Wednesday, August 23, 2006

US Hostages - again

Last Monday Fox News correspondent Steve Centanni and photographer Olaf Wiig were kidnapped in Gaza by parties unknown. Today a previously unknown terrorist group, Holy Jihad Brigades, has released a video of Centanni and Wiig, demanding the release of Muslim prisoners detained by the US in exchange for the Fox newsmen. The US was given 72 hours to release the prisoners, but no threat was made as to the fate of Centanni and Wiig. The video shows Centanni and Wiig in a darkened room, and in seemingly good condition.

Perhaps emboldened by the antics of Hezbollah, who kidnapped several Israeli soldiers and who, after enduring a week-long war with Israel, claimed victory when the global community demanded a cease-fire, Holy Jihad Brigades must believe they too can withstand the military might of the west, and emerge with a propaganda victory along with their prisoners intact. Can't blame them for thinking like that. Hostage-taking is a tactic that has worked well for the terrorists since the Carter administration, when the US embassy in Iran was seized and US hostages taken.

An interesting sidebar to this story is the relative silence the other news networks have given it, at least up till now. Even Fox has played it low-key.

The terrorists' name reminds me of the bad guys in the tongue-in-cheek spy thriller "True Lies" a few years back: Crimson Jihad.

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