[txrangerette]

I'm only saying that money demands
can't rule out a foreign terror source
or connection. You may have reasoned
on valid grounds that it is not such a
group. But taken alone, the $$$ part
is not determinitive. There ARE terror
cells with AQ ties that have used $$$
blackmail. Abu Sayef is a clear case.

[Peach]

Did the AQ sources who committed terror in an effort to get $$ identify themselves as AQ?

[livius]

I'm only saying that money demands can't rule out a foreign terror source or connection

Very true. I thought yesterday that this was starting to look essentially like a hostage situation. That is, he is holding the entire area hostage and making demands on someone who has the authority to give him what he wants.

That said, I still don't believe it's just one person. I also don't understand why, if the demands are simply for money, some way has not been worked out to trap him. Even if the funds are transferred electronically, he or somebody has got to retrieve them sooner or later.