Sore Looser

Douglas Wood

Six weeks ago, an Australian/American named Douglas Wood was kidnapped in Iraq by insurgents. Here in Australia, the highest ranking Muslim cleric, Sheik Taj El-Din Al Hilaly, decided to personally go to Iraq and negotiate the release of Mr. Woods.

Sheik El-Hilaly

Sheik El-Hilaly is a controversial figure here in Australia. He is very abrasive and had more than his share of controversy in the past with inflammatory statements. He recently gave a sermon at the Sidon mosque in Lebanon in which he told believers that one day a muezzin will call out "Allahu Akbar!" from the top of the White House, and that "September 11 is God's work against oppressors."

So off Sheik El-Halaly went with all kinds of fanfare and promises. Most people, including me, felt happy that he was doing this. This selfless act was seen as a positive thing for both him and his congregation. It would go a long ways towards repairing the damage he has done with his past statements and actions.

Over the last few weeks or so he would pop up in the news claiming that he was close and it would be a matter of hours before Woods would be released. After a while, he became the boy-who-cried-wolf. He seemed to be running around making a lot of noise, but accomplishing nothing. Somehow he ended up in Egypt, for medical care he claimed.

Last Friday, Mr. Woods was found locked up in a house in Baghdad by Iraqi and American troops conducting lighting raids on suspected insurgent safehouses. After a brief gun battle with the captors, he and two fellow prisoners were freed by the troops.

Today, Sheik El-Hilaly has claimed that the raid to free Mr. Woods was irresponsible. He claims that he had negotiated the release of Mr. Woods. He claims that Mr. Woods was placed in that house by his kidnappers (along with the other two) as the agreed place to be found by the troops. He describes that raid as irresponsible because they were going to be released in 12 hours anyhow, as negotiated by him. [Click here for the story]

This is so stupid. There is nothing wrong with coming home empty handed. At least he tried and people would have respected him for that. But no. He has to try to steal credit where credit is not due. He just managed to undo any goodwill he gained by being a sore looser.