3 Freed Americans Arrive in Jordan, Say U.S. Did Nothing to Help Them

Three Americans, waving Iraqi flags and criticizing the U.S. government, arrived in Jordan today after being freed by Saddam Hussein.

The freed Americans, whose families had traveled to Iraq to plead with Hussein for their release, told reporters at the Amman airport that the Bush Administration had ignored their plight.

“I was not released with help from my government,” said John Stevenson of Panama City, Fla. “It was my family who did it.”

Clyde Jesse, of Buffalo Grove, Ill., suggested the United States should negotiate with Hussein. “I believe it is time we started talking,” he said.

The other freed American was Fred Harrington of Bellevue, Wash. Ten Britons and five Germans were released as well. The women in the British group carried flowers; the Americans waved the U.S. and Iraqi flags.

Also today, Hussein said an undisclosed number of Americans will be allowed to leave the country with former boxing champion Muhammad Ali.

Hussein, talking on Baghdad television, said: “We will not let Haji Muhammad Ali return without taking with him a number of Americans who would be allowed to leave.”

At the United Nations, the Security Council today heard stories of murder, rape, torture and looting as a parade of Kuwaiti exiles gave evidence of atrocities they said had been carried out by Iraqi troops since the Aug. 2 invasion of their country.

Their accounts were interspersed with the showing of videotapes depicting injuries and damage said to have been caused by the Iraqis, as well as tapes of demonstrations by Kuwaitis protesting the invasion.

Kuwaiti Ambassador Mohammed Abulhasan, who prepared the presentation, said the intimidation, humiliation and organized pillaging “recalls to mind the era of pirates and wars of the primitive ages.”