Jill Carroll--Something Not Adding Up

By now all of you know that Jill Carroll has been released by her captors and appears she is completely unharmed. According to reports relating to her debriefing concerning her captors, she has been "somewhat uncooperative" In addition she has made some pretty curious statements saying she was never threatened and praising her captors for the treatment she received.....

"They never said they would hit me, never threatened me in any way.""I was kept in a very good, small safe place, a safe room, nice furniture," she said, adding that she was given clothing and plenty of food. "I was allowed to take showers, go to the bathroom when I wanted," she said.

This has led some to speculate that she is suffering from "Helsinki Syndrome" (that's Helsinki Finland not Sweden). I am not buying it.

Just what are her beliefs? This from the Jordan Times

The kidnappers who abducted her could not have chosen a more wrong target. True, Jill is a US citizen. But she is also more critical of US policies towards the Middle East than many Arabs.

Though as a reporter she always complies with the strictest requirements of objectivity and impartiality, Jill has been from day one opposed to the war, to the invasion and occupation of Iraq. More than just being sympathetic with average Iraqis under war and occupation, Jill is a true believer in Arab causes.

and this from ITalk News.....

She is considered one of the best journalists who stood against the American occupation of Iraq and she focused her articles on telling the world about the Iraqi people’s suffering.”

From what we know of Jill Carroll it is not unreasonable to conclude that she is a left leaning pascifist who's sympathies clearly lie not just with with the Arab people but also the insurgency. It appears that in her mind support for both are neither inconsistent or mutually exclusive, but rather, intertwined.

The motivations for her statements concerning the kidnappers is further drawn into question by the fact that her translator was brutally executed by these very same people she now chooses to defend. We also remember the infamous video shortly after her capture where she weeps through a statement as several AK 47s trained on her head. Seems a bit inconsistent with her declaration that "she wasn't ever threatened".

What exactly is going on with Jill Carroll remains difficult to decipher with what we know so far. One thing for certain, her behavior, demeanor and public statements are not squaring with the facts as we know them.

Is she just the typical closet peacnik masquerading as a journalist who blames America for everything and refuses to accept the evil that is the terrorist insurgency? Or is her inexplicable behavior being made under duress or just a symptom of the mental anguish brought on by her captivity. At this point it's all speculation but one thing for sure, this story is not over.