Free the Captives: Witness Against Illegal Detention and Torture

News sources around the world repeated the Toronto Star's report Friday claiming that an Iraqi hostage negotiator working to free the CPT was kidnapped. However, the UK religious think-tank and news service Ekklesia said "there is in fact no such hostage negotiator," and that no reliable evidence can be found to corroborate the Star's report.

"Security experts say that Baghdad remains a rumour-mill with much speculation and little hard information," Ekklesia reported. "Official envoys from Canada and Britain have recorded mixed results so far.

"Experienced journalists such as the BBC's John Simpson suggest that the silence is likely to continue until well after the [Iraqi] election period."

The Sault Ste. Marie News, a "hometown paper" for captive James Loney, was similarly skeptical. It said none of its sources, in or out of the Canadian government, had been able to confirm that the negotiator even existed.

We remain in an unsettled state throughout this ongoing ordeal, and this report from the Toronto Star has been even more unsettling. While we hope that Ekklesia's insight proves out, dealing with these rumors has added a perplexing layer to the present turmoil. We will continue to monitor this situation with attentiveness and humilty to God.