Snapped Shot

You can catch all of the details at the links below, but to make a long story short, Alan Johnson, the BBC reporter who was held captive by a rogue clan in the Gaza Strip, has been freed after roughly 114 days of captivity last night. His liberty followed a series of rather serious threats issued by the Hamas "authorities," who insisted that they were going to take "serious" action if his freedom were not immediately attained.

Most likely, the above can be summed up in one word: Ransom. That's merely speculation, of course.

In any case, it is delightful to see Alan escape unharmed. May he remain safe in his future endeavours!

See Also:

LGF, Working Group for the Mideast Peace Process, Conflict Blotter, Elder of Ziyon

It turns out that kidnapped BBC reporter Alan Johnson has been featured in a video just released by the "Army of Islam." I haven't seen the video yet, but Pat Dollard is all over it!

Video of Alan Johnson, found on an Islamic militant web site.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Kidnapped British reporter Alan Johnston appeared Friday in a videotape posted on an Islamic militant Web site, saying his captors had treated him well, denouncing Israel and blasting Britain’s Mideast policy. It was the first sign of life from him since he was abducted almost three months ago.

There was no way to tell when the video was recorded, and it was not clear why his captors chose this time to post it. The British Broadcasting Corp. journalist, who has been covering the Palestinian territories for three years, has a reputation for objectivity, and it seemed likely he was reciting what he was told to say.

The videotape appeared on the Al-Ekhlaas Web site, frequently used by Islamic militants. It bore the logo of the Army of Islam, the shadowy Palestinian group that had been believed to be holding the 45-year-old reporter.

Johnston looked fit and calm during the three minutes he spoke.

“My captors have treated me very well, they’ve fed me well, there has been no violence towards me at all and I am in good health,” he said in his opening remarks—then launched into a diatribe against Israel and British Mideast policy.

“In three years here in the Palestinian territories I witnessed the huge suffering of the Palestinian people, and my message is that the suffering is continuing and it is unacceptable,” he said, blaming Israel.

No word on whether he was merely restating the BBC's official policy towards Israel, or whether he was reading a script provided by his captors.

According to Iranian sources, Bob Levinson has been released from custody, and has been returned to the United States. Far be it from me to suggest that Iranian sources are lying, but the State Department is so far unable to confirm the statement on any level.

Robert Levinson, still missing.

US officials have not confirmed the return of a former FBI agent that Washington claimed had gone missing in the Iranian island of Kish.

Iranian sources reported on Thursday that former FBI Agent, Robert Levinson, had returned to his country.

State Department spokesman Karl Duckworth said that the department was aware of unconfirmed accounts in the media that he had departed from Iran.

However, he stated that the US will continue to work with the Swiss Embassy in Iran to get information on Levinson's whereabouts.

I'll keep you posted if I hear more.

Today seems to be a good day for catching up on our kidnapping stories, it seems. Robert Levinson, an American citizen and ex-FBI counterfeiting expert, went missing in Iran in early March. Now, via Sweetness & Light, we learn that some rather interesting questions have arisen in his case, which is reported to be getting the attention of the highest levels of the American government:

Robert Levinson, missing in Iran.

Just why Robert Levinson, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent and now private investigator, should venture into Iran to meet a American fugitive wanted for murder in the US remains a mystery that the highest Bush administration authorities are trying to unravel.

As the Financial Times revealed this week, Mr Levinson disappeared on March 8 after a six-hour meeting on the Iranian island of Kish with Dawud Salahuddin, an American who converted to Islam and was recruited by revolutionaries to assassinate an Iranian opposition activist near Washington in 1980.

Friends of Mr Levinson are mystified that he took the risk of travelling for such a meeting. They fear he is the victim of a sting operation by Iranian secret services engaged in an escalating “dirty war” between the US and Iran, involving hostage-taking and covert cross- border operations.

Charles is tracking a rumour that Alan Johnson, a BBC reporter who was kidnapped almost a month ago by the "peace-loving" "Palestinian" people, has been murdered. This is somewhat in line with the traffic I've been seeing from Google, by the way, as I've seen a large number of searches hit me for the keywords Alan Johnson BEHEADED in the past week.

This does put something of a kibosh on the previous theory that he had staged his own kidnapping, though I suppose it's still possible that he could have been double-crossed by his associates in such an endeavour.

In an interesting turn of events, questions have now been raised by Al-Hayat that the BBC's Alan Johnson, who was kidnapped almost a month ago, may have perhaps staged his own kidnapping, after learning that he was close to being fired. (h/t LGF)

I think I'll take this little tidbit with a grain of salt. For one, I'm not sure how trustworthy Al-Hayat is as a source, and for two, it seems to me that it would be fairly trivial for something like this to be disproven by the BBC. How often was Alan Johnson used as a source in BBC stories? I was under the impression that he was their "reliable source" on the ground in the Gaza Strip.

Then again, Palestinian reporters have been protesting for his release, in full parade of the international press. Maybe there is something to the story after all...

In any case, file this one under "Don't Trust until Verified" for now.

I've just learned via LGF that Ajmal Naqshbandi, Afghan fixer, companion of kidnapped Italian reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo, and Lightstalkers member, has been beheaded by the Taliban monsters, meeting the same fate as Daniele's driver.

May he rest in peace.

KABUL (AFP) - Afghan officials have confirmed that the Taliban militia executed an Afghan reporter who was abducted with an Italian journalist last month, an Afghan news agency reported Sunday.

Intelligence services spokesman Saeed Ansari confirmed that the radical Islamist militia had executed Ajmal Naqshbandi on Sunday, the private Pajhwok news agency reported.

Ansari also said Rahmatullah Hanefi, the head of the Emergency non-governmental organisation that brokered Mastrogiacomo's March 19 release, had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the abduction. [Ed.: This is VERY interesting—if true, this man has the blood of two innocent reporters on his hands!]

The Taliban earlier Sunday announced they had beheaded Naqshbandi after the government failed to respond to their demands for the release of jailed insurgents.

I can only hope that the savages that did this will be on the receiving end of a bomb sooner than later.

Update: Dan Goldberg over at the CJR Daily has chosen the quote above by yours truly to illustrate the "outrage" that's pouring out over Ajmal's horrific demise.

Let me be perfectly clear: There can be no negotiating with an enemy that does not play by the rules of civilized warfare.

Ajmal was not a combatant. He was not a spy. His crime was nothing more than accompanying a journalist to an area controlled by savage thugs to document their activity—perhaps even to present the "Taliban's" side of the war in the coverage sent to La Repubblica. You'll note that under the rules of Geneva, Daniele Mastrogiacomo and all of his travelling companions would be classified as non-combatants. Unequivocally.

With all that in mind, I think what Ajmal deserved was to live. Seeing how he was denied that "basic human right" by the murderous thugs who kidnapped him, I would definitely not be shedding any tears if said thugs were to meet the same fate.

I hope that helps to clarify my position on this horrific event, Dan.

Italian reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo has been released! Here's the wire photo accompanying the announcement - nothing follows yet, including word on Ajmal's fate.


Update: Jawa and Monsters and Critics have more on this story.

I found out today via RSF that Ajmal is still alive and in Taliban captivity, along with Italian reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo. My prayers are with the family of Sayed Agha, the driver who was killed "as a spy."

Reporters Without Borders said it was appalled by today's announcement by the Taliban that Sayed Agha, the Afghan driver of kidnapped Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo, was executed by their abductors.

Agha was "executed after being found guilty of spying," Mulluh Dadullah's spokesman told the Afghan news agency Pajhwok.

May the perpetrators be introduced to the "business" end of an American missile, sooner than later.

We've learned today (via Jawa), that one of the two Afghan nationals who was accompanying Italian reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo has been murdered by the Taliban thugs who took them hostage! No word yet on whether or not this is Lightstalkers member Ajmal, but my prayers are with the unfortunate victim's family either way!

"His throat was slit at 7 a.m. because he was confirmed to be a spy for foreign military forces," ANSA quoted Ibrahim Hanifi as saying. The dead man is believed to have been Mastrogiacomo's driver.

In case you missed it, Italian reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo was kidnapped by the Taliban last week, and accused of being a spy. His captors claim that he and his associates entered the region illegally, and that lasers hidden in shampoo bottles were found in their possession.

How fortunate we are to see this morning that Jawa reports a videotape has been sent to La Repubblica containing a recording of a statement made by Mr. Mastrogiacomo. The paper released a still from the video, along with a transcript of his statement, which can be found at the Jawa link above. The Repubblica previously reported on another statement by the Taliban, which indicated that the thugs are looking for a prisoner exchange of some sort, in order to secure Daniele's release.

I don't see any word on the condition of his co-captors, but imagine that either a similar demand has been sent to the Afghani government to secure their release, or that they are considered a "package" deal by the Taliban thugs. In either case, I hope all of them will be released unharmed, and returned to their families.

It would appear that there is a distinct possibility that the kidnappers of BBC journalist Alan Johnston were aided by local Palestinian reporters whom he was working with. The same locals were also present at a number of other kidnappings, including the case involving Fox News correspondent Steve Centanni.

One is reminded of a certain ancient tale involving an alligator and a scorpion, for some odd reason.

My hopes are still for Mr. Johnson to be released swiftly, and for the perpetrators to be found and brought to justice.

(h/t CAMERA Snapshots--no relation) Apparently, Alan Johnson, a correspondent for BBC in the Middle East, has been pulled from his car in Gaza City today and kidnapped by "Palestinians." No word yet on which faction is responsible or what their motivation is, but I suspect it's yet another bald money-grab, not that "Palestinians" are known for such things. With that in mind, I hope that the transaction is completed in short order, and Mr. Johnson is free to continue telling his stories safely soon thereafter.

... along with two of the "Fixers" who were helping him enter a controversial Taliban-controlled area in Afghanistan. One of the fixers, identified as Ajmal, is a Lightstalkers member, which is how I heard about this incident. His LS profile shows that he hasn't been very active on the forum lately.

The Taleban say they have kidnapped an Italian journalist and two Afghan nationals in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

A source close to a regional Taleban commander told the BBC that the three men were seized after entering an area of Helmand without permission.

He accused them of spying and said they were being detained at a Taleban base.

Considering La Repubblica's notorious leftward cant, it'd be interesting to know what reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo was investigating. Hopefully, when he is returned safely from captivity, we will find out. I hope and pray for their safety, and look forward to hearing more from them as soon as they are released.

Update: UH OH! Apparently, the latest word on the wires is that, "A voice recording of a man claiming to be top Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah has said an Italian journalist captured by the militants has confessed to spying for the British military." This is not good.

It did just occur to me that this could be an orchestrated campaign by the Taliban to try and "coerce" embattled Italian Premier Prodi into accelerating Italy's withdrawal from Afghanistan. Not that anything like that has ever happened before...

This is not looking good on quite a few levels.