- (Note - Yvonne Ridley is author of Ticket To Paradise,
a novel based on true experiences, published by Dandelion Books www.dandelionbooks.net)
North journalist Yvonne Ridley was the target of bomb threats while on
a lecture tour of American universities.
The former Sunday Sun reporter was given police protection while speaking
at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
The 43-year-old was giving a series of talks about the role of the media
in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
Yvonne hit the headlines in 2001 when she was held by the Taliban in Afghanistan
for 10 days, and has since converted to Islam.
She said: "I was giving talks around several universities in the state
of Florida about media lies and manipulation with regard to the Iraqi and
Afghan wars.
"I was at the last one and the organisers said there had been threats
made, so they swept the lecture theatre for bombs and I was given an armed
police guard.
"The threats were anonymous and were directed at me and anyone attending
the lecture. We went ahead with it anyway and it was packed out."
Yvonne, from Stanley, County Durham, was travelling around the States with
11-year-old daughter Daisy.
The threats were made in a series of anonymous phone calls on March 31.
Yvonne added: "Daisy remained in the hotel while I gave the talk.
I have had threats made before, but I must admit I felt a bit on edge in
the States, especially with Daisy there.
"They were taken seriously enough and the authorities weren't taking
any chances.
"On the whole I just try to take things like that in my stride, because
if you don't you'd spend all your life thinking, `What if?' "
A spokesman for the University of Central Florida said: "We will always
take any steps that are thought necessary to protect anybody coming to
the university."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-
- TICKET TO PARADISE-A NON-STOP MYSTERY THRILLER FROM YVONNE
RIDLEY
Judith Tempest, a British reporter, is searching for the Truth. But when
it starts to spill out in her brilliant front page reportage of Middle
East suicide bombing in retaliation for Israeli tanks mowing down innocent
Palestinian women and children, both ?Tempest? and ?Truth? start to spell
?Trouble?-- with a capital ?T?, joke her friends and colleagues.
Tempest rides the waves of passion from lovers and fiancés who promise
her the world yet give her enough reason to believe that ?World? is laced
with all the trappings of deception?and betrayal.
The story unfolds in a non-stop mystery thriller that begins two days before
America?s tragic 9/11 in a marble bathtub decked with candles, coke and
champagne at New York?s Regent Hotel and tears along at a reckless pace
of passion, betrayal, adventure and espionage.
-
- _____
-
- TICKET TO PARADISE by Yvonne Ridley Dandelion Books ISBN
1-893302-77-6 $17.95
-
- Online orders: http://www.dandelionbooks.net/books.html#ridley
Toll Free orders: 1-800-861-7899 Address for sending check or money order
[$17.95 + $5.86 S &H]
-
- Dandelion Books 5250 South Hardy Drive ? Ste. 3067 Tempe,
AZ 85283
|
