GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org
Monday, December 5, 2005
Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@greens.org
Hostages include Green Party member Tom Fox; Greens direct appeal to Middle East press, including al
Jazeera.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Green Party called for the immediate release of four hostages who were seized in Baghdad on Saturday, November 26. All are members of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT); one of them, Tom Fox, is a member of the Virginia Green Party.
"The four peaceworkers taken as hostages have put their lives on the line to help the Iraqi people and end the occupation," said Audrey Clement, Green Party of Virgnia delegate to the Green Party of the United States. "We appeal especially to the Middle East media, including al Jazeera, to broadcast our request for the kidnappers to release the CPT hostages unharmed and as quickly as possible. Holding them hostage serves no purpose -- please help us make it possible for Tom Fox and his fellow peace activists see their families again."
The Green Party of the United States, like the Christian Peacemaker Teams, has strongly opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the Green Party has repeatedly called for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops occupying Iraq.
Greens noted that the four CPT members were traveling unarmed and without bodyguards, which is inconsistent with the accusation that they are spies or acting in any capacity with the U.S. government or armed forces.
Tom Fox, 54, resident of Clear Brook, Virginia, and a member of Langley Hill Friends Meeting, has been working with CPT in Baghdad documenting human rights abuses and promoting peace. Most recently, he had been actively working to develop Muslim Peacemaking Teams in Baghdad. Mr. Fox's web log can be read at <http://waitinginthelight.blogspot.com>.
An online petition for the release of the CPT hostages has been signed by authors Arundhati Roy and Tariq Ali; Denis Halliday, former U.N. Assistant Secretary General and Head of the U.N. Humanitarian Program in Iraq; antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan; Cindy and Craig Corrie, parents of Rachel Corrie, who was killed by Israeli military; Ralph Nader; historian Howard Zinn; Noam Chomsky; and thousands of others <http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/freethecpt>.
MORE INFORMATION
Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
1711 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
Green Party Peace Action Committee (GPAX)
http://www.gp.org/committees/peace/
Green Party of Virginia
http://www.vagreenparty.org/
Christian Peacemaker Teams
http://www.cpt.org/
