BBC Reporter Freed

Staff / Truthdig Jul 4, 2007 Alan Johnston, a correspondent in Gaza for the BBC, has been released to Hamas by his captors after they held him for roughly four months. Hamas said Johnston's release was a sign that it was restoring order to Gaza, which it recently seized from rival faction Fatah. Johnston says he stayed on top of the news of his captivity by listening to the BBC World Service on the radio. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘Proof’ of American Hostages

Staff / Truthdig Jun 4, 2007 A video has surfaced that shows what appears to be the identifications cards of two missing American soldiers. The Islamic State of Iraq, a Sunni insurgent coalition, has claimed responsibility for the capture of three soldiers, one of whom was later found dead. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

5 Suspected Militants Captured in Baghdad

Staff / Truthdig May 30, 2007 American and Iraqi troops raided houses and buildings in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood on Wednesday to arrest five suspected members of a Shiite terror cell following Tuesday's brazen kidnapping of a British computer expert and his four bodyguards from a government building in the capital city. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Kidnapped BBC Reporter Spends Birthday in Captivity

Staff / Truthdig May 17, 2007 BBC reporter Alan Johnston will spend his 45th birthday in captivity. He was kidnapped nine weeks ago in Gaza, where he had worked for three years. The BBC will mark his birthday with candlelight vigils in cities around the world. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Mass Kidnappings Trouble Iraqi Authorities

Staff / Truthdig Apr 5, 2007 Iraqi police are searching for victims of mass kidnappings that occurred Wednesday. At least 43 people were abducted in two areas of Iraq. Some of the gunmen responsible for the attacks reportedly wore uniforms resembling those of Iraqi security forces. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Israel Preplanned Lebanon War

Staff / Truthdig Mar 8, 2007 Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, while speaking with a commission investigating the Lebanon war, said he made the decision to invade four months before soldiers were abducted. Olmert testified that he agreed with a contingency plan to respond dramatically should Hezbollah take predictably aggressive action. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

U.S. Will Protect Alleged Kidnappers

Staff / Truthdig Feb 28, 2007 A State Department official said the U.S. will not extradite 26 suspected CIA agents to Italy, where they are accused of carrying out "extraordinary rendition." Legal adviser John Bellinger added a veiled threat, saying further legal action in Europe would hamper "intelligence cooperation." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘Extraordinary Rendition’ on Trial

Staff / Truthdig Feb 16, 2007 An Italian judge has decided to go forward with the first criminal trial of extraordinary rendition. Twenty-six Americans and five Italians -- including the former head of military intelligence -- have been indicted and ordered to stand trial for the abduction of an Egyptian cleric who was detained and allegedly tortured in Cairo. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

This Doesn’t Look Like Dubai

Staff / Truthdig Feb 7, 2007 After paying roughly $2,000 each for work in the Persian Gulf, a group of Sri Lankan migrant workers was taken to Iraq, where they survived a month of imprisonment until they managed to contact the U.N. The International Organization of Migration says worsening conditions in Iraq have encouraged such abuses by labor recruiters. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Diplomat’s Abduction Aggravates Iran-U.S. Relations

Staff / Truthdig Feb 6, 2007 Iran says it is holding the United States responsible for the life and safety of an Iranian diplomat who was kidnapped Sunday. Iraqi officials say Jalal Sharafi was abducted by men wearing the uniform of a special unit under American command, but the U.S. has denied any involvement. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. Abductions Lead to Standoff With Kurds

Staff / Truthdig Jan 12, 2007 Just hours before the president's national address, during which he accused Iran of supporting attacks on American troops, U.S. forces raided the Iranian consulate in Erbil, Kurdistan, abducting at least five people and seizing documents and other property, according to eyewitnesses. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

‘Rendition’ May Go on Trial

Staff / Truthdig Jan 9, 2007 A court in Italy will decide whether to charge 25 alleged CIA agents for participating in an act of "extraordinary rendition." The trial, should it go ahead, will be the first to address the heinous tactic, by which the United States or its allies kidnap terror suspects in order to remove them to torture-friendly nations. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )