Suitably Flip

"Sword of Righteousness Brigade" Hostage Video Released

3/11 Update:  American hostage Tom Fox found dead.

---

The Jawa Report has posted video broadcast on Al-Jazeera of the four men (including one American) being held hostage in Iraq by the a group calling itself the Sword of Righteousness Brigade.

The video shows American Thomas Fox of Clear Brook Virginia, Canadian Harmeet Singh Sooden, who resides in Auckland, New Zealand, British citizen Norman Kember, and some one who appears to identify himself as James Loni (last name unclear) of Canada.

From an AP report on the broadcast:

Al-Jazeera broadcast an insurgent video Tuesday showing four peace activists taken hostage in Iraq, with a previously unknown group claiming responsibility for the kidnappings.

The Swords of Righteousness Brigade said the four were spies working undercover as Christian peace activists, Al-Jazeera said. The station said it could not verify any of the information on the tape.

The aid group Christian Peacemaker Teams has confirmed that four of its members were taken hostage Saturday.

Transcript of the video, per Jawa:

My name is Norman Kember. I am 74. I am a member of the Christian Peacemaking team in Iraq.

My name is Harmeet Singh Sooden. I am 32 and I am working..I'm a volunteer for the CPT in Iraq.

My name is James Loni (?). I am 41 years old. I am from Canada and I am part of the Christian Peacemaker team in Iraq.

My name is Tom Fox and I am 54 years old. I am from the United States and I am a member of the Christian Peacmakers team in Iraq.

Tranlsation of an accompanying statement, per Jawa:

foreign arrest of four spy

Praise be to God god of the scientists and the prayer and the faithful peace on the prophet, and on his family and accompanied him ['ajme'yn]

As for after. Losing managed your brothers in secrecy of swords the truth from arrest of four spy is foreign forces of the occupation under cover do for what Christian team the peace rises in, [wllh] the praising god of the scientists.

Secrecy swords of the truth

This is the translation I've put together, using Sakhr:

And say the right came and the falsehood vanished the falsehood was perishable

Carrying out the arrest of four foreign spies

The praise of Allah the Lord of the Worlds and the prayer and the greeting on the Honest Prophet and on its family and its friends as a wholes

As for till now ..

Your brothers have managed in the right swords brigades carrying out the arrest of four foreign spies that make to the occupation forces

Under the cover of the so-called team of the Christian peace, praise be to God the Lord of the Worlds

The right swords brigades

The only English language references to "Swords of Righteousness" I can find are to an episode of the cartoon Earthworm Jim (Episode 7), entitled "Bring me the Head of Earthworm Jim/Sword of Righteousness".

Slightly chilling, given the context.

Comments

"Sword of Righteousness Brigade" Hostage Video Released

3/11 Update:  American hostage Tom Fox found dead.

---

The Jawa Report has posted video broadcast on Al-Jazeera of the four men (including one American) being held hostage in Iraq by the a group calling itself the Sword of Righteousness Brigade.

The video shows American Thomas Fox of Clear Brook Virginia, Canadian Harmeet Singh Sooden, who resides in Auckland, New Zealand, British citizen Norman Kember, and some one who appears to identify himself as James Loni (last name unclear) of Canada.

From an AP report on the broadcast:

Al-Jazeera broadcast an insurgent video Tuesday showing four peace activists taken hostage in Iraq, with a previously unknown group claiming responsibility for the kidnappings.

The Swords of Righteousness Brigade said the four were spies working undercover as Christian peace activists, Al-Jazeera said. The station said it could not verify any of the information on the tape.

The aid group Christian Peacemaker Teams has confirmed that four of its members were taken hostage Saturday.

Transcript of the video, per Jawa:

My name is Norman Kember. I am 74. I am a member of the Christian Peacemaking team in Iraq.

My name is Harmeet Singh Sooden. I am 32 and I am working..I'm a volunteer for the CPT in Iraq.

My name is James Loni (?). I am 41 years old. I am from Canada and I am part of the Christian Peacemaker team in Iraq.

My name is Tom Fox and I am 54 years old. I am from the United States and I am a member of the Christian Peacmakers team in Iraq.

Tranlsation of an accompanying statement, per Jawa:

foreign arrest of four spy

Praise be to God god of the scientists and the prayer and the faithful peace on the prophet, and on his family and accompanied him ['ajme'yn]

As for after. Losing managed your brothers in secrecy of swords the truth from arrest of four spy is foreign forces of the occupation under cover do for what Christian team the peace rises in, [wllh] the praising god of the scientists.

Secrecy swords of the truth

This is the translation I've put together, using Sakhr:

And say the right came and the falsehood vanished the falsehood was perishable

Carrying out the arrest of four foreign spies

The praise of Allah the Lord of the Worlds and the prayer and the greeting on the Honest Prophet and on its family and its friends as a wholes

As for till now ..

Your brothers have managed in the right swords brigades carrying out the arrest of four foreign spies that make to the occupation forces

Under the cover of the so-called team of the Christian peace, praise be to God the Lord of the Worlds

The right swords brigades

The only English language references to "Swords of Righteousness" I can find are to an episode of the cartoon Earthworm Jim (Episode 7), entitled "Bring me the Head of Earthworm Jim/Sword of Righteousness".

Slightly chilling, given the context.