January 3, 2006

Susanne Osthoff, a former hostage of German origin, shortly released, busy since years with humanitarian and cultural issues in favour of the war shaken Iraqi people, call to show publicly the Al Jazeera Interview with her, for the broader German public. This call was broadcasted from the German television ZDF (Zweites deutsches Fernsehen, heute journal) during the first Interwiew in German language after her release.

To understand the importance of this call in terms of peace and cross civilizational relations it is necessary to follow closely as possible the development of information-handling from the Media and from officials during the time Susanne Osthoff was captured until know. The current situation requires quickly as possible action for a well-informed public discussion in Germany. Susanne Osthoff is not well treated by official and Media statements in general here which I personally regret much as possible – trying to change this treatment as a single peace activist inside a one man NGO with those steps I am able to undertake right now. Responsibility for peace and action for this idealistic person Susanne – does have the greatest possible common grounds. This is the very raison to take international action via the independent voice of Uruknet now.

The first message about the kidnapping of Susanne Osthoff was displayed as a single picture from a video. About the goals of the kidnappers a text message was available in Germany, not to seen on this single picture, requiring that Germany close its embassy in Baghdad and stop training Iraqi police officers. The decision to display only one picture and to be silent about the whole context was made from Mr. Hartmann von der Tann, Chief Editor and Coordinator for politics inside ARD, the first German television company. He claims to be not influenced in his decision by others in an interview from F.A.Z., 01.12.2005, Nr. 280 / page48 Caused by this type of fragmental information speculations where skyrocketing right away from the first days. We got information it should be a nationalist non-Islamic group because of no Islamic signs on this single picture. Afterwards different names are occurring, like fronttroups of earthquake, "Saraja al-Salasil" , a small Islamic group with the name "Army of the Mujaheddin", which was one from the last information. Beside this, another information occurred: Mr. Elyas from the Moslem society in Germany said after Mrs. Osthoff was released the hostage takers where pure criminals seeking to get money . They sold the hostage to another group as a spy. This other group recognised that this was not the case.

The records of those developing speculations shows the extremely crucial importance to display in an unabbreviated version from this Al Jazeera Interview with Mrs. Osthoff. It is important regarding the political influence the current discussion is introducing to the larger public here. Standing strictly on a science-based point of view, published by Canadian Prof. Mandel in his famous research "Pax Pentagon", the author of this article is looking at the US war against Iraq as a major insult of the most crucial international laws and therefore being illegal. From out this point of view the question about the kidnappers and her goals is important for a democratic society here. Inside the German Constitution we do have rules for freedom of speech and science. It must be allowed to be fully informed about all public available data regarding this tragic event hurting the humanitarian and scientific mission of Mrs. Susanne Osthoff in Iraq.

Comparing carefully the in Germany available resources from Al Jazeeras interview with Mrs. Osthoff it is impossible to get a complete and not confusing and perhaps misleading information. 3 documents are available so far: the original message found on Al Jazeeras website, a German translation from Süddeutsche Zeitung, and the whole content from the ZDF interview, with remarks from Mrs. Osthoff regarding the in-depth context displayed in this Al Jazeera interview. Also with careful analysis – it is impossible to get a rational picture from the information we have here in Germany – and exactly this is leading public mood in a wrong, more xenophobic and unfortunately anti-Arabic direction, which I strongly disagree with. I seems to be a slow, very subtle shift caused by this type of information management. A very important field to be recognised by the international peace movement as an additional case study in the already overloaded section of extremely misleading information causing the Iraq war. It is very unfortunate that even the ZDF Interview, I have to underline this here, is only broadcasted in a few parts. I have to add that nobody was aware of this broadcasting, because it was delayed. Even at the day of the actual broadcast ZDF editors where not able to tell me if and when it should be sent. I only got the information from the ZDF editors the broadcast will be announced on the ZDF homepage a few hours before the actual broadcast. By far the most people in Germany will not read the complete transcript on the ZDF homepage – because of different raisons like no internet access, lack of time and so on.

Unfortunately this handling allows the Bild zeitung to quote parts of this ZDF interview and to put it in a wrong context. This results in a heavy, severe damage of the image of Susanne Osthoff and her great work for the Iraqi people. This is the wrongest possible signal a country which was not participating the US war against Iraq can send now – even if it is only coming from a part of this country. It is also directed against German constitutional laws indeed, because it is undermining efforts for peace and croos-civilizational dialogue. As an interesting point in this interaction between Bild and ZDF interview I found the critics Bild was writing in his article about the ZDF Interview: Mrs. Osthoff said thank you to Mrs. Schröder, but not to the Bundesregierung and not to the Krisenstab during this interview. This may bee right for this interview – but it is wrong and misleading in the whole context: Mrs. Osthoff did express her thanks to the German Government and to the German Embassy. (Source:Berliner Zeitung Tuesday , 20. December 2005 . )

It is very subtle, I have to stress this again, to turn slowly such facts in Bild Zeitung and to create an imagination that Mrs. Osthoff did only express her thanks to Mrs Schröder, who without any doubt did carry out a historic mission with his policy not to participate on the Iraq war. Mrs. Merkel was publicly opposed to Mr. Schröders decision and did express this during a visit in Washington under the time Mr. Schröders decision was made. No Peace minded German citizen will and should forget that. Finally: Susanne Osthoffs mission in Iraq did fulfill to a great extend dreams of us peace loving people – and historical grown laws from the German constitution. We have to appreciate her very much and to love her as a hero for peace!

This is an urgent call to all international readers: please help us with a complete tape of this Al Jazeera Interview, this will be the best to fulfill the will of our hero for peace , to develop quick as possible a democratic discussion in Germany and to assist the peace idea in Germany. Unfortunately all my activities to get this tape or a complete transcription from Al Jazeera failed, caused either by technical communication problems with Al Jazeera Qatar, or with similar problems with Al Jazeera Berlin, Germany. Please contact either Uruknet under: redazione@uruknet.info,
they know my address, or contact myself under: yeats1995@aol.com.

Updates you will find under: http://tagebuch.aol.de/berita06/ProjektfurSusanneOsthoffFrie
deni/ ( former http://projectiraqpeace.blogspot.com )
For every contribution I say thank you in the name of peace for Iraq!