McClatchy Papers notes that the abduction of two Fox News journalists bucks all the patterns of previous media kidnappings:
Until now, virtually all of the abductions were motivated by personal, not political, aims. Some kidnappers, such as those who held a McClatchy Newspapers reporter and freelance photographer for eight hours last fall, sought jobs with the Palestinian security services. Others demanded freedom for relatives held in Palestinian jails.
The Holy Jihad Brigades is the first group to make this type of political demand….
The statement itself was also unusual for Gaza. It repeatedly cited the Quran and denounced Western and Arab governments for their policies toward the Palestinians.
The video’s release came amid new warnings that militant groups in the Gaza Strip were planning to kidnap Western journalists. Earlier this week, the BBC temporarily pulled its Gaza City-based reporter, Alan Johnston, out of the area after receiving what it believed to be reliable information that militants were targeting British journalists.
Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph considers the possibility that the Holy Jihad Brigades is connected to Al-Qaida.
