[1] The four CPTs had planned to visit the Muslim Clerics Association, an influential group of Sunni religious leaders formed in 2003 after the collapse of the former regime.
Their goal is to document and publicize abuses of human rights occurring in the country, especially in relation to detainees, and to advocate for peaceful solutions to conflict.
During the crisis, the CPT Iraq team issued statements asking that the hostages be freed so they could continue their work.
CPT condemned the actions of the kidnappers, but maintained pacifist principles by refusing to call for any violent rescue effort.
[2] The kidnappings led to widespread sympathy and support, with calls for their release coming from diverse Muslim, Christian and secular groups in the West and Middle East.
[3] The kidnappers called themselves the Swords of Righteousness Brigade, and published a video shown worldwide on November 29, 2005 by Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera, in which they claimed the hostages were spies.
On March 10, 2006 the body of Tom Fox was found atop a garbage dump in Baghdad, killed by gunshot wounds to the head and chest.
[9] In the early hours of 23 March 2006, as part of Operation Lightwater, the SAS carried out Operation Ney 3: their target was a house in Mishahda, 20 miles northwest of Baghdad, they found two men they were looking for, whom revealed under pressure during interrogation/tactical questioning the location of the hostages in western Baghdad.
CPT co-director Doug Pritchard stated that they did not want a "military raid" to occur and preferred to work with diplomats.
Maj. Gen Rick Lynch, the briefer at Multi-National Force – Iraq Headquarters exploited Operation Lightwater success to counter stories from the previous months of Iraqi prisoner abuse, telling reporters that "the key point is it was intelligence-led.
"[16] On December 8, 2006, the three ex-hostages held a press conference at St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation, in London, to announce that they would not testify at the trial of their captors if there was a risk they will face execution.
On June 5, 2008, Christian Peacemaker Teams published a collection of essays by those involved in the crisis including Kember, Sooden and Loney.
[21] The book was initially self-published after two different religious publishing houses insisted on changes to a chapter written by Dan Hunt, Loney's same-sex partner.