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'BBC reporter staged capture'

AdamG | 09.04.2007 12:11

Al-Hayat Report: BBC reporter may have staged kidnapping
London-based newspaper reports Palestinian sources looking into possibility that kidnapped BBC reporter staged own capture to avoid being fired; BBC refuses to comment on report


Palestinian security forces are looking into the possibility that BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston staged his own kidnapping, according to a report by the London-based Arabic language newspaper Al-Hayat on Monday.

Palestinian sources reported that Johnston received notice of his dismissal from the BBC, and subsequently fabricated the kidnapping in order not to lose his job. The BBC refused to comment on the report.

The report also said that Johnston was seen waiting for one of his captors for about 15 minutes on the day of the kidnapping, before accompanying him to an undisclosed location.

Johnston, a resident of Scotland, has been the BBC’s Gaza correspondent for the past 3 years, and was kidnapped on 12 March by four gunmen in the city. According to initial reports, he managed to drop his card on the sidewalk when abducted, which helped security forces identify him.

The report in Al-Hayat said that Palestinian security forces were looking into two possible scenarios with regards to the kidnapping.

According to the first scenario, Johnston is being held hostage by a Palestinian family in the Gaza Strip who hope to receive an estimated $5 million in ransom. The second scenario says he is staying with the family of his own free will.

The sources added that the family holding the BBC reporter hostage has yet to come forward with official demands of ransom in exchange for his Johnston’s release. “It seems the family that kidnapped him is afraid of the response,” the sources said.


The issue has become a source of concern for Palestinian security forces due to the pressure by the British, the United States, and Johnston’s colleagues.

The sources said that although the British want PA security forces to execute an escape operation, they feared that the family was “armed and backed by funds and weapons of other Palestinian sources, which were using them for other purposes”.

 http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3385970,00.html

AdamG

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

evidence -or propaganda

09.04.2007 13:39

The BBC is slightly more left wing than Fox News, slightly more right wing than Sky or CNN. And they treat their employees like Stalin would. So I can see why this story is credible. I just can't believe it without supporting evidence.

So he was about to be sacked ? You'll have a letter you can back that up with then ? Scan it in and show us. Or is that just a claim from the hostage. Cos you know if you hold a Scotsman hostage and threaten our lives then will say whatever you want us to say.


I can think of a good compromise here. The guy has obviously sold out Palestinians for pay. So give him a good beating as punishment. Break his arms or whatever you are into. And then let him go, free, to some hospital. You are only demeaning yourselves by holding him.


orca


No reporting from Gaza

10.04.2007 09:01

There is now next-to-no mainstream news getting out of Gaza.
Who would want it that way?
Perhaps they've taken the BBC journalist...

Anna Liste


no evidence then ?

10.04.2007 19:15

So no evidence of collusion or even of bias ? You just don't get MI5 qualifying from Cardiff Uni and Dollar Academy. Believe me I've taken kickings from those nice people.

You could have ten thousand UK journalists in Gaza and the editors here still wouldn't report the abuse there. I mean, it would be good to see a BBC editor held hostage somewhere but this guy should be released. I can't see Alans editor offering himself as a hostage-swap.

The one good thing to come to of this is that the British government finally agreed to meet a member of the Palestinian government. Maybe if NuLab hadn't unfairly boycotted the elected government then this wouldn't have happened. Democracy when the results suit them is hardly democractic.

Still, you can't blame British policy on every British citizen. If he isn't going to be released until there is some proper press coverage of the situation there then at least treat him well and let him pass a message to his family.

orca