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Hamas says BBC reporter's abductors ID'd
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - The Hamas-led Palestinian government on Tuesday said it has identified the kidnappers of a BBC journalist abducted in Gaza by four masked gunmen, and hopes to free him soon. We're just working out the split... The abduction Monday of BBC television correspondent Alan Johnston was the latest in a string of kidnappings of foreign journalists in the Gaza Strip. Oh, c'mon now. Just the Pali version of harmless fun. Government spokesman Ghazi Hamad said the kidnapping hurt the Palestinian cause. "The kidnappers have no nationalism, they want a cheap reward," he said. "They are well-known, and we hope he will be found today." Yeah, leave that cheap reward stuff to us, the professionals. Hamad spoke at a protest in front of the BBC office, where 30 Palestinian reporters called for the journalist's quick release. Johnston, originally from Scotland, had been reporting from Gaza for the past three years. In a statement Tuesday, the BBC said it still had no confirmation of his whereabouts: "We are working closely with the Palestinian authorities and others to establish the facts surrounding the situation." We wish they'd tell us how much so we can get this over with... In the past 18 months, more than a dozen foreign journalists and aid workers have been abducted in Gaza, an area plagued by crime, political violence and lawlessness. Most of the kidnappings have been carried out by gunmen seeking favors from the government or trying to settle scores with rivals. Hey, we kidnapped this guy. Can we have jobs as cops? Sure. Why not. In most cases, victims have been released unharmed within hours. An exception was the abduction of two Fox News employees last summer who were held for two weeks, prompting many foreign journalists to shy from entering Gaza. Oh, c'mon guys. It puts you in the front of the Express line to convert to Islam. Posted by: tu3031 2007-03-13 |
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