Fed: Howard comments placed me in danger: released Aust woman

AAP General News (Australia)
04-16-2004
Fed: Howard comments placed me in danger: released Aust woman

By Selina Day

SYDNEY, April 16 AAP - An Australian aid worker taken hostage in the Iraqi flashpoint
town of Fallujah said her capture was terrifying, and she claimed she had been placed
in great danger because of "inflammatory" comments by Prime Minister John Howard.

Donna Mulhearn, from Maitland in NSW, was captured by local Mujahadeen fighters as
she and three other foreign aid workers tried to leave the embattled town on Wednesday
afternoon. They had been distributing humanitarian aid to civilians.

As they were leaving, the workers' car became caught in crossfire between the militia
and US forces.

Ms Mulhearn said she tried to show her Australian passport at a US checkpoint, in a
bid for safe passage.

But the four were captured by the militia, who were armed with a dozen guns and rocket-propelled
grenades.

In an email sent from Iraq, Ms Mulhearn said she was held for 24 hours and released unharmed.

The capture of the four workers followed that of three Japanese hostages and four Italian
security guards.

Ms Mulhearn said that, while undertaking the humanitarian work before she was captured,
she and her three colleagues were shot at four times by US soldiers while trying to take
an ambulance full of medical aid to a clinic.

After her capture, she was questioned by the Mujahadeen fighters, who she said were
particularly interested in Australia's involvement in the war in Iraq.

"We were interrogated and our belongings were searched, but we were treated very well,
especially when they heard about the work we were doing," Ms Mulhearn said.

But she claimed "inflammatory" comments by Mr Howard, which were given wide airplay
on Iraqi and Arab television in the preceding days, had placed her in danger.

"I realised quickly that my prime minister, John Howard, had placed me in great danger
by making inflammatory comments about the war just a few days ago," she said.

"I was questioned about Australia's involvement in the war, about the current role
of Australian soldiers and the views of Australians at home. They asked why Australia
wants to hurt Iraqi people.

"I felt a great deal of shame about how blindly my government follows the lead of
the US in terms of foreign policy."

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KEYWORD: IRAQ HOSTAGES AUST LEAD

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