Posted on 08/31/2006 1:42:03 PM PDT by veronica
'I Can't Hate Them for What They Did,' Olaf Wiig Says
Aug. 31, 2006 — - Despite being taken hostage at gunpoint in Gaza by a jihadist group and held captive for 13 days, Fox News cameraman Olaf Wiig says he can't condemn his captors.
"It's really complex," Wiig said on "Good Morning America."
"In some ways, I feel such sympathy for the Palestinian cause. You know, in my heart. You know, I can't hate them for what they did. I resent on behalf of my family what they did. But there's a funny bit of me that's sympathetic to them still."
Wiig, 36, and Steve Centanni, 60, were abducted by masked gunmen earlier this month.
Centanni, a Fox correspondent, said they were sometimes held facedown in a dark garage, tied up in painful positions, and forced at gunpoint to make videos and say they had converted to Islam.
The two journalists were dropped off Sunday at Gaza City's Beach Hotel by Palestinian security officials.
Centanni said he felt "sheer animal fear" after he and Wiig were taken hostage.
"I was wondering if I was going to die of a heart attack or if the next thing would be a bullet in my head," Centanni said.
According to Wiig, when asked where they were being taken, their captors said, "To hell. You're going to hell."
Pledge Allegiance to Islam
A previously unknown group calling itself the Holy Jihad Brigades held the two men in a garage for 13 days, forcing them to pledge allegiance to Islam.
On the day of Centanni's and Wiig's release, their captors delivered a video showing the two men in Arab robes reading from the Koran to indicate their conversion to Islam.
Centanni has said their conversion was forced at gunpoint.
"I have the highest respect for Islam, and I learned a lot of good things about it, but it was something we felt we had to do because they had the guns, and we didn't know what the hell was going on," he said in other reports.
Centanni and Wiig were stripped of their possessions and dressed in sweat suits as part of a process of removing their identity.
The journalists said they were not harmed physically during their captivity.
Videotaped messages shown around the world revealed the apparent resignation in their faces.
"You have no choice but to stay calm," Wiig said.
The captors told Wiig that he would be released because he was from New Zealand.
However, Wiig said, they told him that his colleague, Centanni, an American, was dangerous and that they were going to kill him.
Wiig said he kept that information from Centanni.
"I just knew that he was under [a] huge strain already, and I thought it was a burden he didn't need to carry for however long," Wiig said.
Centanni said he was grateful for that. "He's a beautiful man and a good friend," he said of Wiig.
A Force to Be Reckoned With
Wiig's wife, Anita McNaught, who is also a journalist, was on assignment in Damascus, Syria, when she heard the news of the kidnapping. She rushed to Gaza to put pressure on Palestinian authorities and local Islamist chieftains to save the lives of her "boys."
"The terrorists have not met my wife," Wiig said. "She is a force to be reckoned with."
McNaught said she believed Wiig and Centanni had been released thanks to a team effort on the part of local politicians and journalists, Fox News, her visibility locally and the men themselves.
"It's really crucial to emphasize this," she said. "Now know that a lot of the things I did were visible to the people holding them hostage. They knew I was in Gaza making statements, talking to Palestinian people. That on its own I don't think would have been enough to have got the guys out."
McNaught said it was Wiig and Centanni's "nobility and self-possession" as hostages that played a large role in their release.
"Because they kept, despite the stress they were under, they kept their cool," she said. "They got to know their captors. They behaved with generosity and courtesy. They took them seriously."
I don't think they had a choice as their first interview was held in Gaza.
Yep, Jackie, you called that right. You have a much better chance of being rescued.
You know that guy they never talk about? The one or two that get killed during the abduction of the 'smooth' media stars?? I'm afraid my loudmouth and crankiness would mark me for that guy that gets knocked off on the side of the road while the others smartly cooperate into the getaway car.
On the plus side of that is that Greta Van Sustern never talks about that guy. Freepers don't rag on that guy's family. There's never a beheading video of that guy on Al Jazeera. That guy is of no use to ragheads.
You shouldn't be surprised, journalists in the West Bank and Gaza have to be sympathetic to be allowed in, frequently are Arabs, but must be sympathetic. Even then they're generally accompanied by Arab handlers. These are likely long held opinions, that's why he was there.
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Do you mean Steve and Olaf's security guy? He took off when he saw the kidnappers with guns. Olaf said he didn't blame him, as he (the security guy) was unarmed and was hired mostly to keep kids from stealing the camera equipment while they were setting up.
Agree with you on the wifey. She even hinted strongly to FOX on hiring her. She's got a mouth that one and seems to feel she should use her whole vocabulary when a third of her words would be sufficent description.
True. You're the guy in the red shirt on Star Trek (Original series). What was his name????
Dead guy.
That's right! Thanks.
No. Not him specifically. In fact, I didn't know they had one of those, but it does fit my point.
We never hear about the folks that were killed or 'escaped' during the abduction.
Those people and their families ironically retain some dignity. The captives, released or decapitated, forever give up their identity to the purposes of those filthy bastards over there. For example, Daniel Pearl will forever be known by anything he did in his life? No. He will be remembered for his murder. And that's sad.
Another example, the two IDF soldiers abducted by Hizbollah....daily their pictures were shown up on the screen as an intro to that nutcase Nasrallah. Forever to be associated subsequent to that guy. Meanwhile, there were three (I think) soldiers killed during the abduction....never to be identified in the press. Those men and their families' lives were not hijacked.
MPJackal took a dislike to my attitude, so I'm just humoring him. I'm aware and appreciate my personality failings. ;-)
That is sad. Once these thugs invade your life, there is no way to go back to your old life. You're either dead, with your family having to see your decapitated head in their minds for the rest of their lives, or you live and have to be surrounded by reminders of a terrifying and humiliating experience for the rest of your life.
>>>Guess in his heart he was blaming the American for his capture.>>>
Of course he was.
I'm not talking about what Hezbollah handed out to Lebanon. I'm talking about what the US government said they would give Lebanon, blondie.
I am not a feminist. I am now a SAHM with 3 kids. However, I do have a degree in engineering, and worked for 10 years before having kids.
When you do work, people start to recognize your name. I think some women don't change their name because of that. I never had a middle name, so my maiden name became my middle name and then I added by husband's name.
I have a very successful cousin who is the president of a company that she started. When she got married, she didn't legally change her name. However, she doesn't mind being called her Mrs. ?? or Mr. & Mrs. ??. She also never had children (she had breast cancer when she was young).
It's just a career thing.
Yeah. It's easy for us to just avoid the rat's nest over there. Not so easy for our troops who have chosen to be the tip of the spear, etc. But at least they are armed and trained and ready to give back what those vicious bastards deal out.
What I think is totally irresponsible is for a father/husband to go over there as a reporter to "get a story" (e.g. to give these filthy bastards free press.) Over here on another thread there's a reporter who asked Move America Forward/WND to quit sending them Press Releases....that he didn't want to hear their stories. But still, we have people risking their lives and their families lives to give Arafat/Nasrallah types free airtime.
The most disgusting part is that the only reason these two were released was because the Palistinian mafia decided it was bad PR to capture reporters. Anyone else, that's ok. Reporters, oh no, not them, they're special.
And that Jennifer Griffin, and others. She's pushing her luck over there IMHO. How long till they abduct her? What good is she accomplishing? She's been over there for years. Nothing has changed! Get a career where you can accomplish something and not taunt murder and rape daily.
How embarassing.
> Nope,much,*much* more likely that he's a communist tool.In case you haven't heard,New Zealand went communist about 20 years ago.
We've had about 9 years of Labor government, which is about 8.5 years too many.
Wiig does not speak for all of us.
*DieHard*
> A very long way from the example of Fabrizio Quattrochi: "Now I will show you how an Italian dies!"
Fabrizio Quattriochi RIP.
Requiem eternam dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Te decet hymnus, Deus in Sion
et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam,
ad te omnis caro veniet.
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.
Onward, Christian Soldier!
I think Jennifer Griffin and her family live in Israel, her daughters go to school in Jerusalem. I would have a hard time bringing my family to a war zone, but I guess she feels Jerusalem is pretty safe.
I'm not very happy with some of the talking heads on FOX as it is..if they hired that loudmouth Succubus, I'd give them up altogether.
The more she talked the less intelligence she appeared to have. I never detected any real concern for her husband, no loving looks in his direction, just elitist air-nose for the cameras.
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