[21.15 GMT] More on Susanne Osthoff, who has happily been freed in Iraq. Married to a Jordanian, in her professional work she was engaged in documenting archaeological sites looted in Iraq after the US-led invasion. She was widely cited in the media during this period.
This from a 2003 NY Times article:
"In two weeks, they have ruined all the work that was done over 15 years," said Susanne Osthoff, an archaeologist who worked with a German team that excavated at Isin from the mid-1970's until 1989....
Ms Osthoff, who returned to Iraq shortly before American forces overthrew the government of [Saddam] Hussein, was alerted by local villagers who were horrified by the destruction at Isin.
Protected by old friends, Ms Osthoff waded into the mob of heavily-armed diggers four days ago and then escorted two journalists to the site again on Wednesday.
"They [the looters] are poor people, and they are desperate to make some money," she said today. "But they do not understand what they are doing."