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tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
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 Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 6:19 pm Post subject: Rumour has it that Alan Johnson is dead?! |
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BBC article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6557779.stm
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BBC's concern at Gaza man's fate
Alan Johnston
Alan Johnston: Praised for his calmness and courage
A Palestinian group calling itself the Al Tawhid Al Jihad brigade has issued a claim that it has killed BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston.
The BBC says it is aware of the reports and is deeply concerned, but stresses there is no independent verification.
In a statement faxed to news agencies, the group contrasts the attention given to Alan Johnston's captivity with that given to Palestinians held in prison.
Mr Johnston was abducted as he returned home from his Gaza office on 12 March.
The BBC has issued a statement saying it is deeply concerned about what it is hearing.
"But we stress that at this stage," it says, "it is rumour with no independent verification".
The Palestinian Authority said it, too, had no information confirming the fate of Alan Johnston.
Little known group
Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat repeated a call for those holding Mr Johnston to free him.
Palestinian cameramen stand on a jeep adorned with a poster of Alan Johnston
There have been numerous appeals for Mr Johnston's safe release
"Such despicable acts of abducting foreign journalists and others continue, the only (thing) that this is doing is destroying us as Palestinians, destroying the just cause of the Palestinian people," he told reporters.
"So I urge those who abducted Johnston, instead of circulating rumours, and I hope these rumours are only rumours, is to release him immediately and without any conditions."
A spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London said they were also aware of the reports and were urgently looking into them.
The group claiming to have killed Mr Johnston is little known in Palestinian areas, the BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Robbins says.
Its name means Brigades of Holy War and Unity.
Protests
Since Mr Johnston's abduction, there have been many calls by both governments and individuals for his safe release.
Palestinian journalists staged several strikes in protest at his abduction and rallies were organised by Mr Johnston's BBC colleagues.
The BBC held a day of action on Thursday with al-Jazeera, CNN and Sky News joining a special live programme.
The unprecedented broadcast paid tribute to Alan Johnston's work and detailed the dangers for correspondents working in the Gaza Strip.
An online petition calling for Mr Johnston's release has gathered more than 30,000 signatures.
Alan Johnston's father, Graham, in a second broadcast appeal for his son to be freed immediately, told his kidnappers: "Please think about what this is doing to my family".
Kidnappers have abducted dozens of foreigners in Gaza, but none have been held for as long as Mr Johnston.
The 44-year-old, who is originally from Scotland, joined the BBC World Service in 1991 and has spent eight of the last 16 years as a correspondent, including periods in Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
He has lived and worked in Gaza for three years and was the only Western reporter permanently based in the often violent and lawless territory.
His posting in Gaza had been due to end in late March. |
I sincerely hope that he isn't dead. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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| My intuition tells me that he is not alive. If he were alive, there would have been demands before. As far as the radical group that claimed to have killed him, I am sure many local Palestinians would kill them for killing Johnston, because they actually liked him. This doesn't help the Palestinian cause when a reporter is killed. Whatever Palestinians do wrong is magnified. They are under a microscope, so they must work extra hard to ensure people are safe. |
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Big_Bird
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
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| Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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The Guardian is also reporting something similar. This is just awful.  It's deeply disturbing the way journalists (as well as media offices and TV stations) are increasingly targetted in modern conflict. It's also (in this particular context) an own goal. Hezbollah later regretted targetting western journalists during the 80s as they realised that frightening the western media out of Lebanon meant there was nobody to tell their story to the western public. Looks like these stupid b@stards have not learnt from that - or are just a bunch of thugs that really don't care. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Big_Bird wrote: |
| The Guardian is also reporting something similar. This is just awful. It's deeply disturbing the way journalists (as well as media offices and TV stations) are increasingly targetted in modern conflict. It's also (in this particular context) an own goal. Hezbollah later regretted targetting western journalists during the 80s as they realised that frightening the western media out of Lebanon meant there was nobody to tell their story to the western public. Looks like these stupid b@stards have not learnt from that - or are just a bunch of thugs that really don't care. |
The reality is that there are some ignorant Muslims who say all foreigners as imperialist enemies including a British reporter. The Gaza Strip has many tolerant people, but over the years it has become less and less of a tolerant place and more like a dangerous large ghetto that if you go into it becareful because you may not leave in one piece.
Obviously, killing journalists will help the detractors of Palestinians and Arabs in general. It definitely serves not their cause. Of course, the fact that hundreds of Gazans protested this shows many sensible Palestinians oppose such craziness, lawlessness. Unfortunately, many Gazans have also been killed due to internal fighting between Gazans and the Israeli occupation. It is a place where there is much despair. I think it is tragic if Johnston has been killed. If Israelis want to point at this as a form of Arab savagery, one can say both sides have killed Western journalists.
And now the Palestinians may have included themselves in the list of people who have killed journalists. |
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tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:55 am Post subject: |
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| Big_Bird wrote: |
| The Guardian is also reporting something similar. This is just awful. It's deeply disturbing the way journalists (as well as media offices and TV stations) are increasingly targetted in modern conflict. It's also (in this particular context) an own goal. Hezbollah later regretted targetting western journalists during the 80s as they realised that frightening the western media out of Lebanon meant there was nobody to tell their story to the western public. Looks like these stupid b@stards have not learnt from that - or are just a bunch of thugs that really don't care. |
I really, really hope he is alive. |
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Junior
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: the eye
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 4:09 am Post subject: Re: Rumour has it that Alan Johnson is dead?! |
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| tzechuk wrote: |
In a statement faxed to news agencies, the group contrasts the attention given to Alan Johnston's captivity with that given to Palestinians held in prison. |
By what logic...how does killing a sympathetic, independent news reporter help your cause?
Still I doubt it will end the unlimited support westerners have for palestinians.  |
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Big_Bird
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:20 pm Post subject: Re: Rumour has it that Alan Johnson is dead?! |
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| Junior wrote: |
| tzechuk wrote: |
In a statement faxed to news agencies, the group contrasts the attention given to Alan Johnston's captivity with that given to Palestinians held in prison. |
By what logic...how does killing a sympathetic, independent news reporter help your cause?
Still I doubt it will end the unlimited support westerners have for palestinians. |
Funny, the quote you chose rather undermines your point and actually highlights how little support the Palestinians have in the west. When a westerner is held captive it is big news, but when a Palestinian is held captive, it's...well...no news. |
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Junior
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: the eye
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| Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 12:07 am Post subject: Re: Rumour has it that Alan Johnson is dead?! |
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As far as i know Britain has not taken any Palestinians hostage nor murdered them.
If I was Blair i'd declare war on Palestine until they hand over the British national. |
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Big_Bird
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
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| Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 8:04 pm Post subject: Re: Rumour has it that Alan Johnson is dead?! |
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| Junior wrote: |
As far as i know Britain has not taken any Palestinians hostage nor murdered them.
If I was Blair i'd declare war on Palestine until they hand over the British national. |
So you would hold all Palestinians responsible for the actions of a small group of thugs? |
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