Another CAN Journalist Nabbed, This Time in PAK

[The Bread Guy]

I note this is not the CBC's top story now - I also note the freelancer was recently asking (pretty frantically) for money to get outta PAK ASAP....

Abducted B.C. journalist was working for Al Jazeera
Freelancer from West Vancouver had made 'personal and urgent' appeal on her website for financial help to get out of Pakistan
MARK HUME, Globe & Mail, 14 Nov 08
Article link
Beverly Giesbrecht, a West Vancouver woman who converted to Islam in 2002 and adopted the name Khadija Abdul Qahaar, was on a freelance assignment for the Al Jazeera network when she was abducted in northern Pakistan this week.  Ms. Giesbrecht, a former magazine publisher in British Columbia who runs a website that is critical of the U.S.-led war on terror and the mainstream media's coverage of it, had ventured into the highly dangerous North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, when she was taken at gunpoint out of a taxi, along with her translator ....


Canadian journalist abducted in Pakistan
Agence France-Presse, 14 Nov 08
Article link
A Canadian journalist was abducted this week in Pakistan's northern tribal region while gathering materials for a documentary, officials said, days after another was released in Afghanistan.  Beverly Giesbrecht, 52, also known as Khadija Abdul Qahaar, was seized at gunpoint on Tuesday while traveling in the Bannu district of Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province, which borders Afghanistan.  The English-language Pakistan daily News International first reported her abduction on Wednesday and the news was picked up by Canadian media the following day.  Lisa Monette, a spokeswoman for Canada's Foreign Affairs department told AFP, "The government of Canada is aware of the kidnapping of a Canadian citizen in Pakistan.  Canadian officials are engaged with Pakistani authorities in seeking her safe and early release," she said.  News International said: "The Canadian female journalist, Khadija Abdul Qahaar, along with her translator and guide, was on her way to Miramshah in North Waziristan ... by a taxi when some unidentified armed men kidnapped her." ....


Canadian kidnapped in Pakistan ran controversial 'pro-terrorist' website
Stuart Hunter ,  Canwest News Service, 13 Nov 08
Article link
Canadian officials were working with their counterparts in northwest Pakistan Thursday in a bid to win the release of a B.C. woman who was kidnapped Tuesday along with her three local guides.  A Foreign Affairs spokeswoman confirmed a report in The Daily Times in Lahore that negotiations are continuing to free Khadija Abdul Qahaar, 52, formerly of West Vancouver.  She was seized at gunpoint on Tuesday while travelling to record video footage for a British journalist ....

More on links

 

[jollyjacktar]

I heard the news reports about her this morning.  It did make me wonder if she will change her tune about insurgents being heros now [as per her website].  Poetic justice somewhat, running with the wolves just got her bitten on the ass.

 

[ModlrMike]

I watched the piece on last night's news. I fail to see how it's the government's responsibility to retrieve her, as her supporters insist.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I watched the piece on last night's news. I fail to see how it's the government's responsibility to retrieve her, as her supporters insist.

Like it or not, if she's a Canadian citizen, she's covered.

 

[Franko]

Like it or not, if she's a Canadian citizen, she's covered.

She knew the danger and carried on, all the while knowing full well that was in danger and she was in way over her head....just to finish a story.

She'll either be interviewing the Taliban or be held for ransom. Time will tell.

Regards

 

[The Bread Guy]

She'll either be interviewing the Taliban or be held for ransom. Time will tell.

If MSM is correct that the Taliban kidnapped her, I'm guessing the "interview" would be pretty one-sided, with her not getting all that many chances to ask supplementary questions.  Hard to tell if the bad boys kidnapped her just for the ransom, because they didn't like what she was up to (a reasonable speculation, given her recent post here), a combination of both, or reasons we can only guess at.


It'll be interesting to see compare/contrast how this gets handled by Ottawa vs. the CBC reporter's situation, especially given both situations are quite similar in this respect...

She knew the danger and carried on, all the while knowing full well that was in danger and she was in way over her head....just to finish a story.

 

[vonGarvin]

Not knowing who took her, I would offer that kidnapping is a growth industry of developing nations.  Could simply be a case of "Hey!  It's a white woman!  Let's get her!"

Irrespective of who took her, I hope for her safe release.  I couldn't give a rat's ass about her opinions about anything, I just know that she's in a pretty crappy state right now.

 

[ModlrMike]

Like it or not, if she's a Canadian citizen, she's covered.

OK, I'll accept that. Just the same, shouldn't there be some responsibility borne by the individual?

 

[Strike]

OK, I'll accept that. Just the same, shouldn't there be some responsibility borne by the individual?

No more so than some clown who has to get picked up by SAR in Canada because he decided to go fishing during a weather warning or the guy who decides to go hiking without a map, compass, or GPS and gets lost.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Shouldn't there be some responsibility borne by the individual?

I think there should be, but it hasn't been enforced in the past, so I'm not hopeful of anything happening anytime soon to change that.

No more so than some clown who has to get picked up by SAR in Canada because he decided to go fishing during a weather warning or the guy who decides to go hiking without a map, compass, or GPS and gets lost.

In this and similar situations, there have been suggestions of individuals buying insurance to cover the costs.  In the case of Canadian citizens being caught in nasty foreign situations (unforseen as well as could-have-been-guessed-at), some say they should have paid to cover the costs of evacuation.  Anyone interested in what's been said before on these august boards can see similar concerns discussed quite animatedly (with Lebanon instead of PAK/AFG) from a couple of years back here:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/47725.0/all.html
Same compost, different pile...

 

[Strike]

Same compost, different pile...

...just as smelly.  ;D

 

[1feral1]

[Canadian kidnapped in Pakistan ran controversial 'pro-terrorist' website
More on links

Who cares!

You reap what you sew.

Let he rot with her own kind.

You are what you eat!

 

[Kat Stevens]

There ya go, Wes.  Ain't karma a bitch, though?

 

[The Bread Guy]

Although I understand why Ottawa has to do something, there is a part of me that's thinking:  You wanna see and share the Taliban's side of the story because you're not happy with MSM coverage?  Be careful what you wish for - you may just get it....

 

[tabernac]

VIDEO: Islamic State Of Iraq Targets US Bradley In Diyala

Here is a new video release from the Islamic State of Iraq that shows Mujahideen detonating an IED at a US Bradley in Baghdad that completely destroys the vehicle.

Just the fact that she was hosting this video on her site sickens me. To me, its the advocation of the murder of American soldiers, and I can't in good faith state that I hope she returns safely.

 

[dapaterson]

To the contrary, I suspect that having experienced the "hospitality" of such groups, this individual's perspectives may change somewhat.

 

[1feral1]

That is one rough video!

A few days before I left Baghdad, 3 Lads from our FOB got caught up in an IED in their Hummer. All 3 survived initially, but the vehicle had flipped, caught fire, and they were trapped. Others tried to get them out. Fire estiguishers were used to no avail, then the ammo started to cook, and their screams stopped shortly after, as the flames totally engulfed their vehicle. Each armoured door weighs about 250kg.


To think that a Canadian openly airs such footage... well she deserves whatever is coming, and if the government has to act, lets hope they drag their asses, so hopefully any help will be too late.

OWDU

 

[a_majoor]

The blogger ends with what is probably the only redeeming note in this entire affair; we are a civilization based on Christian morality, so regardless of what we may think of her and her antics, we must still go to save the lost sheep because it is the right thing to do*

http://thewaytheballbounces.blogspot.com/2008/11/how-do-you-solve-problem-like-khadija.html

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Khadija?

Beverly Giesbrecht was going about her life in West Vancouver when 9/11 happened.

My response to 9/11 was a willingness to fight, if called upon.

Her response was to convert to Islam, change her name to Khadija Abdul Qahaar, and set up an Islamic pro-Taliban, pro-Al-Qaeda, anti-US, anti-Israel website called Jihad Unspun.

She has been over in Pakistan, promoting the cause of Islamic resistance against the United States and buddying-up with the Taliban. "Aiding and abetting the enemy" we might have said, in the days when Canada took sides in a conflict and really meant it.

The CBC treats her as a "Canadian journalist" even though a quick review of her 2008 article on 9/11 contains these bloopers:

"The Holy month of Ramadan is a time to... take stalk of our motives and priorities...

"For all intensive purposes...

Her website also talks about "Zionist-controlled America" which one might expect to get her in a bit of hot water with the politically correct CBC, but this is the best they can come up with:

"She then set up... Jihad Unspun, which covers news in the Middle East with imagery glorifying those fighting against the United States."

Here's a sample of her writing:

"Qandara is home to the future generations of Taliban from the area. From birth, these children are nurtured as future warriors. Once they are old enough to read, the children, both males and females, undertake formal studies in not just Islam but math, physics, history and Arabic.

Seeing the principle [sic] Abu Malik in the light of day was a wonderful experience. A tall man of great stature, Abu Malik’s face radiates with the light of Allah rarely seen on humans. Speaking English, he took me on a tour of the school and we filmed the students taking lessons in Hadith. One highlight of our conversation is that Abu Malik repeated over and over again “why is America attacking us? We just want to live simple lives and worship our God in peace. Why does America not want the peace?”

And for this I could offer no answer."

At any rate, the nub of the story is this: this white female Canadian convert to Islam has been reported kidnapped in Pakistan.

Her friends back in B.C. now want the Canadian government to ante up and help get her out of Pakistan.

I really don't know how to comment on this. She willingly converted to Islam, a religion noted for activities such as suicide bombings (against people like herself) and kidnappings. Her website glorifies Osama bin Laden, mastermind of a terrorist attack that killed over 3,000 innocent civilians. And now she's been kidnapped. Does this make her unhappy, or happy? The religion which she embraced has in turn risen up and either bit or embraced her, depending on how you look at it.

Back in Canada, her friends want her to be known simply as a Canadian journalist over in Pakistan. And are demanding Canadian government assistance.

How do you solve a problem like Khadija?

As a Christian, I'm going to pray for this woman in Jesus' name. Only Savior, Light of the World. The devout Muslim's only hope.

* (Luke 15:4)

 

[abo]

Ya i hope she gets out safely.

Detesting her views or opinions is fine. But I think its hardly fitting to wish ill on someone who is expressing their beliefs (as offensive/ignorant as they may be). Especially seeing as how we pride ourselves on our enlightened stance on free speech.

My thoughts anyway...

 

[Kat Stevens]

Bollocks.  The most Canada should do is agree to pay the postage when they mail her head back. *









* The opinion expressed in this post is not necessarily that of the management of this web site.  It is for entertainment purposes only, and should in no way be interpreted as an incitement to a beheading.  Therefore, the author accepts no personal liability, should such an event occur.