Firstly as someone who does not know John in any capacity, only through following his plight in the media, it is a relief to know that he is still alive after seeing his new video message from inside the besieged City of Mosul, and has not yet succumb to the same fate as those amongst the same batch of hostages he is from. As we know most of them are no longer in the land of the living because no mutual deal could be struck between the 2 opposing sides for their releases so they were used for Islamic State P.R purposes and murdered on camera by the infamous British executioner Jihadi John.
Some hostages from the same batch did go home to their families and friends after their ordeals in Syria and Iraq because their Governments placed value upon their mortal lives and struck deals with their Islamic State captors for their release, thus sending them home to their families and friends to continue living the lives God gifted them with. Several of these hostages have now written books about their plight imprisoned by Islamic State and are often quoted in the media regarding John, and other of the hostages, and their time spent with him/them whilst under Islamic State control.
To those personally involved on all sides the details of this affair are well known, that is why I say ‘Thank God’ John is still alive because we know the fate of the rest of the hostages, which means there is still hope that one day a deal can somehow be reached for his release and he too can return to his family and friends and the life he left behind before travelling to Syria to report on the War there.
Then there is the question of Austin Tice who is also presently on the agenda, who is another Islamic State hostage believed to still be alive but with not much more evidence than this hearsay evidence concerning his present fate in the international media. No video messages or the like giving clear proof. Maybe the American Government have more tangible evidence not released to the public which means, if so, that we will either see his release after a deal is struck out of sight and mind, or we will see him in a new execution video because of America’s refusal to engage in negotiated talks for his release like with James Foley for example. After 4 years in captivity though it would be nice to think that his captors, whoever they are, are preserving his life until such a time as a mutually beneficial deal for his release can be struck.
A dead body is worthless to everybody.
We do not know, all we know is the hearsay evidence at present that is why I hope for his sake and that of his family that whoever has hold of him will provide some tangible proof concerning his fate, then those involved will know that there is a willingness to strike a deal for his release. We know that James Foley’s execution and his family’s involvement has now softened the American’s approach to their hostages under Islamic state control so we can only continue hoping for Austin Tice’s release if he is still alive? And in my mind released in a negotiated deal with John Cantlie.
Where there is a will ‘on all sides’ there is a way.
Now to my final point.
If YOU John Cantlie’s family are in talks with John’s Islamic State captors via a 3rd party and have successfully helped keep him alive since his imprisonment and are now in the process of negotiating his release then completely ignore this, and view it only as extra concerned 3rd parties offering their assistance.
Reading from the outside, in general, we are led to believe that the public school boy tax paid employees of our Intelligence Agencies have everything under control when it comes to situations like this, so we place our complete faith and trust in them and their leadership control believing that it is just a matter of time until our loved ones are released and brought back home. The truth in reality can be completely different from this as those intimately involved with this Islamic State hostage crisis know only too well with the rest of us watching the final outcome of actions and inactions on our TV screens.
In the main British hostages and their plights are completely ignored by the Intelligence Services and Government with D-Notices placed upon their stories like what happened with the case of David Bolam being held hostage in Libya, with nothing more than lip service being paid to those wanting answers to what is happening with their loved ones. I know because I worked with Glen Jenvey on his case with him subsequently being successfully released alive several weeks later after a lengthy time being held hostage. Only after our involvement did Government agencies get actively involved and then ‘Thank God’ for his sake, he (David Bolam) was released, along with, coincidentally at the same time, several Jihadi’s whose release was called for in exchange.
However it all worked out ‘Thank God’ for all those involved that it did work out how it did with each of them being given a second chance at life.
Glen Jenvey also worked with Omar Bakri back in 2009 for the release of Peter Moore who was being held hostage in Iraq which at the time was part of the biggest hostage exchange in Iraqi history and involved a multi-faith approach. No money was exchanged, only prisoners. It is Glen’s belief now that Bakri who has intimate connections with Jihadi John’s British network, could help in securing the release of John Cantlie and hopefully Austin Tice if Austin is still confirmed to be alive and being held by the same people as John within the Islamic State.
We do not know?
If both families are in talks for the release for their loved ones then ignore this. If not, then you and your loved one are being given an opportunity, beyond that it is your choice whether or not you ignore this opportunity or advise a 3rd party to engage with it to its final outcome.
Your choice, it is you in the situation after all.
Glen has been given permission by the Lebanese Government to visit Omar Bakri in the prison where he is being held, so the door is open for talks to take place and from there hopefully secure lines of communication can be opened up with Islamic State which could eventually see the release of the British and American hostages being held.
Without knowing what talks if any are already taking place behind the scenes for the release of these hostages, as I say this is an opportunity, beyond that it is up to you whether or not you choose to accept it. Would you forgive yourself if you never tried?
There is a proven track record for you to determine people’s involvement and we know for sure that John is still alive so there is still hope that a deal can be struck for his release if Islamic State are willing to release him as part of a deal. With regards to Austin Tice we can only hope for tangible proof that he is still alive and that his captors want to trade him.
We believe that a prisoner exchange deal could be struck and in reality, why not?
The majority of prisoners being held in Guantanamo bay are eventually released back into the World so why not come to an agreement over a prisoner exchange for the release of John Cantlie and Austin Tice?
The Jordanian’s were willing to exchange prisoners for their downed pilot who was murdered, and we know the Lebanese conducted an exchange for Caliph Ibrahim’s ex-wife for soldiers being held, and the same with the Turks who have successfully exchanged prisoners, so a prisoner exchange is not out of the realms of possibility it is just working out the fine details with the concerned parties.
Time is running out on both sides so is it not about time a credible line of communication is opened up if there is not a credible line already open?
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