Delay for Douglas Wood

The Shura Council of Mujahideen are a bunch of lying thugs. Hostage Douglas Wood's release has been "imminent" for weeks. Now, there's another delay. This time the problem is Australia has a close relationship with the U.S.

World News reports:

A spokesman for the Sydney sheikh attempting to release Australian hostage Douglas Wood says Australia’s close relationship with the US is holding up negotiations.

The Federation of Islamic Councils’ Ikebal Patel told the Nine Network that Sheikh Taj El-Din Al-Hilaly was facing a difficult task because Australia is viewed as a close friend of the US.

"The mufti is finding it more and more difficult that on the one hand he is negotiating with people for the good of a person and representing Australia, and Australian soldiers have behaved very admirably, but the information he's giving is that the Americans aren't giving any respect to the grass roots Iraqis and therefore the negotiations have bogged down because he has pleaded that people should be treated with respect in Iraq and that is not happening,” Mr Patel said.

"Unfortunately the Iraqi people are saying ... your work is made very difficult because Australia was a friend of the Americans and it's not helping the matter for Douglas Wood," he said.

So, Americans are responsible for Douglas Wood being held captive?

The Shura Council of Mujahideen is attempting drive a wedge between Australia and the U.S. More importantly, they hope to turn Australians against Prime Minister John Howard.

No decent person holds an innocent civilian hostage and threatens his life. Terrorists do that. The bad guys are those thugs, not the Americans.