As soon as the holy warriors in Basra discovered they had kidnapped a British journalist, they started treating him like what he was—a true friend: Kidnapped UK journalist released. (Hat tip: overwatch.)

He thanked Mr Sadr’s aides for working for his release and said once his kidnappers had known he was a journalist, he had been “treated well”.

Mr Brandon was kidnapped by 30 masked gunmen from his hotel room in the southern Iraqi city on Thursday night.

In a hastily arranged press conference after his release, Mr Brandon, from London, thanked his kidnappers.

He said: “Initially I was treated roughly, but once they knew I was a journalist I was treated well and I want to say thank you to the people who kidnapped me.”

Here’s a poem originally brought to my attention by LGF reader “canadian lady:”

The British Journalist

You cannot hope
to bribe or twist,
Thank God! the British journalist.

But, seeing what
the man will do
unbribed, there’s no occasion to.

  —Humbert Wolfe