PM RUDD TO HELP KIDNAPPED REPORTER

Interesting story in the Herald Sun newspaper today over Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd... and his willingness to help to free a kidnapped Australian journalist in Somalia.

Perhaps PM Rudd should be instructing his appointee as co-chair of the International Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Commission, Gareth Evans, to reveal any more information he knows about the David Wilson controversy.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25826482-661,00.html
THE parents of kidnapped journo Nigel Brennan have met Kevin Rudd to seek help rescuing their son from his Somalian captors.
by Emma Chalmers
24 July 2009

Heather Brennan spent 20 minutes with Mr Rudd in Bundaberg on Thursday.

Mr Brennan, 37, and a Canadian journalist were kidnapped in Somalia 11 months ago and his family say his health is failing.

Mr Rudd said it was a "difficult, ugly and dangerous" part of the world and the Government was doing all it could to assist Mr Brennan.

"If I was to look at the consular cases upon which I have spent the most time since I've been Prime Minister, it is this one," he said.

"And similarly with the Foreign Minister and others. It is one which the Government takes seriously, but I do not underestimate the degree of difficulty involved in this."

THE parents of kidnapped journo Nigel Brennan have met Kevin Rudd to seek help rescuing their son from his Somalian captors.

Heather Brennan spent 20 minutes with Mr Rudd in Bundaberg on Thursday.

Mr Brennan, 37, and a Canadian journalist were kidnapped in Somalia 11 months ago and his family say his health is failing.

Mr Rudd said it was a "difficult, ugly and dangerous" part of the world and the Government was doing all it could to assist Mr Brennan.

"If I was to look at the consular cases upon which I have spent the most time since I've been Prime Minister, it is this one," he said.

"And similarly with the Foreign Minister and others. It is one which the Government takes seriously, but I do not underestimate the degree of difficulty involved in this."

read more....

MIKE KELLY'S RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE

Colonel Iron Mike Kelly, Australian Army Lawyer then serving in Iraq, talked about his heroics in Africa but ignores Timor hero living in his electorate. ADF photo.

IRON MIKE'S RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE
When we get to Africa we gonna get it on, 'cause we don't get along!
Float Like a Butterfly and Sting Like a Bee
Army Lawyer fights off Somali Warlord

IRON MIKE KELLY IGNORES HERO BUT TALKS ABOUT HIS OWN HEROICS

By Sasha Uzunov

Colonel “Iron Mike” Kelly, the Federal MP for Eden-Monaro, and the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support in the Rudd Goverment, is ignoring an Australian Army hero living in his electorate who was involved in combat in East Timor.

In what would make Boxing legend Muhammed Ali proud, the good Colonel, an Army Lawyer turned politician, had his own rumble in the jungle with a Somali warlord.

But the Colonel, in the lead up to his election to Federal Parliament last year, has regaled the media with his own heroics as an Army Legal Officer in Somalia in 1993.

And it sounds something straight out of the hit US TV shows JAG or maybe CSI: New York!

Iron Mike Kelly told the Canberra Times newspaper about his struggle with a Somali warlord:

“The court erupted into mayhem as a berserk Gutaale launched at his nemesis and the pair became embroiled in a life or death wrestling match.

“As storm clouds brewed in the night sky, the melee spilled out into the street, where a large crowd of Gutaale's cronies, keeping an eye of the proceedings, had gathered.

“The two Australians present fixed bayonets to attempt to restore order.

Dr Kelly described the scene vividly.

"Gutaale basically had a death grip on me and my shirt and webbing were getting torn.

"The crowd was getting worked up and it was raining heavily it was like a scene from a bad movie," he said.

"He had a good grip on me and it was all looking pretty untidy."

“With the crowd set to riot, the two Australians were assisted when a group of engineers arrived.

“A bruised Gutaale was handcuffed and Major Kelly personally wrestled him along the muddy roadway to his place of execution. The murderer was handed over to the police.

“Within minutes he was dead.”

(source: Somalia to Eden-Monaro: How Mike Kelly fought a murderous warlord all the way to a firing squad by MICK TOAL 20/10/2007 )

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/somalia-to-edenmonaro-how-mike-kelly-fought-a-murderous-warlord-all-the-way-to-a-firing-squad/238656.aspx

Corporal Kevin "Bambi" Campbell (standing): East Timor hero living

in Colonel Iron Mike Kelly's electorate and being ignored.

Photo by Sasha Uzunov copyright 2001

In contrast to Colonel Kelly’s heroics, ex-Australian Army Corporal Kevin “Bambi” Campbell lives in seclusion in Eden, NSW. On 14 June 2001 his 8-man patrol was attacked by militia in East Timor.

Source: The Eden Magnet newspaper (Fairfax / Rural press), Eden, New South Wales http://eden.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/unsung-hero/808795.aspx

He was nominated for a Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) for brave leadership under fire but for reasons unknown the award was never made. Independently of the Australian honors and awards system, Corporal Campbell received a United Nations Commanders Commendation Certificate.

Corporal Campbell had also served in the elite SASR before going to East Timor.

Colonel Kelly, who in his role as Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support, oversees Defence honors and awards, has in the past ruled out re-opening the file on Corporal Campbell’s DSM nomination.

(end)