A terrorist leader has said that a $2 million ransom was paid in cash for
Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig's
freedom in August after being held for two weeks. During the time they were held hostage they were forced to "convert" to Islam.
There were some strange things happening at Fox when they were initially taken hostage such as an internal memo not to report on the incident. Was this so that if they paid a ransom word wouldn't get out? Or was it so that hostage taking wasn't glorified?
Either way, at the time of their release, there were rumors of a ransom and this is what I had to say
... the more disturbing news floating around that the terrorist group was paid a six figure ransom for the hostages. If this proves true the whole of the journalist community in the Gaza area have just become greater targets. Even more disturbing is that countless numbers of people will be killed using this money.
Of course in the end the worst thing that could happen is a payment of ransom as it just encourages more hostage taking and more death and destruction with the weapons purchased with the cash. A fact that was stated by the terrorist organizations.
WND
The terror leader, from the Gaza-based Popular Resistance Committees, said his organization's share of the money was used to purchase weapons, which he said would be utilized "to hit the Zionists."
He said he expects the payments for Centanni and Wiig's freedom will encourage Palestinian groups to carry out further kidnappings.
Officials associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party and its security organization, the Preventative Security Services, confirmed to WND money was paid for the release of the Fox News reporters.
A senior leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group, the declared "military wing" of Fatah, said the group received a small percentage of the $2 million, which all parties interviewed said was transferred in cash.
Will being held hostage a video of Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig was released (of which the above image was taken).
