Rajiv Chandrasekaran
Assistant Managing Editor, Continuous News, The Washington Post
Thursday, March 30, 2006; 12:00 PM
Rajiv Chandrasekaran , assistant managing editor for Continuous News and former Washington Post Baghdad bureau chief, was online Thursday, March 30, at noon ET to discuss the release of kidnapped journalist Jill Carroll in Iraq. Carroll, who was held for almost three months, says she was treated "very well" by her captors but did not know where she had been held or why they had decided to release her.
Read more: Journalist Jill Carroll Released in Iraq , ( March 30, 2006 )
Video:
Audio: The Post's
The transcript follows.
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Rajiv Chandrasekaran: Hello everyone. Sorry for the delay getting online. As you might imagine, it's been a hectic day, but an amazing, wonderful day for those of us who know Jill. Looking forward to taking your questions.
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Atlanta, Ga.: Ms. Carroll's statements that she was "treated very well" during her captivity seem to be at odds with her state of mind in the videotapes that were released and with the statements of others who have been kidnapped in the region. Is this a gesture of political sympathy, a case of Stockholm Syndrome, or is there something else at work here?
Rajiv Chandrasekaran: It's going to be impossible to know for sure until she's back home in the United States and able to speak freely. I'm sure she was very, very careful about what she was saying while in the offices of the Iraqi Islamic Party. Remember, she had just been released. I think -- and I only speculate here -- that when she said she was treated "very well," she was referring to her physical conditions -- no beatings or torture or other violence -- but not her psychological treatment. Although some former hostages have said that they have been asked to act hysterical when taped (and, again, I caution that I don't know what happened in this case), there's no doubt that being held against one's will for nearly three months doesn't consist of good psychological conditions.
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Toronto, Ontario: Regarding the dress of Ms. Carroll, is she just respectful of Muslim culture, or has she "gone native"?
Rajiv Chandrasekaran: I believe Jill, like many Westerners who are in Iraq, wore Iraqi clothes to fit in and to conform to local customs. We should note that these are not the clothes she was wearing when she was abducted. Her captors -- or someone else -- presumably got her new clothes, and the only clothes they would have would be Iraqi.
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Washington, D.C.: Obviously, it is wonderful news that Jill Carroll was released. Is there any indication as to why now, months later this happened? Will there be an investigation into this?
Rajiv Chandrasekaran: That's something we all want to know. For now, I'm content in knowing that she's been freed and is safe. There's lots of speculation but very few hard facts as to why she was released today. Often there's no discernable reason as to why the insurgents do what they do, when they do. Some have suggested, however, that the recent military operation to free the three Christian peace activists may have scared her captors, but it's too early to know. I'm sure American and Iraqi officials will try to look into this, but establishing with certainty what happened may be difficult, if not impossible.
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Virginia: On radio this morning, you speculated that Jill Carroll called The Washington Post rather than U.S. Embassy, to prevent military involvement on her release. Any speculation on how this release happened? There had to be a deal somewhere, right?
Rajiv Chandrasekaran: I have no information, nor have I seen any credible reports, that there was a deal to free her. As for calling The Post, it has now become clear that an official of the Iraqi Islamic Party called The Post, perhaps at Jill's behest. I think she and party officials wanted to avoid a big military operation. But the military did arrive at the party offices where she was. Here's what we're saying in our story: "
While Carroll was inside the party compound, U.S. military vehicles arrived, some remaining outside to provide security, others entering the main gate."
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Washington, D.C.: How can you objectively cover or comment on this story when you describe Jill Carroll as a friend?
Rajiv Chandrasekaran: I'm not writing the story that's on our Web site nor am I writing the one that will appear in tomorrow's newspaper (although I have played a role in editing the Web version). I don't think being a friend requires me to recuse myself from all involvement in this case. It's not like there has been much controversy here: An innocent young American journalist was kidnapped and held against her will for almost three months.
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Va.: Was she rescued, or released?
Rajiv Chandrasekaran: Based on what we know at this moment, she was released by her captors to officials of the Iraqi Islamic Party, a large Sunni Muslim political party. Whether she was handed over directly or through intermediaries, I don't know.
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Yellowknife, Northwest Territories: The video that was posted on your site was alarming, to say the least. She feels she was treated well because she wasn't beaten? Held in a tiny room all alone, but it's OK because she could take showers?
If you know Jill personally, can you tell us if she is normally so sympathetic to the mujahedeen, or if this is a case of Stockholm Syndrome?
Rajiv Chandrasekaran: As I said to an earlier questioner, let's wait until she's back here and able to speak more freely. Perhaps we'll get a fuller story.
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Washington, D.C.: How have journalists in Iraq changed their reporting procedures in the wake of Jill's kidnapping?
Rajiv Chandrasekaran: Good question. Her kidnapping has hammered home the dangers of working in Iraq. Reporters were taking extensive security precautions before her kidnapping, and they continue to do so. I'm not going to talk about specifics here, because you never know who reads these chats and I don't want to take any chances.
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Alexandria, Va.: From Jill's comments upon her release, I couldn't discern any way the U.S. helped in her release except for transporting her to the Green Zone in an armored vehicle. The Muslim groups played a great role in helping her, including Hamas, which is contrary to how many Americans falsely view Muslims. I see the hand of God in this episode to try to get Muslims and Americans to understand each other better.
Rajiv Chandrasekaran: I do think the calls for her release from many Muslim leaders, both political and religious, was very helpful. I'm not going to speculate on the specific influence of any statements from Hamas, though.
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Alexandria, Va.: It could have been expected that the first question about her release would have been a criticism of her saying that she was "well treated". I would have expected that she would say that since she loves Iraqis so much and wouldn't want to flame anger about the country she loves, Iraq.
Rajiv Chandrasekaran: Good point. I'm sure we'll hear a fuller, more nuanced story from her, either on air or in print, soon.
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Washington, D.C.: Rajiv,
It seems that the media has been eager to portray Ms. Carroll as some sort of heroic young reporter risking her life in Iraq to get the real story for the world.
To me, however, she seems instead to be a naive and idealistic young woman whose motivations, whatever they were, prompted her to make foolish decisions that cost at least one of her companions his life.
But that doesn't really fit the story the newspapers want to write.
Rajiv Chandrasekaran: She may have been bit naive and idealistic, but she's not foolish. She was captured while out trying to report a story about Iraq's political process. Although she wasn't traveling in an armored vehicle, she did take steps to try to conceal her identity--and protect herself. She wouldn't have gotten that story had she stayed in her hotel. Journalists in Iraq have to take risks to assemble the sorts of stories that help people in the United States and elsewhere understand what's really happening in Iraq.
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Rajiv Chandrasekaran: Sorry, but I have to get back to the business of editing stories here at The Post. Do check back on washingtonpost.com for the latest updates on Jill's release. Thanks for participating, and I hope you'll raise a glass this evening to celebrate her freedom.
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