Deplomacy And The Forgotten Hostage

BBC journalist Alan Johnson was kidnapped by person's unknown while working in the Gaza Strip three weeks ago.

A spokesperson for the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) denounced the kidnapping of a BBC correspondent in the Gaza Strip back on the 13th of March
The leftist DFLP described as this as “outside the context of the values and ethics of the Palestinian people's struggle.”

Alan Johnston, a British national had been working for the BBC in the Gaza Strip for three years. He was aware that numerous journalists who were kidnapped during 2006. Most of whom, were released within hours or at the most within a few days. No one was injured and demands ranged from jobs in the Gazan economy devastated by closure, or the release of political prisoners.

Is he safe NOW? Nobody knows? An unconfirmed report a week after his abduction stated he was well but how could anyone truly know?

Every news report starts with "15 hostages in Iran" which while important to their families and also important that we as a nation deal with this issue quickly, we must not neglect the forgotten hostages yet we have?

It is obvious why Iran will not realease the UK hostages and it has nothing to do with "Not showing respect rubbish"

Iran wants the world to accept that our troops were in THEIR waters and not Iraq's desputed waters. This area is long argued about and apparently this marine hostage taking tactic occurred in 2004 but Blair produced evidence to state that the troops were in Iraqi waters and the marines were released. Hasn't worked this time then? How fortunate for Iran when the 15 marines checked a Iranian merchant ship in this desputed sea! You then have yet another crisis which the UK have to deal with and it takes the focus off the fact that Iran is at the centre of highly critisized nuclear programme and even the Russians, their former ally is in danger of abandoning them.

What else does Iran have to gain with this act?

Why keep Faye Turney on the TV all of the time humilating her and the UK government?

The poor woman is in obvious distress and it is a disgusting ploy. Iran is not keeping our service people in accordance to the rules of the Geneva Convention but then again I did not think that was likely.

Disgusting........

Last time we had to work with Iran, it was over that baffoon of a man Salmon Rushdie and his Satanic Verses. That took 15 years of diplomatic bridge building to get back to square one. We have to remember that we live in different worlds and have different beliefs too. But I don't think the hostage taking has anything to do with what we believe in. It is much bigger than that.

Humilliating our great service people who give their lives for our country and humiliating our government is Iran's little game Our government I am sure are working behind the scenes and the UN has now stepped in to critisize Iran. Maybe sanctions or should I say further sanctions may help? Problem there is they only hurt the poorest people and they are the ones who you need to help. I wonder if Blair decided to call upon his best mate over the pond? There is no way that Iran would wish to upset the USA........Sometimes it has paid to be buddy buddy politcally with Mr Bush (whether agreeing with him is another matter).

Who on earth is going to help Alan Johnson?

My last words are for him. A pray for his family who must be worried sick for his safety, lets hope wherever he is, he's healthy and will be home soon.