http://news.sbs.com.au/dateline/index.php?page=archive&daysum=2005-06-22#
Sheik Taj el-Din al-Hilaly Interview – SBS Dateline June 22 2005
Until now, the role of the Sydney-based Sheik in the effort to secure the safe release of hostage Douglas Wood has been – to say the least – confusing, even obscure. Opinion on the part the Sheik played ranges wildly, from crucial to irrelevant. Douglas Wood himself says he has never heard of him. That said, the Federal Government has praised what they called his tremendous efforts. Nick Warner, the Head of Australia’s Emergency Response team in Baghdad says the 64-year-old Sheik displayed “extraordinary courage” walking the streets of the dangerous Red Zone in the violence-ridden Iraqi capital for two weeks trying to contact Douglas Wood’s captors. So what is the Sheik’s version of events? What role does he claim to have played? When he agreed to be interviewed at his suburban home in south-western Sydney, the Dateline crew and George Negus had no idea of the “post-Douglas Wood release” drama that would unfold before our cameras.
Watch the interview: (requires Real Player)
21:55 secsRead the transcript:REPORTER: GEORGE NEGUS:
It began with the sheik with his son’s daughter and interpreter Kayser Trad present telephoning Baghdad to inquire about the fate of the two Iraqis taken hostage with Douglas Wood, and whose lives the sheik hoped he had saved through his negotiation with their captors. The sheik is speaking to the brother-in-law of Adel Najim, one of the two hostages. SHEIK TAJ EL-DIN AL-HILALY, (Translation): I postponed, I said I wouldn’t receive Douglas unless Adel and Fares returned safely to their families. They promised me so. They promised me, by God. That’s what they told me. Adel and Fares were still alive and would be released after Douglas was. This has become a controversial point in the whole saga. Since Sheik Hilaly claims the raid by Iraqi forces to rescue Douglas Wood had risked the lives of the other two hostages. As we go to air, however, news reports have emerged about the timing of the deaths of the two Iraqis. It was only last night however that the sheik learned the men may be dead. SHEIK TAJ EL-DIN AL-HILALY, (Translation): They went to the hospital. They found a corpse in the fridge. It looked like Adel. But they couldn’t tell for sure. KEYSAR TRAD: They went to hospital, to the morgue, they saw a dead person. SHEIK TAJ EL-DIN AL-HILALY, (Translation): The corpse was lying… The hospital had taken the corpse off the street. KEYSAR TRAD: A corpse that was picked up by the hospital from the street. GEORGE NEGUS: Earlier today, I spoke again to the family of Adel Najim, they confirmed his death as well as that of the other hostage, Fares Shakir, Douglas Wood’s driver. But yesterday evening, the sheik was still hoping the men might be alive. When we talked, I pressed him on his reaction to last week’s raid, which he’s described as ‘stupid’. SHEIK TAJ EL-DIN AL-HILALY, (Translation): The raid breached the agreement that we had. He had been transferred to this safe place. I called the embassy from Cairo, I spoke to Mr Nick Warner and told him “Tomorrow, a sheikh will call you, he will arrange a time to bring him to Babylon Hotel, where you will collect him. They told me “The contract will take place tomorrow.” I told him “You will be contacted and a time will be made. “He will be taken to Babylon Hotel, then it will up to you.” He said “I know it is my responsibility. I’ll take him to Germany, to America and maybe Australia.” GEORGE NEGUS: So Nick Warner, the senior Australian involved in trying to get Douglas Wood released, told you that they would act on the advice that you gave them? SHEIK TAJ EL-DIN AL-HILALY, (Translation): Yeah. GEORGE NEGUS: The day before. SHEIK TAJ EL-DIN AL-HILALY, (Translation): I spoke to him from Cairo the day before, witnessed by the Australian Ambassador in Cairo. And also by Amani, a consular official there, an Egyptian woman who was interpreting. We made the call from my house to Mr Nick Warner in Baghdad. GEORGE NEGUS: So he told you they were definitely go and collect Douglas Wood from the Babylon Hotel. SHEIK TAJ EL-DIN AL-HILALY, (Translation): Yes, he said “When the sheikh calls I’ll take responsibility.” GEORGE NEGUS: So what do you think went wrong? Why didn’t they do that? Is it because this raid happened in the meantime? You don’t think the Australians knew about that raid? SHEIK TAJ EL-DIN AL-HILALY, (Translation): I’m 100% sure they didn’t know. After he was released and Mr Howard had made a statement, I called Mr Nick, in the presence of the Australian ambassador and explained to him what had happened. KEYSAR TRAD: You called after the raid? SHEIK TAJ EL-DIN AL-HILALY, (Translation): Yes, after it had been on the news. GEORGE NEGUS: What did he say? SHEIK TAJ EL-DIN AL-HILALY, (Translation): He said “I thank you for all your efforts, and I appreciate all the time you have spent with me, the end result, regardless of how it happened, is that Douglas is alive and free, without any bloodshed or the payment of money. GEORGE NEGUS: Except that now there has been bloodshed. You think maybe one of the two Iraqi that was with Douglas Wood has died since Douglas Wood’s rescue? SHEIK TAJ EL-DIN AL-HILALY, (Translation): At the time we were only thinking of Douglas. GEORGE NEGUS: Fares was very close to Douglas Wood. Douglas Wood spent time at his home, ate with his family, knew him quite well. SHEIK TAJ EL-DIN AL-HILALY, (Translation): He was his close friend, his driver and associate. GEORGE NEGUS: Does this mean the captor, the insurgents, the people who captured Douglas Wood and these two Iraqi gentlemen just can’t be trusted. SHEIK TAJ EL-DIN AL-HILALY, (Translation): After the raid, contact stopped, the raid has had bad consequences. GEORGE NEGUS: Do you think Douglas Wood was wise to describe his captors as, to use a dreadful Australian term, arseholes? SHEIK TAJ EL-DIN AL-HILALY, (Translation): Douglas Wood doesn’t know his head from his feet, the poor guy should be excused, because he needs a new program