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Being a Kiwi saved me, says Wiig (Slice of Life DownUnder NZ)
NZPA ^
| 31 August 2006
| NZPA
Posted on 08/30/2006 12:55:56 PM PDT by DieHard the Hunter
Being a Kiwi saved me, says Wiig
31 August 2006
With NZPA
Olaf Wigg says his status as a New Zealander was vital in his release.
The Wellington cameraman, abducted from Gaza with United States reporter Steve Centanni earlier this month, drew a map of the world and pointed to New Zealand as he tried to talk his kidnappers out of harming
them. "They were accusing both of us of being Americans and I stood up and said, 'Dude, I'm not American, I'm a New Zealander,' " Wiig told TV1's Close Up.
The two men, freed on Sunday after two weeks as captives, described how their abductors calmly discussed killing one of them. The kidnappers told Wiig they believed Fox News reporter Centanni was a spy.
"The conversation basically ended with them saying 'You're a New Zealander, we know New Zealand doesn't kill Muslims, unfortunately for you you're with an American and a very, very dangerous American and we're going to kill him'," Wiig told Fox News.
The cameraman also told the kidnappers that New Zealand had a "difficult relationship" with the US, did not support war in the Middle East and there were no New Zealand soldiers there.
When his captors looked puzzled Wigg drew the map and said: "This tiny country at the bottom with no ties to anything, that's New Zealand and we're a different sort of people altogether."
A previously unknown group calling itself the Holy Jihad Brigades claimed responsibility for their abduction. Centanni, 60, said the kidnappers pulled he and Wiig, 36, from their car in Gaza and took them at gunpoint into another vehicle.
"There were days on end afterwards when they were toying with us, subjecting us to psychological torment, forcing us to do things, threatening us with weapons. It was terrifying."
The captives studied the Koran in an attempt to glean information that could help their situation and told the kidnappers that taking foreign journalists would not help their plight.
Wiig's wife, journalist Anita McNaught, provided "the first ray of hope", Centanni said. "We got a transcript of a statement Anita had made to the media after our first tape was released . . . She said keep your spirits up, stay strong, you both know how much you're loved."
Neither could believe it when they were finally released. Wiig described his paranoia that the kidnappers would change their minds.
"I didn't wait a second, I just left. I was dreaming about it for so long, you can't believe it was true."
Wiig did not rule out a return to Gaza. But Centanni said he was in no hurry to return.
TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: centanni; foxnews; hostages; islam; kiwi; muslims; olafwigg; waronterror; wiig; wot
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With friends like this guy, who needs enemies? How embarassing.
To: DieHard the Hunter
"You want to kill Steve, not me." -- Olaf Wiig
2
posted on
08/30/2006 12:57:49 PM PDT
by
AZLiberty
(Creating the <a href="http://clinton.senate.gov">straddle</a> Google bomb one post at a time.)
To: DieHard the Hunter
I hereby bestow upon him The John McCain award for Courage Displayed in Captivity
3
posted on
08/30/2006 12:59:57 PM PDT
by
keat
(robust but not offensive)
To: keat
Death Before Dishonor? Guess not.
4
posted on
08/30/2006 1:02:29 PM PDT
by
don-o
(Proudly posting without reading the thread since 1998. (stolen from one cool dude))
To: DieHard the Hunter
'Dude, I'm not American, I'm a New Zealander,' " Wiig told TV1's Close Up. Sigh...no small amount of anti-Americanism here.
Small wonder the terrorists didn't behead him on the spot for calling them "Dude!"
5
posted on
08/30/2006 1:02:45 PM PDT
by
prairiebreeze
(Brought to you by the American Democrat Party, aka alQaeda, Western Division.)
To: DieHard the Hunter
Hey dumbass - to a muslim you are still infidel scum...
6
posted on
08/30/2006 1:03:05 PM PDT
by
2banana
(My common ground with terrorists - They want to die for Islam, and we want to kill them.)
To: AZLiberty
You want to kill Steve, not me." -- Olaf Wiig
That's not fair. I saw Olaf interviewed last night. He seemed like a very gentle man. He tried to protect Centani and never let Centani know that the kidnappers planned on killing him. Wiig says he didn't want to ad to Centani's worries. He tried to form a relationship with his captors to try and win Centani's life too.
A kidnapping victim will do anything or say anything to win release. I cannot fault that.
7
posted on
08/30/2006 1:03:44 PM PDT
by
Republican Red
(Everyone is super stoked on Gore, even if they don't know it)
To: DieHard the Hunter
POS Alert!!
8
posted on
08/30/2006 1:04:07 PM PDT
by
BallyBill
(Serial Hit-N-Run poster)
To: DieHard the Hunter
The cameraman also told the kidnappers that New Zealand had a "difficult relationship" with the US, did not support war in the Middle East and there were no New Zealand soldiers there.Gee, thanks, buddy. When the Islamofascists take over your country, don't bother calling the U.S.
9
posted on
08/30/2006 1:04:23 PM PDT
by
American Quilter
(You can't negotiate with people who are dedicated to your destruction.)
To: DieHard the Hunter
This story would make a lot more sense if they had beheaded Centanni.
But since he is fine, and released, and has a new, improved Muslim name, I guess this Kiwi is blowing smoke out of his @$$.
To: DieHard the Hunter
11
posted on
08/30/2006 1:06:31 PM PDT
by
DogBarkTree
(The United States failure to act against Iran will be seen as weakness throughout the muslim world.)
To: Republican Red
A kidnapping victim will do anything or say anything to win release.I've seen this statement on every thread of this type. It always puzzles me.
May I attempt to disprove it by asking you a quesion?
Would you kill your own child to win release?
12
posted on
08/30/2006 1:06:39 PM PDT
by
keat
(robust but not offensive)
To: 2banana
Perhaps it's like paying the cannible to eat you last...
susie
13
posted on
08/30/2006 1:07:36 PM PDT
by
brytlea
(amnesty--an act of clemency by an authority by which pardon is granted esp. to a group of individual)
To: DieHard the Hunter
I'm not too sure about this news report. Sounds like a load of BS. I'm down to ZERO in the news reports I believe.
14
posted on
08/30/2006 1:07:48 PM PDT
by
BallyBill
(Serial Hit-N-Run poster)
To: DieHard the Hunter
Why would he admit to this behavior publicly?
15
posted on
08/30/2006 1:09:31 PM PDT
by
wideawake
("The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge)
To: DieHard the Hunter
16
posted on
08/30/2006 1:09:57 PM PDT
by
oldleft
To: keat
Would you kill your own child to win release?
Great Point.
17
posted on
08/30/2006 1:11:31 PM PDT
by
BallyBill
(Serial Hit-N-Run poster)
To: DogBarkTree
> Kiwis suck.
That's unkind. I don't "suck".
18
posted on
08/30/2006 1:11:58 PM PDT
by
DieHard the Hunter
(I am the Chieftain of my Clan. I bow to nobody. Get out of my way.)
To: DieHard the Hunter
Dude, I'm not American... OK, dudes and dudettes, whatever...
19
posted on
08/30/2006 1:12:48 PM PDT
by
livius
To: prairiebreeze
"'Dude, I'm not American, I'm a New Zealander,' "
...and we are very glad that he is.
20
posted on
08/30/2006 1:13:02 PM PDT
by
CremeSaver
(I don't repeat gossip, so listen carefully.)
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