IRAQ - February 24, 2009
SEVEN of the 10 Iraqi soldiers who saved kidnapped Australian Douglas Wood from execution in 2005 have been systematically murdered, Mr Wood has told Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Mr Wood has written to Mr Rudd saying most of the soldiers who found him, and many members of their families, were killed after giving evidence against his kidnappers.
The businessman has repeatedly urged the Federal Government to give sanctuary to two of the survivors, who are pleading for sanctuary in Australia.
Australians lobbying for the two men say they have been given no help. The men are in hiding in the Middle East, but their former commanding officer, Mohammed al-Samarae, has come to Australia to seek help for them.
At the time of Mr Wood's rescue, Mr Samarae was a colonel in the Iraqi army leading his unit in a house-to-house search. He was later promoted to brigadier-general and has since been given asylum in an undisclosed Western country.
Immigration officials in Canberra were last night searching their records for applications from the two men but their supporters said they had appealed for help at Australian embassies in the Middle East and were told nothing could be done for them.
Copies of the men's passports have now been sent to Mr Rudd and Immigration Minister Chris Evans.
Mr Wood said in his letter that the treatment of Mr Samarae and his men was shabby. "After rescuing me, Colonel Samarae received letters from (Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was then the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq) promising to kill him, cut him into 40 pieces and to place the pieces in a circle all around Baghdad," Mr Wood wrote.
"He was also advised by US military that a $2 million reward had been offered for his death."
Mr Wood said there had been about 40 attempts on Mr Samarae's life, and the Iraqi's father, father-in-law, uncle, aunt and nephew had been killed. Others were wounded, including his daughter.
Mr Wood said that when he was rescued, two terrorists were captured. They were tried and the judge asked Mr Samarae to send him soldiers to testify.
Mr Samarae selected nine of his soldiers. "Their identities were kept secret, but, of course, the terrorists would get photos of them as they arrived or left the court," Mr Wood said.
Of those who gave evidence, seven are now dead. "One of the remaining two was injured," Mr Wood said. "The deaths and attacks were not part of their jobs in the army but at their homes, taking their children to school, in transit."
Mr Samarae ordered the two survivors to get out of Iraq and is providing them with rent and food. "They still live in fear," Mr Wood said.
Source: The Age - Brendon Nicholson
SEVEN of the 10 Iraqi soldiers who saved kidnapped Australian Douglas Wood from execution in 2005 have been systematically murdered, Mr Wood has told Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Mr Wood has written to Mr Rudd saying most of the soldiers who found him, and many members of their families, were killed after giving evidence against his kidnappers.
The businessman has repeatedly urged the Federal Government to give sanctuary to two of the survivors, who are pleading for sanctuary in Australia.
Australians lobbying for the two men say they have been given no help. The men are in hiding in the Middle East, but their former commanding officer, Mohammed al-Samarae, has come to Australia to seek help for them.
At the time of Mr Wood's rescue, Mr Samarae was a colonel in the Iraqi army leading his unit in a house-to-house search. He was later promoted to brigadier-general and has since been given asylum in an undisclosed Western country.
Immigration officials in Canberra were last night searching their records for applications from the two men but their supporters said they had appealed for help at Australian embassies in the Middle East and were told nothing could be done for them.
Copies of the men's passports have now been sent to Mr Rudd and Immigration Minister Chris Evans.
Mr Wood said in his letter that the treatment of Mr Samarae and his men was shabby. "After rescuing me, Colonel Samarae received letters from (Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was then the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq) promising to kill him, cut him into 40 pieces and to place the pieces in a circle all around Baghdad," Mr Wood wrote.
"He was also advised by US military that a $2 million reward had been offered for his death."
Mr Wood said there had been about 40 attempts on Mr Samarae's life, and the Iraqi's father, father-in-law, uncle, aunt and nephew had been killed. Others were wounded, including his daughter.
Mr Wood said that when he was rescued, two terrorists were captured. They were tried and the judge asked Mr Samarae to send him soldiers to testify.
Mr Samarae selected nine of his soldiers. "Their identities were kept secret, but, of course, the terrorists would get photos of them as they arrived or left the court," Mr Wood said.
Of those who gave evidence, seven are now dead. "One of the remaining two was injured," Mr Wood said. "The deaths and attacks were not part of their jobs in the army but at their homes, taking their children to school, in transit."
Mr Samarae ordered the two survivors to get out of Iraq and is providing them with rent and food. "They still live in fear," Mr Wood said.
Source: The Age - Brendon Nicholson
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