Iraq this week, landed at Heathrow Airport Saturday, March 25, amid accusations he did not thank soldiers who rescued him.
The 74-year old Kember, who was in Iraq on a mission for the international conflict resolution group Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), arrived at 12.35 UTC, two days after multi national troops, including special British forces, freed him and his two Canadian colleagues James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 33. The body of the fourth kidnapped team member, American Tom Fox, 54, was found in Baghdad earlier this month.
CPT had made clear it was against the use of violence to rescue its staff members on principal grounds, but in a statement released following his arrival, Kember seemed to aknowledge those who freed him. "I do not believe that a lasting peace is achieved by armed force, but I pay tribute to their courage and thank those who played a role in my rescue," he said.
It was an apparent reference to British Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mike Jackson, who told British television he was "saddened" that Kember had apparently not thanked the troops involved in rescuing him. "I am slightly saddened that there doesn’t seem to have been a note of gratitude for the soldiers who risked their lives to save those lives," he told Channel 4 News.
"HUGELY RELIEVED"
Asked if he meant that Kember had not said thank you, General Jackson said: "I hope he has and I have missed it." He added: "One is hugely relieved that those three people are now free and coming home to be reunited with their families after a most difficult and trying time for all concerned. We can all rejoice in that."
But Reverend Bob Gardiner of Kember’s Harrow Baptist Church, suggested he was sure that Kember had thanked those who rescued him. "We are happy to say thank you to all those who used their professional expertise, patience and restraint in the successful rescue of Norman, James and Harmeet on Thursday, March 23," he added.
Kember himself did not want to talk about his experiences in captivity, saying he needed time to "reflect on the experiences." He also told reporters at Heathrow airport that "it is the rdinary people of Iraq who you should be talking to– the people who have suffered so much over many years and still await the stable and just society that they deserve."
RESCUE OPERATION
Kember and the other two hostages were rescued Thursday, March 23, in a joint US-British operation between the towns of Mishahda, 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Baghdad, and the western suburb of Abu Ghraib, 12 miles (about 19 kilometers) from downtown.
A previously unknown group, the Swords of Righteousness Brigades, claimed responsibility for kidnapping the four workers on November 26, claiming they were spies. After briefly talking to reporters Saturday, March 25, Kember and his wife Pat were whisked away by security personnel and on their way home north of London.
He arrived on a British Airways flight from Kuwait, but refused to speak to journalists on board. However Kember was described by British officials who accompanied him as in stable condition. Reporters noted that Kember studied the electronic map on the screen in front of his seat, anticipating his long awaited arrival home, after nearly four months in captivity. (Stay with BosNewsLife for continious coverage and updates on its website)
