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Jill Carroll, the Christian Science Monitor journalist held captive for three months by the Revenge Brigade in Iraq, arrived in Boston this morning. Understandably shy of reporters after her recent experience, she disavowed statements she made shortly before her release and asked for time to heal.
She should get it.
On video, just before her release, she criticized the U.S. for their participation in the war, stating that the insurgents were "only trying to defend their country ... to stop an illegal and dangerous and deadly occupation." What's surprising is that the blogging world unleashed some horrendous criticism on Carroll for making these comments. Rightwing Nuthouse has contributed an excellent post on this subject.
Military members are required to resist, to the extent possible, participating in propaganda or giving information to the enemy, but journalists are under no such restrictions. As a victim of kidnap, she had one primary goal: survival. She was smart to do exactly what her kidnappers told her to do, and kudos to her that she put on a convincing performance-perhaps that was what saved her life.
The military trains its troops to resist the demands of captors and to attempt escape. I had the privilege of spending a few delightful weeks in the Air Force survival school learning resistance techniques from some extremely persuasive instructors. The training is something I'll never forget. We were taught to rely on the Code of Conduct, a set of standards to deal with captivity and still, as the Vietnam POWs taught us, "return with honor."
Even still, many service members have been forced in to propaganda by their captor. In most you can see the tools of resistance in play. In recent memory, Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant, shot down over Mogadishu, Somalia, evaded videoed questions as best he could. The first US soldiers and pilots to be captured the Iraq War did what they could to avoid the growing tactic of instate video website propaganda. Their obligation was to the United States. Carroll and the other civilians paraded in video by their captors only have obligation to themselves and their families.
Some in the U.S. will take Carroll's statements disavowing the videos as an apology. She owes none. Most in the western world will accept them as a clarification of duress during captivity. However, most in the Muslim world will never hear them. They will be shown her captors' videos and the interview with the Iraqi Islamic party. Her kidnappers got what they wanted from her and will move onto their next victim.
Through her reporting from Iraq, Jill had already proven her bravery. Once prisoner, all statements from her should have been automatically considered suspect. This is a not so gentle reminder that when innocent people are held with little hope of freedom and at the total mercy of their captors, most will say anything to be free.
I'm glad she's home.
