Two Fox News Journalists Kidnapped in Gaza – BREAKING NEWS
h/t Drudge
***SCROLL FOR UPDATES***
***VIDEO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BELOW***
It was just now reported by Jennifer Griffin who is in Kiryat Shmona for Fox News, that it has been confirmed two Fox News reporters have been kidnapped in the Gaza Strip. Steve Centanni is one who was abducted.
According to Reuters:
Steve Centanni, courtesy of Fox News
Palestinian gunmen kidnapped two foreign journalists working for the Fox News television channel in Gaza on Monday, a witness said.
The witness, a Palestinian who worked with the two journalists, said one of them, a producer, was an American, and the other, whose nationality he did not know, was a cameraman.
The Fox News bureau in Jerusalem said it was checking the report.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the abduction.
The witness said two vehicles blocked the journalist’s transmission truck in the center of Gaza City and a masked man put a gun to the bodyguard’s head, forcing him to the ground.
The kidnappers then sped away with the two journalists.
Similar incidents in the past in Gaza have ended with the release, usually within hours, of kidnapped foreign journalists or aid workers.
Many of the abductions were carried out by Palestinians pressing a grievance against the Palestinian government or its security forces.
More from the AP:
A Fox employee in Gaza, who declined to give his name because he was not authorized to release information about the incident, said the two kidnapped people were reporter Steve Centanni, a U.S. citizen, and a cameraman from New Zealand.
The men, along with a bodyguard, were parked near the headquarters of the Palestinian security services when two trucks filled with gunmen pulled up and boxed them in, according to the employee. The gunmen took the two out of their sports utility vehicle, which was marked “TV,” and drove away, he said.
Major militant groups in Gaza denied having any connection to the abduction, and there was no immediate word of any demands made.
Security officials put police across Gaza on alert to find the gunmen and free the journalists, said Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Abu Hilal.
“This is not acceptable at all,” he said.
And as HotAir points out, the idiots over at DU are already at it.
Please pray for these two, and the entire Fox family. Here’s a link to Steve’s bio on Fox News.
Update: 5PM hour – Jennifer Griffin confirms the report – watch video here.
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Update 7:30PM EST – H/T Michelle Malkin for this piece from Media Bistro: The internal note from FNC VP John Moody to staff:
FNCers Kidnapped In Gaza: “Pray For Their Release. I Will Keep You Posted” –Moody
FNC senior VP John Moody’s internal message to Fox News personnel about the kidnapping:“The rumors are true: two of our employees have been abducted in Gaza. We will report this fact via our Israel correspondents. Do NOT do any other segments on it. Do not book guests on this topic. Do not comment officially and of course, not on the air, about it. DO pray for their release. I will keep you posted.”
This explains what I thought was probably true. Otherwise, Shepard Smith would have been screaming about this. I knew something was afoot when he didn’t expound on Jennifer Griffin’s report. I agree with the sentiment. I urge everyone to pray for their speedy release.
Update: 8:40PM EST – Additional info from Reuters:
The witness said two vehicles blocked the journalists’ transmission truck in the center of Gaza City and a masked man put a gun to a bodyguard’s head, forcing him to the ground.
The kidnappers then sped away with the two journalists.
h/t to Michelle Malkin on this one…Drudge posted an update on who the freelance cameraman was, Olaf Wiig.
Olaf Wigg and His Partner, Anita McNaught of the BBC from Wiig’s Site
This appears to be Wiig’s website. He looks to have been doing documentaries, kids’ TV, and news footage since the ’90s. Wiig, according to Wikipedia (and his own website’s photo gallery), is dating BBC newscaster Anita McKnaught. Another name for your prayers.
Stay tuned for more updates….
Update: 12:20AM EST
MediaBistro has a bit about the jackass from CAIR on O’Reilly last night:
Fox News Channel is carefully and wisely limiting coverage of its two kidnapped employees. Since 2pm, when TVNewser started monitoring FNC coverage, the net has aired four brief updates about the kidnapping by Jennifer Griffin. Apart from those, FNC hasn’t mentioned the situation, preferring to handle it behind the scenes. When Nihad Awad of the Council on American Islamic Relations prefaced his appearance on The O’Reilly Factor with an expression of sympathy, Bill O’Reilly quickly responded:
AWAD: Bill, thanks for having me and allow me first to share with you and your viewers that our organization CAIR has issued a statement demanding the release of the Fox crew who were abducted or kidnapped today in Gaza and we pray and hope for their safe return to do their job back to their families.
O’REILLY: I just meant to tell everybody we are not going to have much more on that because we are, you know, in the process of trying to get that solved.
Knowing that Fox News execs wanted a hush on the station makes me pissed at the CAIR asshat. You KNOW he had to have known about the desire to not inflame any negotiations that may be on-going right now. Has anyone ever thought CAIR was a friend to the U.S.? Bill puts him quickly in his place. So from me personally to the jackass turd from CAIR, FFFFFF U! You and your ilk continue to operate to the demise of democracy everywhere. Something tells me that you and your dumbass organization will be getting some ‘cease and decist’ documents very soon, and after this charade, I wouldn’t bet on being invited to appear on O’Reilly again any time soon.
Update 12:45AM EST – the AP has more:
The men, along with a bodyguard, were parked near the headquarters of the Palestinian security services when two trucks filled with masked gunmen pulled up and boxed them in, the Fox employee said. The gunmen took the two men out of their sports utility vehicle, which was marked “TV,” and drove away, he said.
Major militant groups in Gaza denied any connection to the incident; there was no immediate word of any demands made.
However, Wiig’s wife Anita McNaught said Fox representatives had told her negotiations for their release were already under way.
“There will be people working through the Palestinian Authority, through the authorities in Gaza … but Fox News are vastly experienced on the ground there, so they have all the contacts they need,” said McNaught, who is a BBC World television presenter.
McNaught, who is currently in Syria, told New Zealand’s National Radio she intends to come to the area soon to help secure the release of the two men.
Also, New Zealand was sending a diplomatic team to the area, said Rosie Patterson, head of consular services at New Zealand’s Foreign Ministry. New Zealand has no representation in the immediate area, and currently is working through British diplomats, she said.
The government was “very concerned” for the safety of Wiig, Prime Minister Helen Clark said in brief comments in New Zealand.
Security officials put police across Gaza on alert and set up roadblocks to find the gunmen and free the reporters, said Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Abu Hilal.
The Committee to Protect Journalists called for the men to be freed.
“We are gravely concerned about our colleagues’ safety and call for their immediate and unconditional release,” said executive director Joel Simon. “These are well established journalists who are not participants in the conflict. They should be treated accordingly and freed.”
Damn…. just damn. I love Steve Centanni, and wish him and his fellow captives a speedy release. Godspeed, Steve. Allow the power of the prayers of the world give you strength to get through.
Update: 9:58AM 8/15/06 – Further news from AP:
An investigator in the case, speaking on condition of anonymity so as not to jeopardize the investigation, said suspicions were focusing on a renegade group from an established Palestinian militant organization, but he declined to give further details. The car in which the journalists were taken has been identified, he said.
Centanni was behind the wheel of the Fox vehicle, marked in large letters “TV,” when the gunmen pulled up and stopped them, a Fox employee said. A Palestinian who was with them was forced onto the floor at gunpoint, and the two journalists were taken away.
I have a bad feeling about this, people. Something is just not right.
Note from Mgmt: Oh, and by the way… anybody who comes on here and posts a derogatory or disparaging comment about Steve or Olaf, or anything negative at all about this situation, your comment WILL be deleted as quickly as I can pull it. If you want to engage in that kind of hateful crap, I’m sure you can find an open thread on DU to go play on but STAY OFF this post!
Update: 1:28PM EST
Huge h/t to Allah over at HotAir for pointing out a new WND report that the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades is claiming those who took Centanni & Wiig were “independent Palestinian gunmen,” and that they carried out the abduction completely “on their own.” More in the article:
A senior Al Aqsa leader, who claimed his group did not sanction the kidnapping, told WND he thinks the Fox News hostages are being held “to make a point that Palestinians are against American aid to Israeli aggression.” He mentioned Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon.
The terror leader provided WND with Centanni’s name, but not that of his associate, though wire reports indicate he’s cameraman Olaf Wiig from New Zealand. The terrorist said he received the name from one of his colleagues involved in the kidnapping.
The Al Aqsa leader estimated the kidnappers would release the two reporters “within hours after the point is made.”
A member of the Popular Resistance Committees terror group told WND he can confirm gunmen associated with Al Aqsa kidnapped the two Fox News employees, but he hinted other groups may now be involved.
What point? What damn point are these blood-thirsty heathens trying to make? We know they’re vicious, brutal bastards, so that point is clear! I’m am starting to go from very afraid to very angry in 0-60. Please God, spare these two men, and bring them to safety. And as soon as they come home, I want our Marines to send all of these Islamofascists kidnappers to join Zarqawi as he’s taking his eternal celestial dirt nap.
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