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BBC reporter kidnapped in Gaza
 Bored?GAZA CITY (AFP) - Armed men have kidnapped a British correspondent for the BBC in the volatile Gaza Strip, Palestinian security sources said Monday. Alan Johnston, who is the BBC's primary journalist in Gaza, was snatched from a car on Palestine Street in Gaza City not far from his office. He had been coming from the Erez checkpoint, the main crossing point between Gaza and Israel, they said. Oh, talkin to the Jews, eh? Seize him! Armed men stopped his car and forced Johnston out before driving off with him, the sources added. C'mon, Scoops, ya comin with us... The Palestinian interior ministry and the presidency ordered all security services and police to search for the missing journalist, security sources said. Mahmoud, round up the usual suspects. And don't forget to ask for a cut. The BBC bureau in Jerusalem declined to comment on the report. Must be too busy looking for their checkbook. Abductions of foreigners have been fairly common in the impoverished Gaza Strip, with 20 such cases over the past year. Oh, well, then I guess it's okay... In most instances, the kidnappers used the hostages as bargaining chips to gain concessions from the Palestinian Authority, and the detainees were released unharmed within days. Just one of those quaint local customs in Gaza. You really haven't been there unless you do it... Posted by: tu3031 2007-03-12 |
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