Monitor begins Jill Carroll's story
Don’t miss Part 1 of
Jill Carroll’s story in today’s Christian Science Monitor. Here’s an excerpt:
They took me upstairs to the master bedroom. Within a few minutes an interpreter arrived, and an interrogation began.
They
wanted to know my name, the name of my newspaper, my religion, how much
my computer was worth, did it have a device to signal the government or
military, if I or anyone in my family drank alcohol, how many American
reporters were in Baghdad, did I know reporters from other countries,
and myriad other questions.
Then, in a slightly gravelly voice, the interpreter explained the situation.
"You
are our sister. We have no problem with you. Our problem is with your
government. We just need to keep you for some time. We want women freed
from Abu Ghraib prison. Maybe four or five women. We want to ask your
government for this," the interpreter said. (At the time, it was
reported that 10 Iraqi women were among 14,000 Iraqis being held by
coalition forces on suspicion of insurgent activity.)
"You are
to stay in this room. And this window, don't put one hand on this
window," he continued. "I have a place underground. It is very dark and
small, and cold, and if you put one hand on this window, we will put
you there. Some of my friends said we should put you there, but I said,
'No she is a woman.' Women are very important in Islam."