Jill Carroll: Hostage or House Guest?

I just saw Jill Carroll's only interview since her "release" where she spoke glowingly of her "captors." She had tons to eat, was never threatened, could shower when she wanted, apparently she wanted for nothing.   (Watch Carroll describe life as a hostage, including eating, showering and TV -- 2:27)

"I was treated very well. That's important people know that. That I was not harmed. They never said they would hit me. Never threatened in any way."

She also looks like she put on a fast 20 lbs.

So then she wasn't kidnapped, right? My Pet Jawa has been following this story all along. They've got  the 411.

UPDATE: Like I said. Freed US hostage says Iraq insurgents 'will win:' video. Does anyone else see parallels between Shill Carroll and Giuliana Sgrena ? Her driver was killed too bt that's just the beginning of the similarities.

UPDATE: Jill Carroll has recanted here. Color me skeptical.

I also gave a TV interview to the Iraqi Islamic Party shortly after my release. The party had promised me the interview would never be broadcast or aired on television, and they broke their word.

Huh? So who was the video for? WTF?

UPDATE April 7: Debbie Schlussel has the 411 here, there is more, much more than meets the eye (isn't there always?)

Comments

[brightwinger]

She gained twenty pounds? Maybe she was under a bit of stress, thinking she might be decapitated at any moment.

Her comments sound like Stockholm Syndrome to me. Maybe she gave 'em 'a little.'

Is she a member of the same church as the ungrateful captives that were rescued recently...if not, she'd be a good fit.

[Jeremiah]

From the current Yahoo! article on this, you learn she spent half a year in Jordan before the Mar.'03 invasion acclimatizing herself to Arab culture. Smart, in a way. But she tips her hand when she says it was because she didn't want to do "parachute journalism" - a clear dig against journalists who with a firm, non-Dhimmi attitudes which has nothing to do with the amount of intelligence, tenacity, and pity that line of work requires, and instills.

I thought Stockholm is when the capitivity "turns" the captive in favor of the captors. I say Jill never needed to be "turned" since she's already worked so hard to "understand 'the Other'" (as postmodernists say). She turned herself already.

The image says it all: Jill maybe didn't do "parachute journalism" but she sure is doing "Hejab (head scarf) journalism".

[Lokki]

Hey -

They treated her a LOT better than they treated her interpreter....

But perhaps she's forgotten about him...

[nikkolai]

The LLL's will be slobbering all over ol' Jill here. I'm smelling book deals, movie screenplays, the whole nine yards. Did not hear a word of remorse for her murdered translator. Maybe he was one of the "little people".

[gringoman]

Early in Jill Carroll's captivity I seem to recall video and/or audio revealing her to be in great distress, pleading for help (in other words urging that kidnapper demands be met.) Now she tells the world that she was never threatened or in harm's way. Who is playing who here? Whose memory is going---mine or Libstream's?

[Netman]

Guess she forgot about her murdered driver and his family!!

[Mike H.]

Murdered Driver?

Oh well, that's the price you have to pay for the chance to heroically get the news for the world. The world needs to see how wrong shrub is. /sarc.

Not saying anything about her image of herself, you understand? /sarc. II

[Athos]

I wonder how that reconciles with her previous videos - the ones where she passed on the demands of her captors and indicated that her life was in danger if the demands weren't met?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11258834/

There is more to this than meets the eye.

[Jeremiah]

Baroness von Maltzan has a round-up:
http://www.allthingsbeautiful.com/all_things_beautiful/2006/03/suspicion.html