Norman Kember
Mr Kember, from Pinner, north west London, is a
distinguished medical
physicist at St Bartholomew's Hospital, in London, before his
retirement 13 years ago. His medical credentials include two doctorates
and expertise on the effects of radiation on bone growth. The 74-year-old retired professor, who has a daughter and a grandson, is a former medical physicist at a teaching hospital. It is somewhat ironic that Professor Kember gave explicit instructions that in the event of his kidnap a military rescue was not to be implemented.
Norman Kember freed in Iraq
How Iraq hostages were freed
Enormous Relief at Hostages' Release
Timeline of the hostages' ordeal
Norman Kember
SAS (Special Air Service)
See also
Norman Kember, the British aid worker held hostage in Iraq since November, has said "it's great to be free" after he and two Canadian colleagues were released.
Speaking after special forces freed the men, 74-year-old Mr Kember added: "I am looking forward to getting back to the UK."
Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, said the men had been freed following a military operation involving British and coalition forces.
According to the American military, information from detainees captured yesterday had been key to rescuing the hostages.
Mr Straw said Mr Kember was in "reasonable condition" and was recovering at the British embassy in the high security Green Zone in Baghdad. His two younger Canadian colleagues needed hospital treatment.
Mr Kember's wife, Pat, was said to be "absolutely delighted, elated at this news".
The three men were tied up when they were found in western Baghdad. But there was no sign of the kidnappers and no shots were fired during the operation.
Mr Kember, from Pinner, north west London, was taken hostage with three fellow peace campaigners while visiting the country with Christian Peacemaker Teams, a Canada-based international peace group.
The other men were Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, and an American, Tom Fox, 54.
Mr Fox was found shot dead in Baghdad earlier this month in the affluent Mansour district. There were signs that he had been beaten before being killed.
Briton Norman Kember and his Canadian colleagues James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden were freed after a multinational military raid acting on information provided by a detainee, the US military says.
The rescue was completed without any shots being fired and with no kidnappers present, suggesting the operation was carefully planned and carried out. But the crucial bit of intelligence that enabled the rescue came only after two men were captured by US forces on Wednesday night. One of the suspects had the information which led officials to the Baghdad house where the hostages were four months into their ordeal.
"We got that information at 0800 (0500 GMT) this morning and we conducted the operation," said Maj Gen Rick Lynch. "We moved to the location in western Baghdad that was reported for the location of the Christian Peacemaker Team. "We conducted an assault on the house and inside the house we found the three hostages, in good condition.
"There were no kidnappers there at the time. The three hostages were by themselves." The hostages were bound, he said.
Hostage James Loney reportedly confirmed that one person had led the forces to where they were held. In a telephone conversation with a friend, Mr Loney is said to have described the kidnappers as a criminal gang. Gen Lynch described the men thought to be responsible as "a kidnapping cell that has been robust over the last several months in conducting these kind of kidnappings".
Textbook operation
Multinational special forces, police negotiators and Iraqi intermediaries were understood to have taken part in the rescue, says the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner. It was a textbook operation, our correspondent says. The mission was spearheaded by British troops with the participation of forces from other coalition countries in Iraq.
"This was several weeks in the planning. It was an operation that was rolling, in a sense that it went on for some time," said the UK's Defence Secretary John Reid. The multinational team included representatives from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
"Other agencies from Canada - they did a terrific job with us as well as the Americans," UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said.
The foreign secretary said civilians had been involved in the operation "in the background".
Announcing the hostage release in London, Mr Straw said: "Mercifully no shots were fired."
This was clearly a major success for the British-led force, says the BBC's defence correspondent Rob Watson.
Although foreign hostages have been freed in
Iraq before, most were
released as the result of secret negotiations, many involving the
payment of ransom money, our correspondent adds. But the body of the fourth member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams - US hostage Tom Fox (on right) - was found dumped in Baghdad nearly two weeks ago.
Kidnap victims
At least about 43 foreigners are still being held in Iraq. And it is thought some 10 to 30 Iraqis are kidnapped every day - most of them for ransom.
Overall more than 400 foreigners have been taken hostage since the US-led invasion - about 55 of them have been killed by their captors. But it does appear fewer foreigners are now being taken and fewer killed, says our correspondent.
British hostage Norman Kember and two colleagues have been freed in Iraq. There has been enormous relief at the news. Here is some of the reaction from friends, colleagues and politicians.
Pat Kember, Mr Kember's wife:
"It's very good news - I'm
delighted."
Ian Kember, Mr Kember's brother:
"It's fresh news to me, I haven't
got my thoughts together yet. It's a
wonderful thing, and it's obviously a great relief, but beyond that I
haven't come to terms with it yet. "This has been the news we have been
waiting for a long time."
The Kember family, in a statement:
"We are very pleased that Norman
and his friends are safe." The family
added: "We are grateful for the support we have received."
Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg, who publicly pleaded for the release of Mr Kember:
He said he is "ecstatic" at the
news. "I am extremely pleased. I am
very, very happy and hope to meet him soon after he gets back here.
A member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams told Sky News:
"It's amazing to hear this news.
We lost hope for awhile after Tom's
death so it's a big relief. "I shall be giving Norman a big hug when I
see him."
Friend and peace campaigner Bruce Kent told Sky News:
"This news is beyond belief." He
added: "In this awful mess of Baghdad,
thank God there is one bright light anyway."
The Rev Alan Betteridge, friend of Mr
Kember:"We are immensely relieved and
thankful, especially after the death of
Tom Fox, which made us very fearful. "We have been praying for them
every day."
Pat Gaffney, general secretary of Pax Christi, told Sky News:
"The people of Iraq are daily
going through the same kind of turmoil
that we are going through and really the work of bringing peace to Iraq
will have to go on."
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw:
"I am delighted that we have a
happy ending for the hostages. His wife
is absolutely elated with the news."
Sir Iqbal Sacranie of the Muslim Council of Britain told Sky News:
"Naturally we are delighted with
this wonderful news that has come
through. It is very timely, bearing in mind the tremendous effort that
has gone on behind it from various groups, individuals and
organisations all working to the same aim." He said the "collective
effort" of people from all groups had secured the men's release.
Chris Cole, director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, where Mr Kember is a trustee:
"We are obviously delighted to
have Norman, James Loney and Harmeet
Sooden free. "It is what we have been hoping and praying for
months but at the same time we continue to mourn Tom Fox and to
continue to think of his friends and family. "We also continue to mourn
all the lives lost in this dreadful war."
Ihtisham Hibatullah, of the Muslim Association of Britain:
"The hostage takers were ruthless
and did not heed this call. Now we
all feel that this should be the last time in Iraq that anyone should
be taken and put through this kind of trauma." Speaking to Sky
News, he said Mr Kember was a "true friend of Iraqis" who had worked
for peace.
Prime Minister Tony Blair, in a 10 Downing Street statement:
"The Prime Minister is delighted
by the news. He is particularly
pleased for those released and their families. "He congratulates
everyone involved in the operation to rescue the hostages."
Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague
"This is excellent and welcome
news for Mr Kember, the other hostages
and their families, and all those who have been concerned about their
well-being over the last four months. "Coalition armed forces have
again proven their professionalism and their excellence and we owe them
our congratulations and gratitude."
Norman Frank
Kember (born 1931) is a British peace activist working
with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Iraq. He is a retired
professor of medical physics, a committed Christian (a Baptist), and a
longstanding member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. He went to
Iraq to demonstrate his opposition to the invasion of the country by
the United States-led coalition, to show solidarity with the Iraqi
people, and to gain understanding of the current situation there.On November 26, 2005, Kember and three other Western peace workers with CPT (American Tom Fox and Canadians James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden) were kidnapped by a previously unknown group calling itself the Swords of Righteousness Brigade. For more information, see 2005-2006 Christian Peacemaker hostage crisis.
According to his family, Kember went to Iraq to help Iraqis. Kember's family said: "Norman’s recent trip to visit the people of Iraq serves to highlight his willingness to listen to people from all backgrounds, beliefs, and walks of life and his determination to promote equality amongst all people."
"He has gone to Iraq to listen, not convert; to learn from the Iraqi people, not to impose values; to promote peace and understanding."
On December 5, 2005 Kember's wife made a plea for his release. Her 30-second plea was shown on Arab broadcast station Al Jazeera.
A December 10 deadline was set by the kidnappers for the release of all Iraqi prisoners, or the hostages would be executed. It passed without any word on the hostages' fate.
Many individuals and groups asked for Kember's release; including: Terry Waite, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, and Briton Moazzam Begg, a former detainee at the Guantanamo Bay prison.
As the deadline passed and with no news of his whereabouts his friends held an hour-long silent vigil for him in Trafalgar Square, London.
A further vigil was held by local dignitaries and friends at Harrow Civic Centre.
Two weeks later, with the Kember family still waiting to hear news, they set up a telephone line, hoping that the kidnappers will contact them.
On January 28 a new video was released by his captors and shown on Al-Jazeera television. They stated that this was the "last chance" for their demands to be met.
On March 5 vigils were held in Trafalgar Square to mark 100 days since Kember was taken hostage.
On March 7 a new tape of Kember was aired on Arab satellite television station al-Jazeera. Three days later, the body of Kember's American colleague Tom Fox was found.
On March 23 Kember and the others were freed during a raid by multinational forces.
See also:
Iranian Embassy Siege
Kidnapping