http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5290374.stm?ls Seized journalists freed in Gaza
The men were seen hugging colleagues in the hotel lobby <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/3681938.stm> Journalists speak out Two foreign journalists kidnapped in Gaza City have been released after nearly two weeks in captivity. American Steve Centanni and New Zealander Olaf Wiig of US organisation Fox News were dropped off at a Gaza City beach-front hotel. Mr Centanni said they were forced at gunpoint to convert to Islam. They stated their conversion in a video released before they were set free. The captors had called for the release of "Muslim prisoners" in the US. The US had rejected the demands. Their abduction was one of the longest of foreigners in Gaza in years. 'Fanning flames' The pair were seized from their vehicle near the Palestinian security services' headquarters on 14 August, and held by a previously unknown group calling themselves the Holy Jihad Brigades. I hope that this never scares a single journalist away from coming to Gaza to cover the story because the Palestinian people are very beautiful and kind hearted Steve Centanni Speaking after their release, Mr Centanni told Fox News they had been forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint. "I have the highest respect for Islam... but it was something we felt we had to do because they had the guns and we didn't know what the hell was going on," he said by telephone from Gaza City. In the video released on Sunday, the journalists read haltingly from prepared statements, in which they criticised Western intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan. US President George W Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair were accused of fanning the flames of anger in the Muslim world. 'Story must be told' First footage of the pair after they were dropped off at Gaza's Beach Hotel showed them hugging colleagues inside the hotel lobby before running up the stairs. The pair later appeared at a brief news conference alongside Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya in which they spoke of their joy at being free and concerns that their abduction might deter other foreign journalists from reporting in Gaza. "I hope that this never scares a single journalist away from coming to Gaza to cover the story because the Palestinian people are very beautiful and kind-hearted," Mr Centanni said. "The world needs to know more about them. Don't be discouraged." Mr Wiig also urged journalists not to be put off, saying that "would be a great tragedy for the people of Gaza". Mr Wiig's wife, former BBC News presenter Anita McNaught, who was also at the news conference, thanked Palestinian officials and Fox News for their efforts in getting the men released. She had been prominent in calling for the men's release and met Mr Haniya to discuss the kidnappings. After the news conference the men travelled to the Erez border crossing in the northern Gaza Strip and crossed into Israel. A deadline set by the kidnappers for their demands to be met expired at midday (0900 GMT) on Saturday. Over the past two years, a number of foreigners have been kidnapped in Gaza. All have been freed unharmed. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
