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When Israeli soldiers were kidnapped recently, so-called human rights activists such as Jimmy Carter pinned the blame on the Jewish state, the idea being that the kidnapping was merely a reaction to Israel holding Palestinian and Hezbollah prisoners.

A Palestinian terrorist group identifying itself as "Holy Jihad Brigades" has just released this video of kidnapped Fox News journalists Olaf Wiig and Steve Centanni. The terrorist group is giving the U.S. 72 hours to release Muslim prisoners being held in America, or else...well, that's not clear now, but you can use your imagination.

In the case of the two seperate kidnappings of Israeli soldiers, at least one could argue that the kidnapped Israelis were soldiers rather than civilians. But the two Fox News journalists currently being held in captivity are clearly civilians and Wiig is a citizen neither of the U.S. nor Israel, but of New Zealand. This demonstrates that the real aim is to use the tactic of kidnapping to gain media attention (hence kidnapping journalists), get the sympathy of the world community, and earn a place at the international bargaining table. Stay tuned for a Jimmy Carter statement blaming the kidnappings on the U.S. prison system.

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Israel