BBC Journalist Alan Johnston Freed
After almost 4 months of captivity, Alan Johnston was freed last night in a murky deal between Hamas and the Army of Islam who held him. Johnston describes his experience as terrifying, most of the time spent by himself in a darkened room, his life repeatedly threatened. His release is being greeted with relief.
A Hamas spokesman states they will not arrest the kidnappers, dismantle or disarm the group. An Army of Islam spokesman asserts they will be working again with Hamas (with whom they cooperated to kidnap Gilad Shalit).
All this raises the question–did the Army of Islam ever really have a falling out with Hamas? Or was Johnson’s kidnapping and subsequent “rescue mission” indeed coordinated with Hamas?
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