ENGLISH POW IN IRAQ SPEAKS OF US ARMY ABUSE.

Michael Todd-How do you know? Have you attempted to contact her? In the page that I linked to, there is a place where you can send your story to the producers of her show.

I had mentioned the newsmagazine programs to you first. When I thought about it , I realized that Oprah is far more interested in the odd, human interest type of story. So I thought that you might have a chance of catching her attention.

You know what they say about "squeaky wheels"? If you sit around, waiting for people to call you back, you will be waiting a long, long time. If you really are concerned about finding your daughter, you need to be proactive.

What do you have to lose? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Good luck!

Pro-active? Yes, you are right!
Dear Phoenix,

Yes my friend, you are absolutely right! You got me feeling quite ashamed just now, but you will understand that I have, since I got back from Iraq on 1st August, faced barriers all the way. Each day I wake up thinking that this will be the day that I get the big break. I give it my best, but no! My energy is low but still her picture is by my side right NOW, lifting me up and helping me carry on. As you will know, I will not quit - no way! Each day I do something positive and am getting an interested resonse from one of the main human rights NGO's.

Imagine, my own MP (Congressman / Senator) is saying he can do nothing to help so imagine how I feel! Bush and Blair continue to ignore my pleas for help and I am getting sore fingers from excessive use of keyboards!

Thanks Phoenix, you have given me an energising kick up the ass!


Michael.

To JamesMorrison: it can be nonsense, but I believe the man. Call it stupid, but if he is lying, then its really sad of him, but it doesn't hurt me. Maybe its also my own thinking that I think the US army is also capable of doing this.
To Michael Todd: sorry I do not know what to do exactly concerning hiring (an) international rights lawyer(s), but maybe you can get information through the website of the Den Hague International Court: http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/iwhats.htm. But I don't think I can really help you.

And sorry for the bad English...the Hague etc. Sorry..

Montana,

My comments to you and Rick were not meant to insult and I am sorry you interpreted them thusly. Was it an admonishment to be more critical? Yes. The last part was, actually, a compliment. But to his credit, my skepticism seems acceptable and even understandable by Michael Todd himself. Also, his responses, in this thread, are admirable, especially to my deliberately hostile initial post.

CDK and Montana,

Thanks for the web sites. In addition, I have Googled the character string "Michael Todd Iraq BBC" as suggested but they all point to the same BBC article. Said article contains the fact that the British Foreign Office seems to confirm that Michael Todd was so arrested. The spokesperson's quote is curious though: "I can confirm that US forces in Sulaymaniyah, in northern Iraq, detained a British man, Michael Todd, on 4 July"-- A British man as opposed to The British man?

Anyway, the rest of the article merely repeats Michael Todd's story as told to them by him.

Disturbing is the implication that American forces had little else to do but detain a man on a mercy mission to find his supposed girlfriend and biological child. No matter how heart rendering, a picture of a young child is hardly a solid source of documentation, no matter how much Arabic script it possesses. Perhaps, U.S. soldiers were so inclined but all the info presented, at least on this thread, does not support such a conclusion. The statement that the U.S. army is "also capable of doing this" shows a rising assumption that it has. This story and many of the responses here on this thread are falling into this mind set. Perhaps, asking questions from the point of view of the U.S. forces, while reserving final judgment, might give additional insight into this incident. What harm a few more assumptions directed in the opposite direction in favor of the U.S. representatives striving to promote freedom in a war torn country riddled with suicide and other types of bombers, terrorists, and general mischief makers?

Be careful about Opra Winfrey, she is not stupid. She may ask for documentation in addition to asking the U.S. authorities their side of the story.

I truly am:
Skeptically yours,

JM

JamesMorrison-

I too, am not naive or stupid. Michael Todd asked for help. I took his plea at face value, and offered some suggestions. I am sure, if what he is asserting is NOT the truth, he will not get the attention that he wants. I am giving this man the benefit of the doubt.

I really don't understand why his veracity even needs to be questioned in the context of this thread. He asked for suggestions; I gave him some. The rest is up to him. Period!

A clown costume?

I don't think the fact that he was detained is such a big deal as opposed to his treatment while in detention. If true, it's obvious that the US military have turned into the same Nazi scum as George Bush. Red necks with government backing.

Phoenix32890 posted:



And I never said you were.



Exactly, and I just felt Michael Todd should fully realize that appealing to the media may be a double edged sword.

As to your statement:



Actually, in Michael Todd's original post, he asked:



There are those who responded to his question and the charges put forth with the assumption it did happen as related. My initial response was to question whether it happened and, if so, the facts of the case, especially reasons for the dentention. I thought Michael Todd's veracity was begged by the charges leveled by his post. Perhaps, my vision has been clouded by recent episodes involving the BBC and its defense correspondent, Alastair Campbell, of its "Today" show whose accusation of PM Blair et al of "sexing up" intelligence based dossier was found to be false by Lord Hutton (The Economist Jan 31st-Feb 6th: Britain/"Not Guilty"). Then there was the NYT Jayson Blair thing.

If my skepticism seems untoward in this forum I will cease posting here, but hopefully before that happens someone (Michael Todd will do nicely) will point me to some convincing evidence regarding the a story in question.

JM

i spent way too much time on the net looking. what i found is alot of the same stories as you posted above, a lawsuit you plan to file against the prez for 10 million, and your postings of basically the same story on other forums. i especially thought the posts found here interesting.

btw phoenix, the above links to another forum. if that is against the rules here, please delete.

http://engforum.pravda.ru/showthread.php3?threadid=50257
The Pravda Forum has had a debate about this going on for some time; check it out if you want and join in. I am pleased with the intelligent comments and questions coming from this forum now and will satisfy even the harshest critic; all what is said is true, however hard it might be to get your mind around. I can take the insults, the hatred, the abuse and all the rest so go ahead; it's gonna be a beautiful moment when we are confirmed as friends and are laughing at how our friendship started.

Anyway, check out this forum and then come back here; we have some loyalty to where our friendship began don't we?

All roads lead to truth.

MT.

Well Michael, if you want to answer questions I ahve them.

I believe that the story happened but is there reason to suspect hyperbole as to the details?

Is it me or is that "The Beat" in the other forum not really a good reader? He says that Michael Todd said he entered Iraq on July 4th, but it is June 4th, as you can read in "his" post...I just don't get it. The story could well be true indeed, but the person bringing it can somehow maybe not be Michael Todd. I dont think you can really achieve something when you bring it to a forum - you can better do it the official way and going to a forum seems to be more damaging than the person wants. And yes, I have changed my opinion a little bit...odd, this is all very odd.

pueo,

Thanks for the link. How did you find this?The posts on this form are 180 degrees in conceptual direction from this thread. These guys are brutal. They make me feel like MAHATMA GANDHI! The link no longer seems to work but for anyone interested I have captured it. So if if anyone is interested I can PM it barring any site illegallity, Failing that, perhaps e-mail.

JM

jm,

basic google search

The Website no longer seems accessible. Perhaps later. Already, as pueo I have devoted too much time to this. Suffice to say other's antennae are beginning to rise.

JM

What is hyperbole ?
CRAVEN DE KERE.
Ok, I am ready, give me all your questions. What is 'hyperbole'? Is is something to do with superbowl! Is is a term for 'bullshit' or 'hype' perhaps? Only guessing.

RICK.
Well done for braving the Pravda Forum; quite intense isn't it? On my original post on Pravda I got a date wrong for my entry into North Iraq and it's that The Beat is referring to. I since re-edited the original post, something you can do on Pravda.
I can assure you I am me! I have the handcuffs I wore, I have the plastic sand bag the US Army put on my head and a whole load of other stuff, smuggled or Iraq for the benefit of all the doubters!
What do you mean by 'doing it the official way?' I have written and faxed Bush and Blair, my MP (member of Parliament) won't help done everything I can think of. I can't get anything from any forum, but mighty trees grown from tiny seeds.
For sure, this is very ODD, but very true!

JAMES.
Congratulations to you too for going to Pravda! If you have anything like the heart of Gandhi, it will be an added pleasure to meet to; I feel certain we will meet. But yes, your remarks are mild by comparison to those in Pravda so thanks for been gentle with me !
Quite insulted that you say you have devoted enough time to this? What could be more important when you think about what is at stake here? If the US can treat me this way then how safe are other honest, peace-loving people on this planet in the face of the US expansion? Think of the implications bro!
That been said, I like your style, even if you use words to impress!

All roads lead to truth!

Re: What is hyperbole ?


"Hype" works. I am asking if there are overstatements, facts neglected and such in the story.

I doubt that anything thathappened to you was because of some cruel streak all those soldiers had. Did they suspect you of something.

Not that I call you a lier, but this is the Internet Michael Todd: you can never be sure. I want to give you the benefit of the doubt, but I don't know why you are saying all this on a forum? For me - and I don't know how others think about it - but for me it gives the topic a somehow ehm "overreacting" image, I don't know how to say it but by writing this on a forum it gives the topic more the purpose to attract attention on a "commercial" way than on a genuine way to show the world what is going on in Iraq. I believe that there is a certain Michael Todd who was really mistreated by the American soldiers in Iraq, but there is just no good way to prove that person is you by using this forum.