European Hostage Roundup

Sunday: German ex-ambassador and family released in Yemen.
Demanded: Five "brothers" imprisoned in Yemen. Forked over: unknown.

Cypriot freed in Iraq after family and employer pay $200,000 ransom. The article suggests that he was kidnapped because he works for a company that "supplies food and alcoholic drinks to US forces." However, US policy emphatically prohibits alcohol theaterwide. Besides, even if the infidel occupiers were tanked 24/7, it's unclear how $200,000 would fix it.
Demanded: money for explosives. Forked over: money for explosives.



British "aid worker" and parents released in Gaza. Five days after the British government advised all Britons to avoid travel to Gaza, Kate Burton was giving her visiting parents a little tour to show them how safe it is. She works for the Al-Mazen "human rights center," where a colleague said

"Kate's role is really very important," Ghada Snunu told BBC radio. "She is responsible for contacting donors, writing reports to them, fund-raising, proposal-writing and editing English documents," Snunu said.

After being held for two days, her parents, Hugh and Helen, have sensibly vowed never to return. This despite Dad retiring from his position as an EU muckety-muck to recruit businesses and investors to developing regions. Kate, however, as a key terrorist fundraiser, intends to continue her work in Gaza.
Demanded: British and European pressure on Israel. Forked over: hopefully just one bootlicker Britain is better off without.


Monday: Five Italians kidnapped in Yemen. The three women were freed, but insisted on going back when they learned that the two men were still being held. The Italian government has insisted that the Yemeni government take no action that could endanger the hostages' lives.
Demanded: the usual. Forked over: we'll see.



Italian "peace activist" freed in Gaza, after a "shootout" that mysteriously harmed no one and allowed the kidnappers to escape. Alessandro Bernardini, who is also described as an aide to the European Parliament,

said he was treated well and would not change his pro-Palestinian views. "They gave me cigarettes and tea," he said. "I’m not going to change my ideas about the Palestinians. I will not change my ideas about the (Israeli) occupation." The operation to free the Italian hostage was a rare show of force by Palestinian security.

Yeah, sure, like the airport "raid" in Die Hard 2. Well, anyway. Gave him cigs and tea, eh. Is that all it takes to buy off the West?


Perhaps not. In other news, Daniel Pipes reports that yet a third German state is taking action against Islamists. Niedersachsen plans to electronically tag

not just potential terrorists but also "hate preachers" who break the law not by personally engaging in violence but by articulating beliefs that encourage others to terrorism. Tagging them breaks new conceptual ground by aggressively going to the ideological source of violence.

It has potentially large implications. If hate preachers are tagged, why not the many other non-violent Islamists who also help create an environment promoting terrorism? Their ranks would include activists, artists , computer gamers, couriers, funders, intellectuals, journalists, lawyers, lobbyists, organizers, researchers, shopkeepers and teachers. In short, Schünemann's initiative could lead ultimately to the electronic tagging of all Islamists.

Nice? No. Good? Yes.