2006 Fox journalists kidnapping

Kidnapping of two journalists in the Gaza Strip March 2012 2006 Fox journalists kidnapping the Salafi jihadist insurgency in the Gaza Strip Wiggcentaniinterview.JPG Screenshot of Steve Centanni (left) and Olaf Wiig (right) in an interview with Greta Van Susteren 14–27 August 2006 Gaza Strip, Palestine Kidnapping, forced conversion Attempt at hostage diplomacy and coercive negotiation Jaysh al-Islam Centanni and Wiig released unharmed Fox News Channel journalists Olaf Wiig (born 1970), a New Zealand photojournalist, and Steve Centanni, an American reporter, were kidnapped in the Gaza Strip from their TV van near the Palestinian security services' headquarters on August 14, 2006.https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060814/ap_en_tv/gaza_journalists_3 Report about Wiig and Centanni's kidnapping The abductors were initially thought to be from a previously unknown Palestinian militant group called the "Holy Jihad Brigades"; it was later revealed that Jaysh al-Islam ("The Army of Islam"), a Salafi-jihadist group, carried out the kidnapping.TIMEP 2014-07-22 Jaysh al-Islam https://timep.org/2014/07/22/jaysh-al-islam/ 2025-05-11 The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy - en-US2011-05-19 Designation of Army of Islam https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/05/163838.htm live https://web.archive.org/web/20200216231148/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/05/163838.htm 16 February 2020 26 October 2023 State Department No militant group initially claimed responsibility and no demands were made.Jason Deans and agencies https://www.theguardian.com/israel/Story/0,,1851316,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12 NZ Ambassador arrives in Gaza The Guardian UK March 1, 2012 August 16, 2006 Only on August 24, ten days after the kidnapping, was a video released of the men. The abductors demanded that all Muslim prisoners in the United States be released within 72 hours. No indication was given as to what would happen after this time if the demand was not met.http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/820103 Kidnapped journalists appear on video Reuters/RNZ August 24, 2006 August 24, 2006 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20070320135329/http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/820103 March 20, 2007 mdy The two were released on August 27, 2006, after a video was released with the two men stating they have converted to Islam.http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1232231,00.html https://archive.today/20070704015553/http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1232231,00.html dead July 4, 2007 Fox Journalists Are Released Sky News August 27, 2006 August 27, 2006 The two men later said they were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint. Kidnapping A witness saw two vehicles blocking the journalists' transmission truck and a masked man put a gun to their bodyguard's head, forcing him to the ground.2 Fox News journalists kidnapped in Gaza AP August 14, 2006 https://www.foxnews.com/story/2-fox-news-journalists-kidnapped-in-gazaGunmen kidnap Fox News journalists in Gaza: witness Reuters August 16, 2006 http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-08-14T202904Z_01_L14273140_RTRUKOC_0_US-MIDEAST-GAZA-KIDNAPPING.xml&src=rss&rpc=22 https://web.archive.org/web/20060823111025/http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-08-14T202904Z_01_L14273140_RTRUKOC_0_US-MIDEAST-GAZA-KIDNAPPING.xml&src=rss&rpc=22 August 23, 2006 dead Efforts to free the men Media organisations In an internal message by Fox News Channel Senior Vice President John Moody confirmed the abduction and warned about reporting on the story.FNCers Kidnapped In Gaza: "Pray For Their Release. I Will Keep You Posted" --Moody Media Bistro August 16, 2006 http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/fncers_kidnapped_in_gaza_pray_for_their_release_i_will_keep_you_posted_moody_41981.asp dead https://web.archive.org/web/20070529174725/http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/fncers_kidnapped_in_gaza_pray_for_their_release_i_will_keep_you_posted_moody_41981.asp May 29, 2007 Fox sent executive Ken LaCorte to the region to press for their release.https://www.mediabistro.com/ Creative Jobs :: Careers for Graphic Designers, Copywriters, Social Media Managers, Proof Readers and More. www.mediabistro.com Jennifer Griffin, a Fox correspondent who was closely involved in negotiations to free the two, said "We met with warlords. We met with head of Hamas, Fatah, Al Aqsa Brigade, popular resistance committees. Islamic Jihad offered to help us." At one point, Griffin and others were taken to a tense meeting with top members of various Palestinian groups.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,211298,00.html Van Susteren interview transcript Fox News August 29, 2006 March 1, 2012 Although a ransom of $2 million was eventually paid, Fox has denied being behind this.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/west-bank-and-gaza/news/article.cfm?l_id=517&objectid=10411225 We didn't pay ransom for Wiig and Centanni, says Fox November 17, 2006 The New Zealand Herald September 14, 2011 Al-Jazeera called for the "immediate release" of the journalists and "in adherence to its code of ethics, reiterates its rejection of attacks of any kind on journalists from any organisation. Al Jazeera calls for the immediate release of the two kidnapped colleagues." Journalist Fares Akram, who worked in the same building Wiig did, said he thought Palestinian officials had information on Wiig's captors and their location. Hole said he had "seen those reports too, but nothing's come through to us that changes the current situation."http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3768800a10,00.html New diplomat joins effort to free Olaf Wiig August 23, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20070930043829/http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3768800a10,00.html September 30, 2007 dead mdy-all New Zealand New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark expressed concern for Wiig's safety and said "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was alerted by British authorities this morning. New Zealand diplomats are traveling to the region to work with other officials and governments on the release of Mr Wiig and his colleague."http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0608/S00231.htm PM Regarding Captured New Zealand Cameraman Scoop.co.nz August 15, 2006 March 1, 2012 Jan Henderson, NZ Ambassador to Turkey and Israel, arrived in Gaza on August 15. She met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian leaders who were "very upset" about the kidnapping. Henderson said, "They assured me they are doing all they can, they take this matter extremely seriously, and we are looking for a very quick and peaceful resolution to this particular kidnapping. The Palestinian Authority has offered every cooperation. They are very upset. They have condemned the kidnapping, and they assured me they are doing everything they can for a quick and speedy resolution." After meeting with Abbas, Prime Minister Clark said, "On hearing of the kidnapping he had instructed the security apparatus of the Palestinian Authority to work to locate the kidnappers and secure the release...http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3768066a11,00.html PM calls Abbas over kidnapping August 23, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014848/http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3768066a11,00.html September 30, 2007 dead mdy-all President Abbas was very fulsome in what he said. His parting comment was `these people are our guests and we will do whatever we can to help'." Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman Rob Hole said there were no developments as of August 18, but said that NZ diplomats were "still active in talking but also active in waiting as well, so no breakthrough at all." Ambassador Henderson and the NZ consul to Egypt Brian Chambers have met with officials from the Palestinian, British, American and Australian foreign ministries. Senior diplomat Peter Rider is on his traveling to the Middle East and will replace Henderson, who is returning to New Zealand. Hostages' families During the ordeal, Wiig's then wife, Anita McNaught, told New Zealand radio from Gaza City that she had only heard "rumours, sons of rumours...none of which we give much credence to" and that kidnappings in the region were "local entrepreneurial banditry". McNaught had said that although it was unusual for so much time to pass without news, "every kidnapping is different. There is no handbook for how you do them." She expressed hope for a breakthrough in the case in the following days and met with several senior officials. McNaught had said that it was unlikely they would leave the area soon after Wiig was released. On August 17 the United States State Department condemned the kidnappings and called for the journalists to be freed immediately. Clark phoned Wiig's family and offered her support and left a message with McNaught. Wiig's family had said they were "deeply grateful for the care that is being extended to us and for the prime minister's direct call to us." Harmeet Sooden Harmeet Singh Sooden, an Auckland University student who was held captive in Iraq for four months by the Swords of Righteousness Brigade, appealed to the kidnappers in a press statement on August 17, 2006: During our captivity in Iraq, virtually all of Palestine called for our release. Today, I implore those holding Olaf Wiig and Steve Centanni to free them immediately and unharmed. It is essential that we, the public, understand the greater context within which the kidnapping has taken place. Thousands of Palestinians, including hundreds of women and children, have been kidnapped by Israeli forces as part of a campaign to murder a nation under the aegis of the United States. I also call upon the media to fulfil its obligations and report the reality of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and desist from counter-productive speculation and commoditizing private trauma. I wish the negotiating team, which includes New Zealand diplomats, success.http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0608/S00199.htm Press Statement August 17, 2006 Scoop.co.nz August 17, 2006 March 1, 2012 Release On August 27, the Palestinian news service Ramattan and Fox News reportedKidnapped Fox journalists released CNN August 27, 2006 http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/08/27/fox.journalists/index.html that Centanni and fellow captive Wiig were released unharmed, shortly after a new video was released. In the video, both journalists, wearing beige robes, read statements saying that they had converted to Islam. After being freed, Centanni stated "We were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint, and don't get me wrong here, I have the highest respect for Islam, and learned a lot of very good things about it, but it was something we felt we had to do, because they had the guns, and we didn't know what the hell was going on." After their return to New York, Centanni and Wiig gave an interview with Greta Van Susteren on her Fox program On the Record. According to Wiig, the kidnappers were convinced that Centanni worked for the CIA, in part because of his presence as a journalist at the deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein in Iraq, and that they intended to kill him. Nevertheless, they also repeatedly promised both men they would soon be freed.November 2024 Fox News denies paying any ransom."We didn't pay ransom for Wiig and Centanni, says Fox", Nov 17, 2006, NZ Herald See also 2005–2006 Christian Peacemaker hostage crisis List of kidnappings References 30em External links BBC News:Video shows seized Gaza abductees Fox journalists kidnapping Category:2006 in international relations Category:Terrorist incidents in Asia in 2006 Category:Kidnappings by Islamists Category:Kidnapping in the 2000s Category:Kidnappings in Palestine Category:Kidnapped American people Category:Kidnapped New Zealand people Category:Kidnappings of journalists Category:Terrorist incidents in Palestine Category:Palestine–United States relations Category:New Zealand–Palestine relations Category:New Zealand–United States relations Category:Fox News