http://www.periodismointernacional.cl/historia_amanda_lindhout.

htm The incredible story of Amanda Lindhout from Iranian TV star to slave in Africa

(Photo: Hamed Nematollahi. The left image was sent two days before the abduction of Amanda Lindhout) With only 27 years, had a successful television career and having been a corresp ondent in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout traveled to Somalia to carry out a series of TV reports. However, three days after his a rrival he was kidnapped by a guerrilla group. Although he was believed dead sinc e May, the Italian newspaper Il Corriere de la Sera "said the girl has been turn ed into a sex slave and would be pregnant. Another chilling echo of the African press also supports this theory. Meanwhile, various organizations require their release and prayers for their welfare are increasing. Nicole and Carlos Guevara Saffi Saldibia June 9, 2009 On Wednesday, August 20, 2008, the bold and attractive Canadian journalist Amand a Lindhout, no visa, no bulletproof vest, much baggage, arrived at the airport o f MGQ Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, the most dangerous place in the world. Alon g with an Australian photographer, was in the Shamo Hotel, the only reliable way to the city. For 27 years, had left behind their jobs as a war correspondent in Afghanistan and television in Iraq (Baghdad), to make special reports of the di saster humanitarian refugee camps in Somalia to France24, French television chan nel. But, before starting their first interview, was kidnapped in the Somali cap ital by a guerrilla group. After being given for dead in early May, the Terror F ree Somalia Foundation stated that Amanda was three months pregnant, after havin g been turned into sex slaves by their captors. In the winter of 2006 left the Amanda Lindhout cold Alberta, Canada in his home state, with the firm conviction of becoming a war correspondent. Before arriving in Africa, had lived a year in Kabul, Afghanistan, and another in Baghdad, Iraq . Both destinations reached by "Freelancing" is, on its own, with just the money , without a bodyguard or bulletproof vest, unlike most Westerners to reach these latitudes. The morning's episode of his abduction, August 23, 2008, after paying the fare o f $ 100 per day, left early Shamo hotel to make your first note for France24. Le ft next to an Australian photographer Nigel Brennan and Somali photographer Abdi fatah Mohammed Elmi, who was also acting as a translator of dialects almost exti nct. While taking the safest route to Afgooye refugee camp, located 28 kilometer s southwest of Mogadishu, never reached their destination. A 15 km away, an arme d militia of the Somali insurgents attacked the vehicle and kidnapped all of its occupants. The motive for the kidnapping is unknown. What is known is that the abduction of journalists and humanitarian workers are frequent in this corner of the insecure "Horn of Africa."

In the Himalayas of Nepal to Kandahar in his debut Friends of the professional, from Canada and the United States spared no praise for describing their physical attractiveness, his perseverance and his reckless

courage. Also, his colleagues in Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and Somalia agreed to describe as a passionate professional, a joker and unusual sense of so cial solidarity. "Amanda was pure heart," says Marcie Cameron, partner school in Hunting Hills Hi gh School in Alberta. "When we were teenagers at the time of festivities and bea utiful girls, Amanda worked as a volunteer with groups of destitute. He was not concerned about the danger and determined to always show the terrible conditions in which people lived in the places they visit, "adds Cameron. Adjacent to that altruism, a reporter grown rapidly thirst for adventure, which often encourages people to take his backpack, a notebook and get a visa anywhere . "She was really fascinating," says the Canadian mountain climber Ryan Chapman, who met the girl of blue eyes in the Himalayas of Nepal, where she was preparin g to climb Everest. "We met in a hostel the day before boarding the Kalipitar, t he highest point of the mountain. She went with a friend. Because of the cold, h er friend was too sick to climb and as I was on my own, join forces. We celebrat e our achievement back then we are in Kathmandu. He promised to visit, but his d esire for adventure led by a different path, "reports from Canada. That enthusiasm took her to Afghanistan in 2007. According to his coworkers, his aim was not to investigate Taliban or political, but to address how the war dam aged the lives of innocent civilians. "To go unnoticed at the Afghan-Pakistani b order, which was under intermittent bombardment, Amanda wore a long black dress to the style of Afghan women. I remember him perfectly elegant and attractive, w earing a hijab (or headscarf) in the head, it seemed an actress out of a movie f rom the 50s, "recalls the New York photographer James Whitlow. In Afghanistan who still remembered for his courage Amanda stressed to the point of being challenged by their work colleagues for being too "reckless." One day, in the midst of their offices for Iranian television, Amanda joined the militar y base that Canada remains in Panjwaii in the Afghan province of Kandahar. Upon entering the Forward Operating Base, together with a group of reporters began im mediately friendship with Richard Johnson, member of the Communication and Infor mation of the United Nations. Soon, the rest of the professionals had left Kanda har, because of the danger, although she and Johnson were the only journalists i n the area. "They face harsh living conditions and participate in some control p atrols. Amanda looking back the boundaries of what is achievable and what is not , and tries to break the limitations imposed by gender, race or religion, "says Johnson from Kabul, adding that" Amanda is one of the most remarkable I have kno wn. It is truly a very strong couple. "

Beer Iraqis In late 2007 Amanda arrived in Baghdad, where he began working as a freelance fo r Press TV, which transmits an Iranian news channel in English 24 hours a day. I t was in the Hamra hotel in Baghdad where he met Andrea Stone, prestigious corre spondent USA Today, who was staying just a floor below. While working for differ ent media, often gather at night to drink beer and discuss the latest developmen ts in the country. "Amanda seemed full of energy, very bold, adventurous and fea rless," says Stone and supplements, saying "I remember vividly that he was not a bulletproof vest. Once he came to my room with a very thin summer clothing, wit h no protection against bullets . I told him he should try to get better protect ion, but had no resources for that. During that time there were several attacks in Sadr City, the main focus of problems in Baghdad, and she was there, dressed as an Iraqi woman, something very dangerous. Hours later, became very frightened . He said he was almost kidnapped by a group of Iraqi resistance, although the e xact details of the incident did not remember her, but she was really in shock.

" But despite the constant danger of the ruined streets of Baghdad, Amanda does no t intimidate easily. Well at least what he says, convinced her boss in Press TV, the Iranian Hamed Nematollahi editor: "Once it was broadcast live from the cent er of Baghdad to the newsletter noon, when suddenly he began to hear gunshots ne ar she. The presenter, who was in the air, he suggested suspending the release s o that he could take refuge, but she insisted on continuing to air. " According to Billy Holt, a photographer who met in Damascus, Syria, while the co uple expecting a visa to return to Baghdad for a second time, she was fascinated to talk about the things he had seen in Afghanistan and Iraq. "The first time w e spoke was in the hotel lobby. We talked a lot about them, things like torture, civilian casualties and political news. I also remember being excited by an old 50-millimeter camera he had bought and hoped to get a tape to record a document ary with her, "recalls Holt. The Billy Holt seen again only once more, in Istanbul, while taking a vacation f rom their work in Iraq. Found in a chat and agreed to join the front of the Blue Mosque, from where he made a tour of the city. "Amanda was wearing very fashion able. It is a very pretty girl, long hair, always made up. It's smart and advent urous, something that is obvious only one known. I think she really enjoyed the lifestyle that had, "says Holt from Iraq. It was at that meeting when the thin correspondent mahogany hair and blue eyes r evealed his desire to go to Somalia to make various reports. "It did not seem sc ared because I had been to many places hard. I think she had too much time in th e Middle East, it was looking to go to a different area," says Holt. Something s imilar is told of her friend USA Today: "I have talked to Amanda about her idea to go to Somalia because, as I said, things were too" boring "in Iraq and she wa nted to be where the action" Andrea Stone account.

The allegations of slavery Despite its significant experience in conflict areas, the arrival in Somalia hit hard. After 18 years of civil war, the extremely low African country still live s in a total political instability, and divided into small factions without a ce ntral government and numerous guerrilla groups that vie for power. With a per ca pita income of $ 600 a year, its eight million inhabitants are in abject poverty and most survive through agriculture. Others manage to gain lucrative merchant with piracy and kidnapping foreigners. As is Amanda Lindhout wrote in his last e-mail to friends in the Canadian TV Glo bal National, its purpose was "to report the deteriorating security situation in Somalia, but the food crisis which has affected 2.6 million persons. " It was in Mogadishu where he joined his partner Nigel Brennan, freelance photogr apher, also aged 35, who worked for the newspaper NewsMail, the Australian city of Bundaberg. "Nigel also had a humanitarian side and wanted to make a differenc e ... I wanted your pictures really mean something," says his former colleague S helley Heath. "Nigel is the same as Amanda: adventurous, intelligent and talente d. He always was deploying his ironic sense of humor. His social conscience and sense newsworthy, do you have the need to expose the injustices, "says Brenden A llan, a friend of Griffith University, a Spanish speaking almost perfect. Nigel had only had a week to Somalia. Both shared a passion for adventure and a strong social conscience. The connection must have been immediate. Hence, decide to nominate together three minutes of an interview for French television on IDP

s in the Somali refugee camp Afgooye, the most emblematic of the country, which faces a beautiful but dangerous beach the Indian Ocean, which only speaks the di alect Somali Digil and hide where the world famous Somali pirates. Iban When halfway down the road his car was forced to stop by a group armed with rifles. The translator spoke for Digil cell at the same time, it could warn tha t they were being kidnapped. Since then, very little reliable information on the case of Amanda Lindhout and her Australian escort. At three hours the occurrence of the incident, Somali news announced the kidnapp ing of a journalist, not to mention his name. This flash of various agencies was the Arabs who heard his former editor in chief in Iraq, who warned from the fir st second that this was it. "Our last conversation was by email, just two days b efore the kidnapping. He told me he was in a hotel in central Mogadishu and who would go to visit a refugee camp to report on the humanitarian situation and go with a translator, "says Hamed Nematollahi. "As she was chatting with, I was the first to say that the Canadian was kidnapped Amanda and I began contacting vari ous journalists. After a while, unfortunately, it was confirmed that she was "me ntioned, still under shock. Of the kidnappers little known. On October 26, 2008, requested a ransom of 2.5 m illion dollars, warning that if it was not canceled in 15 days, Amanda and Nigel would be killed. After that, they were given for dead. However, the January 15, 2009, the Somali cameraman that was released and came a week later, the kidnapp ers lowered their demand to $ 100,000 for the release of both freelancers. But last April the Terror Free Somalia Foundation stated that Amanda is pregnant with a baby of three months, and one of his captors would have inevitably becom e his wife. Even, according to an Italian newspaper article from the crude Il Co rriere della Sera, dated May 8, Amanda would have been turned into "sex slave" b y her captors. The Italian newspaper said that Nigel would not have run better l uck, as it would have been forced to marry two Somali women and converted to rad ical political Islam. However, none of this has been officially confirmed, altho ugh its reporters give TV fueled his sexual abuse. At the same time, it has open ed a debate among family, friends and correspondents in Europe, Canada and Austr alia about whether to publicize the amazing story of Amanda helps or disturbs th e negotiations for their release. Nonetheless, several reporters have complained that government has no lights to intercede for her and as a freelancer, working without a contract, your employer Gallo has not worked. A relative of Amanda apologized for referring to the item and a friend pointed o ut that there have been efforts to mediate the Nigerian authorities for their re lease, but still no results. Its nearby has undertaken numerous prayer chains an d different media, from radio to Alberta Al Jazeera, seeking to publicize her st ory. Meanwhile, his family and friends expected to see, with his perfect smile a nd his desire to show injustice social. As Richard Johnson says, with admiration for someone who is only a woman: "The world needs more Amandas Lindhout.

Nicole Guevara Saffi / Carlos Saldibia Journalists