British Journalist Rescued In Basra

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From 'PR-Inside.com': Iraqi troops freed a kidnapped British journalist on Monday after finding him hooded and bound in a house during a raid in a Shiite militia stronghold in Basra. Richard Butler's rescue after two months in captivity was a welcome success story for the Iraqi military, which has been heavily criticized for its effort to pacify the southern oil hub.


Richard Butler as seen on Iraqi TV 'al-Iraqiya'

Flanked by beaming Iraqi officials, Butler, who worked for the U.S. television network CBS News, described the soldiers' performance as "brilliant". Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said the troops weren't looking for Butler but an army patrol conducting a sweep of the area responded after coming under fire from the house where he was being held in the Jibiliya neighborhood. One of the gunmen was wounded in an exchange of fire and another captured while two men managed to escape, he said.

Butler was thin but in good condition and laughing as he was shown on Iraqi state television hugging well-wishers and greeting officials. "Thank you, and I'm looking forward to seeing my family and my friends at CBS, and thank you again," Butler said. When asked by al-Askari if the Iraqi army was good, he said it was "brilliant".

"The Iraqi army stormed the house and overcame my guards and they burst through the door," Butler said. "I had my hood on which I had to have on all the time and they shouted something at me and I pulled my hood off". Basra security commander Lt. General Mohan al-Fireji said Butler was sitting on the floor with his head covered by a sack and his hands tied when the troops stumbled upon him.

Butler was seized along with his Iraqi interpreter by masked gunmen on February 10th from the Sultan Palace Hotel in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad. The interpreter was released within days, but Butler remained in captivity despite claims by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's office that it was negotiating with the kidnappers for his release. "I'm pretty weak and I've lost quite a bit of weight," he said later. "I'm looking forward to a decent meal and getting back to my family and friends.

In London, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband thanked the Iraqi security forces "for the professionalism of the task they have undertaken" and said Butler was in the care of the British consulate in Basra. CBS News spokeswoman Sandy Genelius said the network was "incredibly grateful that our colleague... has been released and is safe". The gratitude was eagerly accepted by the Iraqi government, which began a major offensive on March 25th to dislodge militia groups from Iraq's second-largest city.