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8 aid workers freed, arrive in Islamabad

Rescued German aid workers (L-R) Georg Taubmann, Silke Durrkopf, Margrit Stebner and Katrin Jelinek talk to journalists at a Press conference inside the German Embassy residence in Islamabad on Thursday. Eight foreign aid workers, including the four Germans, two Australians and two Americans were rescued from the Taliban when US helicopters swooped at night into a field in central Afghanistan and lifted them to freedom. — Reuters photo

Chaklala Air Base (Pakistan), November 15
Eight foreign aid workers detained by the Taliban on charges of spreading Christianity arrived in Islamabad today after their dramatic rescue from Afghanistan by the US special forces.

They arrived at this airbase in Islamabad after they were lifted to freedom by US helicopters that swooped into a field in Central Afghanistan. They left the airport in a motorcade, apparently en route to their embassies.

The two Americans, two Australians and four Germans — all working for German-based Shelter Now International (SNI) — had been arrested by the Taliban in Kabul in early August on charges of promoting Christianity in the Islamic country.

The foreign detainees are Australians Peter Bunch and Diana Thomas, Americans Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer and Germans Georg Taubmann, Katrin Jelinek, Margrit Stebner and Silke Durrkopf.

But there has been no news on the fate of 16 local employees of the charity arrested at the same time. Converting from Islam carries a death sentence.

The US Government had listed the release of the eight as one of the demands on the Taliban.

Meanwhile US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the eight western aid workers were in Pakistan and in good health.

“The detainees are now in Pakistan. They seem to be in good physical condition. More details will be available once they’ve arrived at their final destination in Pakistan,” the statement said. Reuters