CNN Breaking: "Two Fox News Journalists Abducted In Gaza"

[TahitiNut]

I can hardly begin to list the responses that come to mind. Clearly, sympathy for the family is mixed in there ... but it's a fascinating recipe of thoughts, indeed.

Thought: So, this was announced by Fox? Do I believe it?
Thought: "Journalists"? Since when?
Thought: Did they go over to al Jazeera? Would alJazeera have them?
Thought: It must be an attempt by Hamas to get more sympathy.
Thought: That's carrying "embedded" too far.

... and so on.


From BBC ...

Two journalists abducted in Gaza

Gunmen have abducted two journalists working for the US Fox News television channel in the Gaza Strip.

The crew's Palestinian driver told security officials their car was stopped in Gaza City on Monday evening.

Gunmen ordered the two foreigners into another vehicle and they were driven away, he said. There is no indication yet as to who may be responsible.

<snip>

Palestinian security officials have said police are searching for the journalists, thought to be a cameraman and an American reporter.

"We can confirm that two of our people were taken against their will in Gaza," Fox News said in a statement quoted by the Associated Press news agency.

<snip>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4792635.stm?ls

[Philosoraptor]

1. hhmm, by whom I wonder?

not good

[Little Star]

2. Holy Crap!

Keep us updated if you here more. Thanks

[spanone]

3. So, will Bush* now bomb the Palestinians???? on behalf of Rupert?

[Philosoraptor]

4. from CNN's website---doesn't say who took them

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/08/14/gaza.fox/index.html

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Hmmmmm. That can't be right.

They must mean "Two Fox News Journalists Got Drunk in Aruba"

[TechBear_Seattle]

6. They will be returned, safe and unharmed, very soon

Faux has been one of the best friends and surest recruitment tool the terrorists have. As Cicero (?) said: One wolf does not bite another.

[jiffy]

37. What would you do if you were abducted?

[newyawker99]

38. Hi jiffy!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[blonndee]

39. Why do you ask so many questions?

[NNN0LHI]

7. Ten bucks says they are in a strip joint so drunk they couldn't find...

...their asses with both hands.

Don

[TahitiNut]

11. You think they meant "Ginza" instead of "Gaza"?

:rofl:

[chat_noir]

8. at this time, Fox doesn't even have the incident on their web page

http://www.foxnews.com/

[paparush]

9. Tony Snow's been captured??? Oh..wait...

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. Fox News has journalists? Since when?

oops - some one beat me to it.

[NNN0LHI]

12. It was worthy of repeating in my estimation, Sir

Indeed.

Don

[WiseButAngrySara]

13. Thought: "Journalists"? Since when? LOL! So good. ....n/t

[global1]

14. My Thought Is Just Like The Israeli's Attacked Lebanon Because....

two of their soldiers where abducted/captured - will Fox now declare a war.

[TahitiNut]

15. Thought: They're trying to compete with Jill Carroll's story in the CSM.

:eyes: Fat fucking chance. Murdoch must've handed out that 'assignment' personally.

[Oreo]

16. More info

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/

FNC Reporter Steve Centanni Kidnapped
The AP reports: "A Fox employee in Gaza, who declined to give his name because he was not authorized to release information about the incident, said the two kidnapped people were reporter Steve Centanni, a U.S. citizen, and a cameraman from New Zealand."

> Update: 3:41pm: The headline has been updated. Centanni is a national correspondent for FNC. He has been with the network since its launch in 1996. "Currently, Centanni is covering the crisis in Iraq and is stationed in Doha, Qatar," his bio says.

Centanni reported live from Gaza during the 9am hour of Fox News Live.


FNC Freelancer Olaf Wiig Also Kidnapped
The Drudge Report says freelance cameraman Olaf Wiig was abducted along with FNC correspondent Steve Centanni. Wiig's Web site says he is based in London. "He has worked on television documentaries in Britain and New Zealand, as well as on television commercials," it says. According to Wikipedia, his partner is BBC World TV presenter Anita McNaught...

FNCers Kidnapped In Gaza: "Pray For Their Release. I Will Keep You Posted" --Moody
FNC senior VP John Moody's internal message to Fox News personnel about the kidnapping:

"The rumors are true: two of our employees have been abducted in Gaza. We will report this fact via our Israel correspondents. Do NOT do any other segments on it. Do not book guests on this topic. Do not comment officially and of course, not on the air, about it. DO pray for their release. I will keep you posted."

Here was there chance to report something that actually was taking place and they decided not to

[TahitiNut]

18. I doubt Steve Centanni is as good-looking ("newsworthy") as Jill Carroll

Yeah ... I'm a cynic. :shrug:

[butterfly77]

17. Who hannity and o'lielly..

or maybe the little black headed punk who comes on fox in the mornings. I can't stand him.

[salinen]

19. Should they be tortured?

The Middle East is in flames decidedly caused by American Taliban extremists neocons. But let's spare the propaganda wing of that same extremists (ethnic cleansing) group? Is it the guy who assembles the bomb, or the guy who drops the bomb, or the guy who advocates dropping the bomb guilty?

[TahitiNut]

24. What's a beheaded talking head worth, anyway?

Is it still useful to Murdoch? Will Murdoch find a way to profit from it? Will the Fux Nooze talking heads change their apologetics for torture? Is there honor among thieves?

[madinmaryland]

20. Please tell me it was Geraldo and Billy-O that got abducted!

[Hubert Flottz]

21. Shit Happens...

That's why they were making the big bucks!

Probably lies you can't believe FOX!

[cigsandcoffee]

22. I won't be one to jeer or joke about this.

I hope they are returned safely, and send my prayers to their families in what must be some terrible hours for them.

[TahitiNut]

25. Yep. Agreed.

After all, it's not like they're Lebanese. :shrug:

[cigsandcoffee]

30. I wouldn't jeer or joke about the Lebanese casualties, either.

To do so about either situation would be repulsive, as this thread is quickly turning out to be.

[Hubert Flottz]

34. If I was joking I would have said...

Did ya hear the one about the lying Assholes from FOX who......anyway you get the idea I hope.

[enough already]

23. It's a start. n/t

[valerief]

26. I don't understand. I thought Fox WAS the enemy. Did they

abduct themselves?

[Breeze54]

27. My local NBC said Centanni moved to the ME a few yrs ago...

as in he's a resident there.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2006/08/14/publiceye/entry1894173.shtml

snip-->

The men, along with a bodyguard, were parked near the headquarters
of the Palestinian security services when two trucks filled with
gunmen pulled up and boxed them in, according to the employee.
The gunmen took the two out of their sports utility vehicle,
which was marked "TV," and drove away, he said.

[specimenfred1984]

28. 2 Propaganda Whores Kidnapped: I'll Joke All I Want To

These frauds think it's funny, i.e. their VP, to call me a traitor who supports Al-Qaeda so yes, I WILL LAUGH IN ANY CONPUKE'S FACE who dares to say that shit to me.

[cigsandcoffee]

31. Classy.

Nothing like sinking to the level of people you condemn for acting a certain way.

[Philosoraptor]

29. Palestinians got em'.

Or at least that's what I surmise.

[MrSlayer]

32. Hi, working for a propaganda network or not, these are fellow Americans.

Call me crazy but I will not mock them or wish for harm to come to them. I hope they get out of this alive and intact.

[TahitiNut]

33. Well, since one is from New Zealand, I guess he's "fair game"?

:eyes: ... or would that be "fair and balanced game"???

[MrSlayer]

35. I wasn't aware of that.

My fault for assuming. Of course we should hope for his release as well. Such a strange reply.

[jiffy]

36. Are they ok?

[evox]

40. It's all staged

Remember, this is FOX News. But why two of them and not just one? To keep each other company while they're in hiding maybe?

[cali]

41. and you know this how?

Oh, that's right, you don't. Simply another ignorant pronouncement.

[evox]

43. so?

What exactly pisses you off? Bush also makes ignorant pronouncements.

[cali]

45. To be honest

bush's ignorant pronouncements piss me off to a far, far greater magnitude, but I'm not big on ignorant pronouncements no matter who they come from.

[rug]

42. I expect they'll throw them back.

[Selatius]

44. My hunch is Islamic Jihad did this, not Hamas

Hamas has done a lot of terrible things, but I don't think they're in the mood for more action so soon after fighting IDF troops in Gaza.

[TheWebHead]

46. these type of things are always tough situations here on DU

some people's remarks here and other threads at DU will be exploited by the right to show how heartless some people here are. Remember, the correspondents in the field are usually the least partisan and have a tendancy of bouncing around from network to network. Steve Centanni isn't a partisan political commentator, but unfortunately will probably pay the penalty for the biased near-state run news agency he works for. I hope for the best for him and cameraman Olaf Wiig in this circumstance.

[TahitiNut]

47. Just what kind of "fair and balanced" news does Fox broadcast from Gaza?

Has Fox covered the dozens of innocent civilian deaths in Gaza in recent weeks? Or do they spin the news to pander to the right-wing dehumanization of "those people"?? Like it or not, the propaganda arm of this regime is far less "innocent" than the children buried in the rubble of the home bombed recently by the IDF -- bombed with munitions "Made in U.S.A."

I've seen death during war. I lived it in Viet Nam for a year - up close and personal. Believe me, people wearing uniforms die the same as civilians. The "enemy" dies just like "us."

There's a WHOLE LOT of "heartless" going around - and the people agitating for war and profiting from it top my list.

[Ilsa]

48. "A mindless beauty queen and her fluffy-haired anchor" perhaps?

That's what Faux News people seem like to me.