system and suggesting that a challenge could be mounted in the High Court. The Premier's Conference on Friday is discussed. Cassidy talks about a reform agenda identifying six areas of proposed reform by Steve Bracks, Premier of Victoria. - Loane says that John Howard is attending the Reconciliation Australia workshop after eight years absence. The response to Howard eight years ago is discussed. Cassidy says that the refusal to say 'sorry' has been put aside by Reconciliation Australia. Cassidy talks about the purpose of the workshop to put in place a framework for a major conference in two years. - Loane asks about the anticipated drought release announcement. Cassidy says that Kim Beazley has suggested that the Government is waiting for a clear news day but that the PM has said that the package has not yet been finalised. Loane queries off-farm incomes. Cassidy says that care needs to be taken in changing the formulas.

Duration - 425 seconds.

Syndicatedstationcount - 10.

Interviewee - Barrie Cassidy, Insiders, ABC Television..

Document MMAGBA0020050530e15u00097

Keysar Trad, spokesperson for Australian muslim leader Taj al-Din al-Hilaly, updates the situation...

163 words
30 May 2005
Federal Government Broadcast Alerts
English
Copyright 2005 Media Monitors Australia Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved

30/05/2005 7:39:45 AM 2CN ABC 666 Canberra Canberra Early Mornings Ross Solly and Andrea Close

Keysar Trad, spokesperson for Australian muslim leader Taj al-Din al-Hilaly, updates the situation regarding Australia Douglas Wood, who is being held hostage by militants in Iraq. Mr Trad says that Mr al-Hilaly has been asked to return to Baghdad amid hopes that Mr Wood is close to being released. Iraqi leaders have informed Mr al-Hilaly that there is no requirement for him to take the place of Mr Wood, as he had offered. Mr Trad says Australia's image in Iraq is being eroded because of it's participation in the Coalition in the country, with many Iraqi's objecting to the presence of foreign soldiers in the region.

Duration - 245 seconds.

Syndicatedstationcount - 0.

Interviewee - Keysar Trad, spokesman for Mufti Taj al-Din al-Hilaly..

Document MMAGBA0020050530e15u0006q

Cleric confident of Wood release this week

143 words
30 May 2005
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News
English
(c) 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation

A leading muslim cleric believes Australian hostage Douglas Wood may be freed by his Iraqi kidnappers within the week.

Sheikh Taj el-Din Al Hilaly has told his spokesman the main reason Mr Wood cannot be released immediately is because he needs to be taken to a safe release location.

Sheikh Al Hilaly says he has been asked to return to Baghdad to secure the 63-year-old's release.

Spokesman Keysar Trad says the cleric has been told it is not necessary for him to swap places with the Australian to secure his release.

"He said to me yesterday, when I spoke to him, that virtually all the other issues have been settled and they're just in the finishing stages," he said.

"We could have some positive news by the end of the week."

Hopes rise for Wood's release

165 words
30 May 2005
The Advertiser
1 - State
13
English
Copyright 2005 News Ltd. All Rights Reserved

HOSTAGE Douglas Wood's release is "imminent" the Australian sheik working to release him has said.

Sheik Taj el-Din Al Hilaly is preparing to return to Baghdad from Egypt, where he has been for the past week.

The sheik's spokesman, Keysar Trad, told The Advertiser yesterday Mr Wood had been moved from one hideout to another because of fighting between U.S. troops and insurgents.

The sheik had been reassured Mr Wood was alive and in good health.

He was kidnapped in Baghdad four weeks ago by a group calling itself the Shura Council of the Mujahidin of Iraq.

The mufti has since made a video appeal to Mr Wood's captors, stating he was willing to take the 63-year-old engineer's place.

Mr Trad said religious leaders in Iraq told the sheik it was time to return to Baghad.

Media observers said it was a positive sign.

Hostage release may be imminent

Cynthia Banham and Geesche Jacobsen
536 words
30 May 2005
The Sydney Morning Herald
First
3
English
© 2005 Copyright John Fairfax Holdings Limited. www.smh.com.au Not available for re-distribution.

The Sydney Muslim leader Sheik Taj el-Din al Hilaly believes the release of Australian hostage Douglas Wood could happen soon, and the sheik was preparing to head back to Iraq last night in hope of swapping places with the engineer.

Mr Wood's captors have moved him to ensure he is not hit by a stray shell or bullet, according to Sheik Hilaly, who spoke yesterday to his Sydney contact, the president of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, Keysar Trad.

Mr Trad said Iraqi tribal elders had assured the sheik that 63-year-old Mr Wood was safe.

Sheik Hilaly - who was in a capital city outside Iraq - believed negotiations with Mr Wood's captors were "reaching a focal point" and he was heading back to Iraq at the request of a number of local religious scholars, who believed the Australian was about to be freed.

Mr Trad said the sheik had also told him over the weekend that he believed Mr Wood's life had been spared, while that of a Japanese hostage apparently had not, because of the appeals made on his behalf by the Muslim community.

Yesterday, insurgents in Iraq released a video showing a bloodied body, apparently of a Japanese hostage, and said he had died from gunshot wounds received in an ambush. The body is believed to be that of a Japanese security contractor, 44-year-old Akihiko Saito, who was seized in Iraq about 20 days ago. [Full story - Page 16]

Mr Wood, who suffers from a serious heart condition, was captured a month ago in Baghdad by a group calling itself the Shura Council of the Mujahideen of Iraq. The sheik soon after travelled to Iraq to try and lobby for his release.

The Prime Minister, John Howard, asked about the sheik's comments about Mr Wood's future, said: "I don't think it is helpful for me to give running commentary.

"This is a very delicate situation. I appreciate the good will and the positive efforts of anybody who is trying to help the poor man.

"And the best way I can help is to be careful what I say."

A spokesman for the Wood family, who live in Canberra, Melbourne, and the US, said "we are very grateful for anything the sheik can do for Douglas's release as we are for anything the Government is doing".

Meanwhile, Australian consular officials have made their first visit to an Australian being held in a Kuwaiti jail on charges of joining a terrorist organisation, planning to kill foreign forces, and possessing and importing firearms.

Bruce Billson, the parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs and trade, said Tllaal Adrey, who has been in the custody of state security in Kuwait since February, told two Australian consular officials he had been tortured during his detention, and that he had been beaten and his finger and toe nails had been pulled.

Mr Billson said the consular officials had observed that there was "slight damage" to one of Mr Adrey's nails, but that he was "in good health".