Missing BBC correspondent 'alive'

[mohammed farah]

Missing BBC reporter Alan Johnston is still alive, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says.

"Our intelligence services have confirmed to me that he's alive," Mr Abbas told reporters in Sweden.

Johnston, 44, has not been seen since he was seized at gunpoint on his way home in Gaza City on 12 March.

On Sunday, an unknown militant group said it had killed him, but the BBC said it could not verify the claim.

Mr Abbas said he knew which group was holding Mr Johnston but did not give any details.

'Good news'

Mr Johnston's father, Graham, said he was delighted at the report.

"That's good news, that's really good news," he said.

"This is the news I've been waiting to hear and I don't think the Palestinian president would say this unless he was convinced it was true.

"But we still don't have proof of life. That's what I want desperately. It's been nearly six weeks now."

In a statement, the BBC also welcomed the report, adding that it wanted "firm evidence of Alan's well-being and his immediate release".

Protests against Mr Johnston's kidnap have been held in Britain, the Palestinian territories and other parts of the Middle East almost daily since his abduction.

On Wednesday, a leader of Mr Abbas' Fatah movement jailed in Israel, Marwan Barghouti, added his voice to calls for the reporter's release.

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/6573115.stm

[Muezzin]

This group should just let the guy go already. If they're trying to foster support for Palestine, this is totally the wrong way to go about it, Islamically and tactically. The guy is a non-combatant.

[Keltoi]

If taking Israeli soldiers hostage doesn't make Israel cave in, what do they think will change by kidnapping a BBC reporter? Just a hunch, but I doubt the fate of a BBC reporter is high on Israel's list of priorities.

[Ninth_Scribe]

This group should just let the guy go already.

I agree.

The Ninth Scribe

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[glo]

You can sign a petition here for Alam Johnston's release.

Leading members of Britain's Palestinian community have called for the immediate release of kidnapped BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston.

Peace

[Sami Zaatari]

You can sign a petition here for Alam Johnston's release.

Leading members of Britain's Palestinian community have called for the immediate release of kidnapped BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston.

Peace

lol this is pathetic, especially from arabs and muslims, see we already know that westerners in general are filled with double standards etc, but for muslims and arabs to be doing all this work to free this reporter who is fine and going to be released eventually is sad, sell outs if you ask me. why dont they do as much work and hold as much protests for the thousands of palestinians being held in israel in terrible conditions, and even subject to torture? many of the prisoners include WOMEN, why dont they give as much attention to that than this? sheesh, so instead of wasting your time to free a man who is getting fed well, and treated well, and who will be released soon, why dont you spend your time being concerned for your muslim brothers and sisters being tortured and held up in terrible conditions? and then we muslims complain about why were treated like cr@p and so on, this is why, muslims being held up for years in israeli jails and no one cares, a western christian held up for a few weeks and the whole muslim-arab world goes crazy, you think Allah is actually going to help such sell outs? i dont think so.

[glo]

lol this is pathetic, especially from arabs and muslims, see we already know that westerners in general are filled with double standards etc, but for muslims and arabs to be doing all this work to free this reporter who is fine and going to be released eventually is sad, sell outs if you ask me. why dont they do as much work and hold as much protests for the thousands of palestinians being held in israel in terrible conditions, and even subject to torture? many of the prisoners include WOMEN, why dont they give as much attention to that than this? sheesh, so instead of wasting your time to free a man who is getting fed well, and treated well, and who will be released soon, why dont you spend your time being concerned for your muslim brothers and sisters being tortured and held up in terrible conditions? and then we muslims complain about why were treated like cr@p and so on, this is why, muslims being held up for years in israeli jails and no one cares, a western christian held up for a few weeks and the whole muslim-arab world goes crazy, you think Allah is actually going to help such sell outs? i dont think so.

Thing is, Alan was one of the last (or indeed the very last) Western reporter to inform the West on the terrible things happening in Gaza. It is in everybody's interest that he is released and continues to inform the world.

I have not said that I have no concern for Muslim brothers and sisters. I am sure there are many threads highlighting their plight.
This thread was started with Alan Johnston in mind.

Out of interest, do you know that he is fed, watered and cared for?
Do you know that he will be released soon?
Incidentally, I didn't know he was a Christian either.
You seem to know much more than I do, and I would ask you to share your source of information with us.

May God's peace reign for all of us.

[Sami Zaatari]

Thing is, Alan was one of the last (or indeed the very last) Western reporter to inform the West on the terrible things happening in Gaza. It is in everybody's interest that he is released and continues to inform the world.

I have not said that I have no concern for Muslim brothers and sisters. I am sure there are many threads highlighting their plight.
This thread was started with Alan Johnston in mind.

Out of interest, do you know that he is fed, watered and cared for?
Do you know that he will be released soon?
Incidentally, I didn't know he was a Christian either.
You seem to know much more than I do, and I would ask you to share your source of information with us.

May God's peace reign for all of us.

hey i aint saying the guys bad or shud be continued to held, all im saying is that arabs and muslims should give the very same attention to palestinian prisoners being held in israel.

the reason i say hes being treated well etc is because hamas, and fatah (abbas) say they know whos holding him, which is the biggest and most powerful palestinian tribal familly clan in gaza, and this clan has in the past kidnapped other westerners, and they released them, they never harmed the prisoners or treated them badly, so they have a record of being good to prisoners, i dont think its going to change over-night with a journalist whom as you said has discussed the terrible crimes commited against the palestinians. in general most kidnappings of westerners in gaza has always come out with the same conclusion, they get released, get treated well etc. this time theyve only kept him longer hoping to get something out of it.

[glo]

hey i aint saying the guys bad or shud be continued to held, all im saying is that arabs and muslims should give the very same attention to palestinian prisoners being held in israel.

We are in agreement then. :)

Peace

[Keltoi]

I'm not in agreement. Kidnapping a journalist is completely counter-productive, and any Palestinian with an inkling of reality understands this. That is why the Palestinian government, even Hamas, is concerned about getting this guy released. It is in the best interests of everyone involved that this guy go home soon.

[glo]

I'm not in agreement. Kidnapping a journalist is completely counter-productive, and any Palestinian with an inkling of reality understands this. That is why the Palestinian government, even Hamas, is concerned about getting this guy released. It is in the best interests of everyone involved that this guy go home soon.

Hi Keltoi

I am not agreeing that kidnapping a journalist (or anybody else for that matter) is in any way, shape or form acceptable. And neither did Sami Zaatari.

What I did agree with is that all people who are unfairly held captive deserve the same public attention, regardless of their background, race or religion.

Alan Johnston has done much to report the problems in Gaza to the Western world. His kidnapping has meant that the West is now much more uninformed.
I pray that he really is safe and sound, and that he will be released unharmed.

Peace

[Keltoi]

Hi Keltoi

I am not agreeing that kidnapping a journalist (or anybody else for that matter) is in any way, shape or form acceptable. And neither did Sami Zaatari.

What I did agree with is that all people who are unfairly held captive deserve the same public attention, regardless of their background, race or religion.

Alan Johnston has done much to report the problems in Gaza to the Western world. His kidnapping has meant that the West is now much more uninformed.
I pray that he really is safe and sound, and that he will be released unharmed.

Peace

I know that you don't believe anybody should be kidnapped. That wasn't what I meant. We know that Alan Johnston was unfairly kidnapped. I'm sure there are Palestinians in prison who do not deserve to be there, just as I'm sure there are Israelis in prison who do not deserve to be there. The point is that kidnapping a journalist does much more damage to the Palestinian cause than kidnapping almost anyone else.

[glo]

I know that you don't believe anybody should be kidnapped. That wasn't what I meant. We know that Alan Johnston was unfairly kidnapped. I'm sure there are Palestinians in prison who do not deserve to be there, just as I'm sure there are Israelis in prison who do not deserve to be there. The point is that kidnapping a journalist does much more damage to the Palestinian cause than kidnapping almost anyone else.

Yep :(

[glo]

I didn't spot a new thread on this, but here is today's news!

Alan Johnston has been released!

Praise God!

This is what he said in an interview following his release:

"The last 16 weeks have been the very worst of my life," he said. "I was in the hands of people who were dangerous and unpredictable"
[...]
Having worked in Gaza for the past three years, Mr Johnston said he was well aware of Palestinian traditions of hospitality and regarded his abductors as an "aberration".

He described his experience of captivity as "appalling" and "occasionally quite terrifying".

"It became quite hard to imagine normal life again," he said.

The BBC reporter was handed over to officials of the Hamas administration in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
[...]
A senior Hamas official, Mahmoud Zahar, said no deal was done with the kidnappers to secure Mr Johnston's release.

He added that Hamas did not work towards the release "to receive favours from the British government".

"We did this because of humanitarian concern, and to achieve a government aim to extend security to all without fear."

Full article http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/6267928.stm

Peace

[guyabano]

We did this because of humanitarian concern, and to achieve a government aim to extend security to all without fear

Now what should I think about this one? Since when is Hamas concerned about humaniatrian actions?

[mohammed farah]

Now what should I think about this one? Since when is Hamas concerned about humaniatrian actions?

Since they won the election.

[Zman]

Now what should I think about this one? Since when is Hamas concerned about humaniatrian actions?

Sure why not. It's not an absolute impossibility.

At the very least, it shows that when it comes to crunch time, they can pull deals off, when given the chance.

They were able to achieve this, while Fatah failed at it. It goes to show that 2 captains guiding the same ship, won't work.

That crime family which held the reporter felt added pressure when Hamas was in complete & sole control of Gaza. They know when Hamas says they'll do something, they back it up. Pretty much like NasrAllah of Hizbullah.

Well, I'm happy for the Journalist and his family.

Now that Hamas secured his release from this unjust imprisonment, will the West secure the release of Gaza's population from Israeli & Western imprisonment?

I doubt it, but time will ultimately tell...

[Cognescenti]

Somebody (other than the actual kidnappers) knew where this guy was the whole time. Something is rank here.

[Keltoi]

Somebody (other than the actual kidnappers) knew where this guy was the whole time. Something is rank here.

Of course they knew where he was. Regardless, at least the man is free and unharmed. The backroom political stuff takes a backseat to that important turn of events.