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Alan Johnston released?

ThePresence

ThePresence

Elite Member
Looks like it might be happening. Savvy move by Hamas, if true.

Text

GAZA (Reuters) - Alan Johnston, the BBC journalist held hostage in the Gaza Strip since March, was handed over by his Islamist captors to ruling Hamas officials on Wednesday, Palestinian sources close to negotiations for his release said.

The sources told Reuters they saw the 45-year-old Briton being taken into the care of officials from the Hamas movement, which seized full control of Gaza three weeks ago.

"He is sitting with his colleagues from the BBC office in Gaza," one of the witnesses said. "He is talking to them and he looks fine and well".

Johnston, the only Western correspondent working full-time in the troubled coastal enclave, went missing on March 12.

His captors later declared themselves to be the Army of Islam, an al Qaeda-inspired group with links to one of Gaza's powerful clans.

They issued Web videos showing Johnston and seeking the release of Islamists held prisoner by Britain and other states.

Most recently, after Hamas officials threatened to free him by force from the clan's stronghold, Johnston was shown wearing a suicide belt with the warning he would die if that happened.

In London, no immediate comment was available from the BBC or the British Foreign Office.
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Isn't it funny that the BBC put the story on the front page in a manner befitting world shaping events?

I guess it's time for the BBC to provide some positive publicity for Hamas.
 
Originally posted by: dna
Isn't it funny that the BBC put the story on the front page in a manner befitting world shaping events?

I guess it's time for the BBC to provide some positive publicity for Hamas.
Click to expand...
Could it be that they are happy that their own is free?

Just like our media covers their own reports who are hurt as if they are heros. I see nothing wrong with what the BBC is doing.
 
Originally posted by: dna
Isn't it funny that the BBC put the story on the front page in a manner befitting world shaping events?

I guess it's time for the BBC to provide some positive publicity for Hamas.
Click to expand...

It's also on the front page of:

CNN
Washington Post
MSNBC
FoxNews
etc, etc

It's a big story.
 
Official and confirmed:

BBC News

Listened to an interview with him on Radio 4 this morning. He deeply appreciated all the support which he first heard about via the BBC's Arabic radio channel, then the English version later on.
 
I'm suprised you guys didn't know him either! I thought, just as the presence, that everyone knew what had happened and who he was.

and dna and other nay sayers - both groups (Hamas and Fatah) have been working for a VERY long time to get this man released dating far long before the current situation. To cast this as propaganda is ridiculous when we should all be grateful and thankful that he came out alive, safe, and in good condition. His kid napping is something derided by the entire mid east, and repeatedly called a shame by major Palestinian groups (fatah and hamas) as well as papers.
Glad you are safe Mr. Johnston!

And ThePresence - there are many flamebaiters on both sides - let us hope they don't deride the focus of moderates.
 
Come on guys, Johnston ain't no Paris Hilton so how do you expect anyone to know who he is?


Originally posted by: ThePresence
LOL.
I gotta hand it to you.
You are an enormously talented flamebaiter.
Click to expand...
With his attitude towards terrorists you never know; he might seriously be thinking of them as good people. (must've been suckered into believing about their "social" work)
 
Originally posted by: dna
Come on guys, Johnston ain't no Paris Hilton so how do you expect anyone to know who he is?


<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: ThePresence
LOL.
I gotta hand it to you.
You are an enormously talented flamebaiter.</end quote></div>
With his attitude towards terrorists you never know; he might seriously be thinking of them as good people. (must've been suckered into believing about their "social" work)
Click to expand...

Yeah, I see you doubt all the good they've done for the Palestinians socially. I guess their martyrdom operations were the ONLY reason why they won in last year's election:roll:. I got to hand it to you, you hate anything and anybody that doesn't suck on Israel's teets. You are a genuine bigot through and through.
 
Social work with strings attached, i.e. you'll give us your first born, is not social work except by your standards.

Of course, you just want to turn a blind eye to where the money is coming from, and what are the interests of those providing the funds.

It's the same deal with Hezbollah: social work, but you must let us store some rockets in the back yard, or explosives in the closet.
 
Originally posted by: NarmerYeah, I see you doubt all the good they've done for the Palestinians socially. I guess their martyrdom operations were the ONLY reason why they won in last year's election:roll:. I got to hand it to you, you hate anything and anybody that doesn't suck on Israel's teets. You are a genuine bigot through and through.
Click to expand...

Positive social work.
Lousy governmental actions.

Just look at the summer camp that they are running.

For every generation that gets fed hatred, it will take at least two afterwards to cleanup the mess.

 
Originally posted by: dna
Come on guys, Johnston ain't no Paris Hilton so how do you expect anyone to know who he is?
Click to expand...
Bringing this SLIGHTLY back on topic....
I would think that those who actively participate in this forum would be reading news constantly and I find it REALLLLY hard to kind of "miss" this~ furthemore, your google bot skills of anything relating to Israel or Palestine can probably be argued as second to none dna.

Anyways here is some interested information:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6270020.stm


There are some articles earlier that I read and this is what I seemed to gather:

a) Save for the last few hours before he was released, he was not harmed at all.
b) He apparantly fell ill to some crappily cooked food at a period of time
c) He still had access to BBC radio, but without sunlight for many months
d) He was forced to say some things on TV which were not exactly true, although we don't know exactly what (although I remember him initially talking about how well his captors were treating him, but being in pitch black for many months kind of refutes that)
e) He understands and points out that these people are an aberration, and not the very kinda and hospitable average Palestinian that he knows.
And WOW at his latest pics, he is much lighter...I guess no sunlight really changes things!
 
meh, hamas creates the kind of enviroment where this kind of thing is ok. course now that they want funding they will hand him back😛

lets see if they hand back the israeli soldier.😛
 
Originally posted by: dna
Social work with strings attached, i.e. you'll give us your first born, is not social work except by your standards.

Of course, you just want to turn a blind eye to where the money is coming from, and what are the interests of those providing the funds.

It's the same deal with Hezbollah: social work, but you must let us store some rockets in the back yard, or explosives in the closet.
Click to expand...

There you go lying again...It must come naturally.
 
Originally posted by: Narmer
There you go lying again...It must come naturally.
Click to expand...
Apparently your universe does not intersect with ours, otherwise you'd be aware of the other "social" activities that Hamas and Hezbollah embark on.

Perhaps you'd like to inspect their social activities involving kids?
For your viewing pleasure, Farfour's Beatdown.

Or maybe Hezbolla's summer camps for children?

I must be lying again....
 
Originally posted by: dna
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Narmer
There you go lying again...It must come naturally.</end quote></div>
Apparently your universe does not intersect with ours, otherwise you'd be aware of the other "social" activities that Hamas and Hezbollah embark on.

Perhaps you'd like to inspect their social activities involving kids?
For your viewing pleasure, Farfour's Beatdown.

Or maybe Hezbolla's summer camps for children?

I must be lying again....
Click to expand...

You lied by implying that Hamas' social work includes a contract for children they help. No such thing exist. If it does, point it out or else you're a liar.
 
Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
meh, hamas creates the kind of enviroment where this kind of thing is ok. course now that they want funding they will hand him back😛

lets see if they hand back the israeli soldier.😛
Click to expand...

Hamas was not the group holding him captive, instead a powerful family (calling themselves 'Army of Islam') which did not like Hamas did. Johnston said in an interview that his captors got frustrated once Fatah lost power to Hamas, apparently Fatah wasn't really putting any pressure on them to release Johnston.
Hamas captured one or more high-placed members of the group a few days ago, guess that scared them a bit.

Regarding the soldier they have always claimed to be at war with Israel, as Israel claims to be at war with Hamas. Hamas has often condemned groups kipnapping journalists though.
 
Originally posted by: Narmer
You lied by implying that Hamas' social work includes a contract for children they help. No such thing exist. If it does, point it out or else you're a liar.
Click to expand...
Pretending to be obtuse -- how unusual for you.
 
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