Britons Kidnapped in Iraq: Families Suffer Longest-Running Hostage Crisis in Decades

Strategic Insights -

British families of hostages who were kidnapped in Iraq in 2007 are in mourning after confirmation that two of their loved ones, Jason Creswell and Jason Swindlehurst, were found dead. The tragic event occurred during the longest-running hostage crisis since the 1980s, with the Foreign Office facing intense scrutiny over its handling of the situation. Foreign Secretary David Miliband conceded that the British authorities had "clearly failed" in their efforts to secure the release of the hostages.

Key Takeaways:

  • Jason Creswell, 39, from Glasgow, and Jason Swindlehurst, 38, from Skelmersdale, were two of the five British hostages kidnapped in 2007.
  • The hostages were taken by Shi'ite fanatics in Baghdad, and their families were under a news blackout to facilitate their potential release.
  • DNA tests revealed that the remains of Creswell and Swindlehurst were handed over to British authorities in Iraq, ending a two-year wait for the families.
  • The Foreign Office's handling of the crisis has been criticized, with Peter Moore's father, Graeme, accusing the government of "completely mishandling" the situation and describing David Miliband as a "total waste of space".
  • Two weeks prior to the release of the bodies, the Government's Cobra emergency committee met six times in as many days to discuss the hostage crisis.
  • Maddi Creswell, Jason's seven-year-old daughter, wrote a poignant letter to her father, expressing her love and longing for his return home.
  • Jason Swindlehurst's family, including his wife Kerry and their daughter Jaye, have been left reeling by the news of his death.
  • The families of the remaining three hostages, Peter Moore, Alan, and another Scot, are still waiting to learn the fate of their loved ones.

Statistics:

  • 5 Britons were kidnapped by Shi'ite fanatics in Baghdad in May 2007.
  • 2 of the hostages, Jason Creswell and Jason Swindlehurst, were found dead, with the cause of death still unknown.
  • The families of the hostages were under a news blackout for over two years to facilitate the potential release of the hostages.
  • The DNA tests that confirmed the identities of the bodies took 36 hours to complete.
  • The Foreign Office has received widespread criticism for its handling of the hostage crisis.
  • The Government's Cobra emergency committee met six times in as many days to discuss the hostage crisis two weeks prior to the release of the bodies.

Sources:

  • [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-558503/British-hostages-killed-Two-confirmed-dead-Iraq.html](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-558503/British-hostages-killed-Two-confirmed-dead-Iraq.html)
  • [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jun/15/british-hostages-iraq-killed](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jun/15/british-hostages-iraq-killed)