Quid Pro Quo
Maybe there was a catch to Alan Johnston's release. On July 5 the Daily Telegraph reported this item in the timeline describing the BBC's reporters captivity.
May 9: Tape released from a group called Jaish al-Islam (The Army of Islam). It demands Britain release Palestinian-born cleric Abu Qatada, and it contains an image of Johnston's BBC identity card.
May 16: Qatada said to be prepared to travel to Gaza in attempt to secure Johnston's release. ...
July 2: Hamas says it has made arrests over the abduction of Johnston.
July 4: Johnston is released following an agreement reached between Hamas and the Army of Islam.
Since then the many journalists have been praising Hamas for restoring order in Gaza. But now WND suggests that Britain paid a price.
In exchange for the release of BBC reporter Alan Johnston, Britain told the Hamas terror group through mediators it would free from jail an extremist sheik accused of serving as al-Qaida's spiritual adviser in Europe, Palestinian sources involved in the negotiations claimed to WND.
Palestinian sources involved in the Johnston negotiations said Hamas passed to the British government the Army of Islam's demand for the freedom of Abu Qatada and also warned if Hamas stormed the Gaza compound in which Johnston was known to have been held, the BBC reporter likely would have been killed in the rescue attempt.
The Palestinian sources involved in the negotiations claimed in recent days as Hamas encircled the Army of Islam compound and threatened a rescue operation in which Hamas said Johnston's death was very possible, the British government expressed its willingness to free Qatada.
The sources involved in the negotiations claimed yesterday, hours before Johnston's release, the British government agreed to release Qatada within a period of six months. The sources said that pledge was immediately passed to the Army of Islam in a meeting between its leader, Mumtaz Dugmash, and Hamas "military wing" commander Ahmad Jabari.
Let's see if Qatada is in fact released any time soon. Nothing follows.
posted by wretchardthecat at 7/06/2007 06:05:00 AM
7 Comments:
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Wretchard have you seen Call it like it is Diana West Call it like it is?
Including my little compilation (link below) it is startling proof that we are being sold down the road by our elite regarding Islam it amounts to a surrender by our elite to the forces of darkness. Those brave words in 2001 by Bush meant nothing...
Surely this is not the way you think we should fight?
And this beget this which beget that which beget the rest…
I see Gordon Brown is following the Jimmy Carter school of international diplomacy.
I see Gordon Brown is following the Jimmy Carter school of international diplomacy
Which in the long run wouldn't be so bad except that George Bush Jr is leading the way. Matter of fact consider that President Bush has been leading the way into dhimmihood since September 17, 2001. Perhaps even longer than that if you consider that Grover Norquist has been his advisor.
nzgnfyA real case can be made that Mohammed simply enshrined the "male" testosterone perspective on life and elevated it into the trappings of a religion. It is in fact very common for people to just generally do whatever it is they want to do and call it Christianity or Catholicism or "The Law" or whatever, which gives cover to their otherwise unloving, sinful, criminal activities.
Yet within "Islam" are many people who actually revere Abraham and the God of Abraham and with whom we have no physical argument because they are not particularly violent. They are not Christians but many of them regard Jesus as a great prophet. So it is worth something to do whatever we can to assure those people who revere Abraham that we are not militarilly coming after them. Keep them out of the fight. This is not an easy task and Mr. Bush and his advisors would do well to look more closely at who they are inviting into the White House: Abrahamic groupies or murderers.
George Bush seems to be following in the steps of George Washington who was very careful to show respect to those who did not take up arms against him even though they were odious to the extreme.
Now Islam may have had a social flowering some centuries ago after the death of Mohammad but has long since collapsed into waring groups of cynical thugs who revere nothing but their own extremely selfish interests. These types should be deported from the United States immediately. The remainder should be required to republish a version of the Koran that eliminates the call to "murder" anyone, and to declare that that is their Koran. Any Islami who refuses should be deported to where his views are shared after he has been given time to dispose of his property. Until then no more Islamis into the U.S.
These are the types of steps that I would like to see coming out of Washington. Don't crush my rights; retrict the violent.
With all due respect Sparks fly, when Jesus (or Issa in the koran) comes at resurrection he's supposed to take a subservient position to Mohammed since he's not considered to be the son of God.
It'd be interesting if the UK told Hamas that they'd agree to this deal (release of Qatada), while never having any intention of holding up their end of the bargain.
That would be turning the extremists own game against them in a new way.
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