A group with the Monty Python-like name Holy Jihad Brigades has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of Fox News reporter Steve Centanni and cameraman Olaf Wiig, and released a videotape of the two men.
The group, which waited much longer than usual to reveal themselves and was previously unfamiliar to anyone familiar with the region, sounds like a bit of an amateur operation. But meanwhile, this ridiculously underreported story is finally getting play on the news, which I'm glad to see.
Speaking of which, a commenter over at Karol's blog has some inside information that may solve the mystery of why we've barely heard about this:
About 3 days after the kidnappings (about a week or so ago) I called my buddy, who is one of the video edit managers at Fox cable news and asked him where the media was. Before he responded I asked him if it was the obvious, that fox had orders just to say it happened but not pontificate or have any talking heads on the matter for fear of aggravating the kidnappers and putting the kidnappees in more danger.Makes a whole lot of sense to me. I heard someone else suggest that Murdoch buy back Centanni and Wiig's freedom, and then immediately send assassins after the kidnappers. Assuming, of course, that Murdoch has in-house assassins. Posted by Stephen Silver at August 23, 2006 03:44 PM
And he said, exactly, everyone got a memo from Murdoch himself saying something to that effect. They are in negotiations to get them back, and they'll trashtalk all they want after theyre back or after theyre dead.
For now they are ordered to "report the kidnapping, and switch to the next story"
How's that so hard to understand?
Murdoch is trying to get 2 of his own guys back.As for the other stations, they are probably respecting this.
"... then immediately send assassins after the kidnappers."
This isn't a movie.
Posted by: Jeff S at August 23, 2006 06:27 PM