https://www.frontlineclub.com/australian_pm_meets_mother_of_kidnapped_journalist/ Championing Independent Journalism Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:50:47 +0000 hourly 1 https://www.frontlineclub.com/australian_pm_meets_mother_of_kidnapped_journalist/#comment-495 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 05:58:19 +0000 https://www.frontlineclub.com/dev/?p=2658#comment-495 “Isn’t it the simple situation that if no ransom is raised, they won’t be released?”
Yes, I think you’re right. And you’ve spent enough time in Somalia to know this is all about cash, but what else can ordinary folks do? Not much. As I’ve said before, I’m not a believer in online petitions and possibly the only result of this is that it “raises awareness”.
As for a commando style raid… by who and how? I don’t see that happening really. I don’t see much happening at all to be honest.

]]> https://www.frontlineclub.com/australian_pm_meets_mother_of_kidnapped_journalist/#comment-494 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:42:35 +0000 https://www.frontlineclub.com/dev/?p=2658#comment-494 The petition looks like Brennan and Lindhout are political prisoners, but my understanding is that they are kidnapped for ransom. Isn’t it the simple situation that if no ransom is raised, they won’t be released? And the Australian government (unlike Italian government) rightly won’t pay ransoms? Furthermore, I have heard it said that the greater the publicity, the higher the ransom will be. For me, I’m still not clear what this petition is trying to get the Government to do. I’m not sure they can do much. They certainly should not pay a ransoms (which may encourage kidnapping of Australians), and lobbying the Somali government is meaningless. So are we asking for a commando-style rescue which may lead to the death of a few people?

]]>