Hamas Expects Fox Journalists' Release

(AP)  With a deadline looming in the case of two kidnapped Fox News journalists, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Saturday that he hoped the crisis would be resolved "in the coming hours."

The journalists, correspondent Steve Centanni, 60, of Washington, and cameraman Olaf Wiig, 36, of New Zealand, were seized from their TV van Aug. 14 in Gaza City. Their captors demanded the release of all Muslims imprisoned by the U.S. by midnight Saturday (5 p.m. EDT), in exchange for freeing the Fox journalists.

The kidnappers, a previously unknown group calling itself the Holy Jihad Brigades, did not say what they would do to the men if the deadline passed without their demands being met. It is not clear whether the kidnappers are local militants with ties to the rival Hamas or Fatah movements, or foreign extremists sneaked into Gaza from outside.

"We hope that this issue is going to be over in the coming hours," Haniyeh, a Hamas leader, said in a statement. "There are promises that the journalists will not be harmed. I hope that this case is going to be ended and solved in a way that reflects that the Palestinians respect their guests."

He did not elaborate.

Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Abu Hilal said authorities were working to win the journalists' release but were not negotiating with the kidnappers.

On Wednesday, the kidnappers released video of the hostages for the first time. Wearing track suits, Centanni and Wiig were seen sitting cross-legged and barefoot on the floor of a dark apartment. They said they were being treated well.

In a statement accompanying the video, the kidnappers said a 72-hour countdown for the release of Muslim prisoners began at midnight Wednesday, meaning the deadline would be midnight Saturday. However, there appeared to be some confusion among Palestinian officials about the deadline. Interior Ministry officials said they believed the deadline passed at noon Saturday.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called for the journalists' release.

"Palestinian authorities must continue their efforts to secure the safe release of these two professionals, who were unjustly taken while trying to report the news from Gaza. These journalists should be freed immediately and unconditionally," the committee's executive director Joel Simon said Saturday.

In the past two years, Palestinian militants have seized more than two dozen foreigners, usually to settle personal scores, but released them unharmed within hours. The kidnapping of the Fox journalists was the longest so far.

Wiig's wife, Anita McNaught, traveled to Gaza soon after the kidnapping to appeal for the men's safe release. Centanni's brother, Ken, has made a similar plea.

On Friday, the Rev. Jesse Jackson also called for the two men to be freed.

"They are in a crisis they did not create. They should not be kept as trophies and we appeal for their release," Jackson told New Zealand television network TV3.

The civil rights activist was to lead an ecumenical delegation to the Middle East this weekend to meet with political and religious leaders about the kidnapping and other developments in the region, including the capture of three Israeli soldiers by Islamic militants.

[alphaa10-2009]

"It is not clear whether the kidnappers are local militants with ties to the rival Hamas or Fatah movements, or foreign extremists sneaked into Gaza from outside." That is journalese for "my sources asked not to be quoted, and refused comment when I asked WHO is holding the hostages."

Gaza is a full-tilt competition among Hamas, al Fatah and proxies of Hezbollah and al Qaeda, too. They kill each other over much less than two hostages. There are more actors involved than a B movie, and with many of them anxious/eager to hold a trophy kidnapping, identifying any group publicly while talks (not negotiations) occur is not only unsubstantiated, but dangerous to the hostages.

Much like the delivery of the latest al Qaeda video, the process involves intermediaries. Those who assure us in video the hostages are OK are not necessarily known to those who are talking with the presumed kidnappers.

As with the Jill Carroll kidnapping, I seriously doubt the risk of whatever story these people pursued was wisely taken.

[fartnocker2]

Amazing how those that don't know who grabbed these folks seem to be able to tell us they are ok ???? Hummmmmmm !!!