[14.10 GMT] Christians defend Iraq nonviolence tactics against critics (Ekklesia, UK) - Christian Peacemaker Teams spokesperson Peggy Gish, who also writes for Ekklesia, told the BBC World At One Programme: “All of us on the Iraq team have taken a great risk – but we still look back on our work as very important.” She continued: “I don’t think we have been irresponsible. There are people being killed and tortured in Iraq …on a daily basis. We are reporting human rights abuses, and we believe that when governments and agencies are watching and acting [on these], this reduces the amount of violence going on.” Concluded Ms Gish: “We are all very excited and deeply grateful that [our friends] have been restored to us. But we continue to mourn the loss of Tom Fox.” She said that it was unfair to say that the CPTers had put the lives of others at risk, since the Team has repeatedly said that it does not want violence used to release its captives. That was also a pledge made by Norman Kember, Jim Loney, Harmeet Sooden and Tom Fox. Christian Peacemaker Teams has welcomed the fact that no-one was killed or injured in the multilateral operation which freed the hostages. Additional: Peggy Gish at Voices in the Wilderness; Iraq - A Journey of Hope and Peace, by Peggy Gish (Herald Press, 2004 - pic is of cover); Indymedia UK - Eyewitness Iraq; CPTnet July Releases: IRAQ: Letter from Peggy Gish; Peggy Gish on Ekklesia and related sites.