BBC Gaza journalist Alan Johnston vrijgelaten

De Britse journalist Alan Johnston is gisteren eindelijk vrijgekomen. Iedereen neemt graag verantwoordelijkheid voor zijn vrijlating:

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSMAC37439320070704
After their joint news conference, Haniyeh draped Johnston in the

Palestinian flag.

Khaled Meshaal, Hamas's overall leader in exile, hailed the success and
told Reuters it contrasted with "anarchy" that prevailed when the Fatah
faction of West Bank-based President Mahmoud Abbas was operating in

the Gaza Strip.

Uit het Palestijnse Ma'an nieuws:

 

http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=23620
He [Abbas] went on to say that the Palestinian Authority has been working

hard in all directions over the past months in order to secure Johnston's life

and to free him.

The Palestinian ambassador to London, who represents the government
Abbas set up last month after dismissing Haniyeh's administration, said
Hamas wanted to "capitalize" on the deal. But he said: "The credit goes
to the Palestinian people."

Hamas, Fatah, het Palestijnse volk: allemaal waren ze tegen de ontvoering en hebben hard gewerkt voor zijn vrijlating. Succes heeft veel vaders. De vraag hoe het kan dat er mensen op klaarlichte dag ontvoerd worden, negeert men liever. Johnston is de langst ontvoerde journalist in de Gazastrook, maar zeker niet de eerste. Ontvoeringen van westerlingen waren aan de orde van de dag, en ik heb niet veel protesten van Palestijnen gelezen, of gehoord over demonstraties. De Palestijnse Autoriteit en Hamas' eigen militie hadden zeker meer kunnen doen om zulke ontvoeringen te voorkomen. Ontvoeringen werden niet of nauwelijks veroordeeld, en lijken een logisch gevolg van een cultuur van haat en geweld, van onderwijs en media waarin het bestrijden van de ongelovigen als een belangrijke taak van iedere moslim wordt onderwezen. Farfour Mouse, video's op TV waarin kinderen vertellen een martelaar voor het vaderland te willen worden, artikelen in kranten waarin de Joden en het Westen de schuld van alle problemen krijgen, cartoons van bloeddorstige Joden en christenen, leiden onontkoombaar tot dergelijke praktijken.

Toch zal de vrijlating van Johnston, en niet zijn ontvoering, op het conto van Hamas en zijn 'nieuwe orde' in de Gazastrook worden geschreven, zal men dit als verder bewijs van haar 'pragmatische koers' opvoeren, en de druk om de boycot op te heffen zal toenemen. En dat is precies waarom Hamas zich zo heeft ingezet voor de vrijlating van de beste man.

 

Of dacht je dat mensen die zelfs hun Palestijnse broeders van gebouwen gooien of hen ten overstaan van hun vrouwen en kinderen executeren, nou echt geven om een Westerse journalist?

Ratna

___________________________________________________

BBC Gaza journalist Alan Johnston freed
Wed Jul 4, 2007 1:22AM EDT
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSMAC37439320070704

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Alan Johnston, the BBC journalist held hostage in Gaza, was freed early on Wednesday after a late-night deal between the ruling Hamas Islamists and the al Qaeda-inspired clan group that kidnapped him in March.

"It is just the most fantastic thing to be free. It was an appalling experience," he told the British public broadcaster from the home of local Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh after his 114-day ordeal at the hands of the shadowy Army of Islam.

Haniyeh, whose movement routed the forces of the secular, Western-backed Palestinian president last month to seize full control of the enclave, said the outcome "confirms (Hamas) is serious in imposing security and stability and maintaining law and order in this very dear part of our homeland."

Khaled Meshaal, Hamas's overall leader in exile, hailed the success and told Reuters it contrasted with "anarchy" that prevailed when the Fatah faction of West Bank-based President Mahmoud Abbas was operating in the Gaza Strip.

Johnston, the only Western correspondent based full-time in the troubled Gaza Strip, said he sensed his captors felt new pressure once Hamas seized control in fighting three weeks ago.

Negotiators, who were backed up by Hamas fighters cordoning off the Gaza City stronghold of the kidnappers, said the final deal was clinched by a senior Muslim cleric issuing a fatwa, or religious edict, for Johnston's release.

No ransom was paid nor other conditions attached. The group had previously demanded Britain and other states free prisoners.

"I dreamt many times of being free and always woke up back in that room. Now it really is over and it is indescribably good to be out," said Johnston, a Scot who turned 45 in captivity.

WORST WEEKS

Describing it as the worst 16 weeks of his life and "like being buried alive" with "dangerous and unpredictable" captors, he later told a news conference with Haniyeh: "It's almost hard to believe that I'm not going to wake up in that room."

He said he had twice fallen sick and was once chained for 24 hours but only in the last half hour did they "hit me a bit."

Johnston said he was kept in a shuttered room for the last 3 months of his captivity and could not see the sun.

He feared for his life immediately after being seized on March 12, as well as when he was filmed wearing an explosive vest by captors who warned Hamas forces not to try to free him.

British diplomats, whose government does not recognize Hamas authority in Gaza, arrived from Jerusalem and Johnston crossed the border into Israel shortly before 8 a.m. (0500 GMT).

Britain, Israel and other international powers recognize Abbas's new emergency government in the West Bank as the legitimate authority for the Palestinians. But Hamas's Haniyeh refuses to accept his dismissal last month as prime minister.

Johnston, smiling and looking drawn but well, was embraced by BBC colleagues after he arrived by car at Haniyeh's home amid a scrum of well-wishers and security men. After their joint news conference, Haniyeh draped Johnston in the Palestinian flag.

He later offer the reporter a traditional Arab breakfast.

Johnston, who had followed events by radio, thanked people round the world and colleagues for support during his ordeal.

The BBC said in a statement it was "extremely relieved." Johnston's family in Scotland said they were "overjoyed."

Referring to Fatah, Meshaal said of Johnston's release: "It showed the difference between the era in which a group used to encourage and commit security anarchy and chaos and the current situation in which Hamas is seeking to stabilize security."

The Palestinian ambassador to London, who represents the government Abbas set up last month after dismissing Haniyeh's administration, said Hamas wanted to "capitalize" on the deal. But he said: "The credit goes to the Palestinian people."

© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved.