Hamas makes arrest in reporter's case

Associated Press ^ | 7/2/07 | Abraham Barzak

[pubjohn47]

Hamas has demanded that the Army of Islam, led by a violent Gaza clan, free Johnston, who was kidnapped on a Gaza City street on March 12

[pubjohn47]

Does Hamas want Johnston released because he is British and Hamas is hoping he would convert to Islam ?

Hamas seems to have dramatically scaled back its attacks on Israel and does not want to be allied with the Army of Islam which is another sign that when Islamists come to power, they like being in power and they do things not to jeopardize that status.

The most powerful islamist parties in power are in Turkey and in Iran and even in Iran, the Ayatollahs are covertly challenging the US in Iraq instead of overtly challenging the US, because the Iranian ayatollahs like being in power and they would never dare challenge the US overtly

[TWohlford]

I wonder how much money was ultimately paid.

I don’t think this was a political move, nor a religious action. It was kidnapping for money, and that means that money changed hands.

[Stepan12]

Good cop/bad cop? Good terrorist/bad terrorist.

[Leisler]

It makes Fatah and Abbas look like chumps. Which, of course, is true.

Hammas is going to get the West Bank too. The Fatah guys are just trying to squeeze a few more hundred millions from the usual patsy suspects. Rice, US and Israel security bureaucracy, and another half billion from the EU and UN. Nice work if you can get it.