July 03, 2007 09:02 AM
BBC's Alan Johnston Released
Some really great news...
BBC: (h/t NonnyMouse)
BBC correspondent Alan Johnston has been released by kidnappers in the Gaza Strip after 114 days in captivity.
Mr Johnston, 45, was handed over to armed men in Gaza City. He said his ordeal was like "being buried alive" but it was "fantastic" to be free.
And he described how he had been unable to see the sun for three months, and had once been chained for 24 hours.
Rallies worldwide had called for Mr Johnston's release. An online petition was signed by some 200,000 people.
Yay Alan!
Great to see someone getting a happy outcome to one of these kidnap stories.
The only way the Palestinians are going to get their story told is by allowing westerners into their territory. Kidnapping a journalist is perhaps the very HEIGHT of stupidty. I'm glad this guy got a good outcome.
BTW, it's guys like this that give journalists a GOOD name. Unlike the hacks who pass for journalists in the American press.
IN fraud we trust
that s exactly what Palestinians said for days , that it hurts their cause . Mr Johnston lived for a few years in Gaza and covered the news when no one dared to come and show the crimes of the IDF . he was the friend of the paelstinians and they loved him too . many have been demonstrating for weeks , many went on a hunger strike . but the warlords like Dahlan PInochet (as he is called nowadays ) has been paying thugs to cause trouble in Gaza so he can over . the Plan of Keith Dayton was that Hamas is destroyed so fatah , can take over from where they were . Democracy , the people dont count .
thank god now Gaza is being sanitized from the Trouble makers , and even drug dealers too . a treasure of documents and how fatah collaborated with the israelis against the palestinian people (for power and money )
Im very happy that Mr johsnton is free . i was praying for him daily .
[Deleted. I'd like to say "Shut up" to you here, but I won't-Sitemonitor]
thank god.
In FRAUD we trust @ 2:
It's largely in part because Alan Johnston was a good reporter, a brave man who stayed in Gaza long after most other journalists had picked up and gone home, reporting the news fairly and honestly, that he is still alive. Even the kidnappers respected him, and knew killing him would incur a backlash from their own people. Can you imagine anyone from Fox having that kind of cache? Sometimes, being a good journalist is, literally, a lifesaver.
That's a nice ending to that story. [Deleted-Sitemonitor].
I am happy he has been freed. I'll also be happy to hear a few in Guantanamo (and elsewhere; secret torture camps) say the same thing.
So the israelis finally released him, eh? Just like the Scandinavian and the Aussie, also "kidnapped by the Palestinians" during israel's loss to the Lebanese last summer --- parallels and more fakery by the mossad, who are exposed daily for years now.
I don't want to take anything away from Mr. Johnston's suffering. But the way he described life in captivity made me immediately think of Gitmo detainees. Maybe Gov. Huckabee can tell us about Arkansas drug offenders who would be delighted to exchange places with Mr. Johnston?
Fabulous news - I have been listening to Alan's reports from Gaza for a couple of years and could not believe the stupidity of taking one of the few reporters presenting a reasonably balanced view captive. I hope he has a long holiday before being posted somewhere safe but not boring.
I've been following his case on the BBC morning report on NPR and this is like the one glimmer of good news in the past couple days. I'm so glad he's safe!
What was done to Johnston is being done every day by the US to persons not charged. And the Congress gave Bush complete license last fall in the Military Commissions Act, which violates the Constitution. 12 Dem Senators voted for it. Suppose they read the bill? Sounds like they will get a chance to redeem themselves. Wonder if any of them will? Carper, Johnson, Landrieu, Lautenberg, Lieberman, Menendez, Nelson, Nelson, Pryor, Rockefeller, Salazar, Stabenow, along with Brown, who was in the House in '06. These folks are on a very dark list.
JoeP @ 9:
Hey, did you hear about the recently declassified material that you can put on your windows to keep the CIA from controlling your mind? Should make a great replacement for that worn out tin foil hat you're wearing.
nesreen @ 3:
You can keep your sanitization there in Gaza, thank you very much. Given that Hamas just staged a violent coup to take control of Gaza, I wouldn't say Democracy counts very much for those still supporting Hamas. Say, you're not at summer camp, are you? Enjoy your Sharia Law.
Blessed are the peacemakers. Cursed are the war-liars.
"The only way the Palestinians are going to get their story told is by allowing westerners into their territory."
There was no "the Palestinians" when he was kidnapped. The place was in chaos because Fatah (with support from Israel, surprise) was trying to overthrow the elected government. The group that took him was not one of the factions, but a mujahideen group that had come to "assist" Hamas, the same sort of clowns who fire rockets into Israel (think about it-- what does that achieve from the Hamas govt's POV? Recall that the blitz in London during WWII only made people hate the Germans more. Do you think Hamas don't understand that?). In truth, Hamas' position would in some ways be strengthened if they weren't there.
marcos @ 15:
You are apparently unaware of the fact that Hamas had won the elections last year, fair and sqaure, monitored by international observers, including Jimmy Carter. Then Israel didn't like the idea of Hamas winning, so they started kidnapping Hamas parliament members and assasinating others, while at the same time supporting the Fatah party which at that point should have been OUT. So to snap back with "Hamas staged a coup isn't democratic" is ignorant. You then pepper your comments with Fox type slogans: "Enjoy your Sharia Law".
If anything Hamas has finally restored order to Gaza. They also do a much better job at providing the people with social services including health care.
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