Kidnapped US journalist freed in Syria

[Bosonic]

Source: Al Jazeera

An American journalist kidnapped nearly two years ago has been freed in Syria and handed over to UN representatives, after Qatari mediation helped lead to his release.

Peter Theo Curtis was freed from captivity on Sunday, after reportedly being abducted in Antakya, Turkey, where he planned to enter Syria in October 2012.

Footage of the the American was released on June 30, showing a disheveled Curtis with long hair and beard, but appearing to be in good health.

Speaking in a video obtained by Al Jazeera, Curtis read from a prepared script stating his name and profession, saying he was a journalist from Boston, Massachusetts.

Read more: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/08/us-journalist-kidnapped-syria-peter-theo-curtis-2014824132444444921.html

[CJCRANE]

1. Good news for a change.

[onecaliberal]

2. Fantastic!!

[jakeXT]

3. Looks like the border between Turkey and Syria is porous /nt

[Fred Sanders]

4. Who did he work for or contract with? Free lance people are not really journalists.

[ScreamingMeemie]

6. If freelance people are reporting the news, in journalistic fashion, they are

indeed really journalists. In fact, many of them have far superior skills.

[magical thyme]

7. Yes they are.

They can be there under contract with news outlets, without being employees of those outfits. That was the case for Foley.

[Blue_Tires]

5. So was there a prisoner trade?

or is the U.S. starting to re-think their policy of not paying ransoms?

[magical thyme]

8. the group that kidnapped and held him has not been identified

So many players in that area, nothing says it was ISIS/ISIL holding him.

He does say he was well cared for.

[Baclava]

9. "He was held by the Nusra Front, the Qaeda affiliate in Syria"

The Nusra Front and ISIS were once a single organization, but the two groups split over ideological and tactical differences, with ISIS going its own way and Nusra remaining loyal to Al Qaeda’s central command.

One of the issues that divided them was the acceptable level of brutality; since the split, Al Qaeda has criticized the unrestrained attacks by the fundamentalist Sunni militants of ISIS against Shiite Muslims.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/25/world/middleeast/peter-theo-curtis-held-by-qaeda-affiliate-in-syria-is-freed-after-2-years.html?_r=1

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Al Qaeda - "Don't bomb us - it was them other guys"

[Uncle Joe]

10. That's a telling sign when Al Qaeda considers ISIS to be too brutal and extreme.

I'm happy for Peter Theo Curtis and his family.

[karynnj]

11. Between this report, the US reached out to Quatar

Here is John Kerry's statement:

Particularly after a week marked by unspeakable tragedy, we are all relieved and grateful knowing that Theo Curtis is coming home after so much time held in the clutches of Jabhat Al-Nusrah.

For two years, this young American has been separated from his family. Finally he is returning home. Theo’s mother, whom we’ve known from Massachusetts and with whom we’ve worked during this horrific period, simply refused to give up and has worked indefatigably to keep hope alive that this day could be a reality.

Over these last two years, the United States reached out to more than two dozen countries asking for urgent help from anyone who might have tools, influence, or leverage to help secure Theo's release and the release of any Americans held hostage in Syria.

Every waking hour, our thoughts and our faith remain with the Americans still held hostage and with their families, and we continue to use every diplomatic, intelligence, and military tool at our disposal to find them and bring our fellow citizens home.

http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2014/08/230836.htm

Quatar is interesting as the mediator. They have been accused of funding this organization and even ISIS. Yet, they have been trying to be seen as a "respectable" country - whether by having a soccer team that plays against European and British teams or with Turkey, being seen as one of the conduits for getting information to and from Hamas and possibly having them use their leverage with Hamas.

Here, they have very likely saved this young man's life. It is interesting that his release will get a fraction of the attention of the gruesome murder.