BBC Employing Hamas Members?

Flag/headband typically worn by Hamas supporters

I found this story, courtesy of Little Green Footballs. It's bad enough the the BBC is, by their own admissions, wildly biased against Israel. But apparently they have employed a member of Hamas, a group recognized by the UK as a terrorist organization. Since the BBC is an agency of the British government, is this legal? Judeoscope says:

Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by the British government, meaning lending material support to it is a criminal felony in Britain.

As usual, I decided to do a little digging. Unfortunately, there's not far to dig.

Apparently, the man is has inside connections in the area and the BBC sent him in to negotiate for the release of Alan Johnston, a BBC reporter who has been held hostage in Gaza by the "Army of Islam" since 12 March. The BBC officially denies that the man is a member of Hamas. OK. Then who is he? And just what is his expertise and connections to Hamas? He must have some or you wouldn't have sent him in the first place.

Finally, Hamas firmly controls the Gaza strip. So how could they have "little influence over his [Johnston's] captors"?

Here is another interesting observation, which shows the BBC's ambivalence about Palestinian terrorism. Look at this whitewash job they do on kidnapping, just a few days after Johnston was abducted, to make the whole thing seem an almost jovial affair:

[The Gaza militants] want proper jobs in this poverty-stricken place, and usually they want to be allowed to join the security services. It is ironic really. Gaza is the only place in the world where your kidnapper's one demand is that he should be allowed to become a policeman.

And the kidnap craze has thrown up moments of black humour.

The gunmen are not always crack division militants, more Keystone Kidnappers. While an Italian journalist was being led off to a hideout he had to climb a fence. And when one of his abductors started the climb he absentmindedly handed the Italian his gun. Surely it is the first thing they teach you at kidnapper's school, never give the hostage your machinegun.

And the whole business of kidnapping goes very much against the local social grain. Palestinians are extremely hospitable people, and one of the dangers of being abducted here must be that you could get fed to death.

Contrast the above with this much more sobering report of Johnston's situation just two days ago. It took a pretty shocking image in order for the grim reality of his situation to finally kick in:

video was released in which Mr Johnston wore what he said was an explosives belt.

In the tape, the reporter said his captors had promised to detonate it if force was used to try to free him.

Incidentally, I have my quarrels with the BBC but not with Alan Johnston. My prayers go out to him and his family. As a journalist, he is a non-combatant and his abduction is particularly senseless. There is an online petition for his release. If you are interested in adding your signature, click on the image below:






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