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The Interview

What Alan Johnston pleaded for: French fries and a radio

SARAH HAMPSON

From Monday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 6:51 AM EDT 06/05/08

Johnston, held hostage for 114 days by an extremist Islamic group in Gaza, tells his story like the veteran journalist he is ...Read the full article

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  1. Cousin Voltaire from Canada writes: Good article; thank you.
  2. M Kwad from Calgary, Canada writes: Excellent stuff, a good read.
  3. Yvonne Wackernagel from Woodville, Canada writes: And just think of the ones who are also beaten, tortured and shamed, MOST TIMES FOR NO REASON. Think of the 15 years old Kadr!
  4. Robert Rivers from France writes: Yvonne, the last time I was in Woodville the only problem I could think about was not getting in a fight because I was from Lindsay.... hahahah

    You have to love online media sharing we all become experts about everything.
  5. jack Bauer from Canada writes: Yvonne whats your point ? Kadr is a terrorist !
  6. Walker fromtheevilempireofAB from Calgary, Canada writes: He now works at a desk job for the BBC in London. "One of the things I learned in that room was how much I rather like the West. I had spent most of my life to get away to more intense places. I did actually realize that home is better than I quite realized."

    The last sentence is a chronic problem people have in this country. B!tch and moan and cry about how terrible our goverment is (whatever party) and fail to realize just how good we've got it. I can't believe there are people living in this country that I've heard suggesting Canada is a police state. What a joke.
  7. Alonso Garnet from Canada writes: Those following fanatical Islaim are sure fun people to be around. Hope they capture Yvonne Wackernagel next!
  8. George BrownIII from Christmas Island writes: I am glad to read Alan Johnston is a free again, physical and mental as I hear him on the BBC too! Keep on reporting Mr Johnston as I admired you for the longest time as the last western journalist left in Gaza, and I still admire you for not letting a grudge be in the way of fair reporting.
  9. David Smith from Canada writes: As much as I would love to explain to some of you people just why Omar Kadr should not be under-going the un-constitutional and highly immoral process currently happening in Gitmo, you CONSERVATIVEs (and each and every one of you are CPC) are too full of hate to even comprehend it. Just like your Yank brethern in the REPUBLICAN party.... show some bloody decency... he was 15 at the time!

    So, now you can vent your spleens at me, a white male over 50! For several days after 9/11 I would have supported a nuclear attack anywhere celebeations had occured in the Arab world. And then those damnable higher functions we humans are noted for came into play and went to work. You should try it sometime...it's called THOUGHT! He was 15 at the time.
  10. Alonso Garnet from Canada writes: David Smith, did I miss something, when did this post about a BBC reporters time in captivity become about Conservatives, Americans or Kadhr? No, I'm not going to vent my spleen at you or debate the Kadhr situation or neo-conservatives. This is not the proper forum. I just think you and Yvonne Wackernagel should think about getting some help.
  11. Hans Ulster from From the Canadian Oilpatch, Canada writes: Video of Johnston forced to make a tape with a suicide vest on:

    http://tinyurl.com/66997b
  12. Carolyn Bongiorno from Glenham,NY, United States writes: I'm glad Alan Johnston was freed; I signed the online petition to get him released. But when he did emerge, it was with a Palestinian flag pin on his lapel. He looked the fool for appearing to side with his captors and gave ammunition to his critics about bias in the media.

    I happen to think Johnston is a good journalist and I appreciate that he went where few westerners would go for a story. But I'd like to see more straight reportage--save the advocacy for others.

    Welcome home.
  13. Dennis sinneD from Calgary, Canada writes: David Smith from Canada writes: "As much as I would love to explain to some of you people just why Omar Kadr should not be under-going the un-constitutional and highly immoral process currently happening in Gitmo, you CONSERVATIVEs (and each and every one of you are CPC) are too full of hate to even comprehend it. Just like your Yank brethern in the REPUBLICAN party.... show some bloody decency... he was 15 at the time!..."

    Sounds like you live with a bunch of hate yourself. Oooh, they are all Conservatives... sure.
  14. Neil Girdhar from Toronto, Canada writes: Did you read the article, Carolyn Bongiorno? Alan Johnston was released ... through the intervention of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that had recently won power in the Palestinian Authority's general legislative election." (In other words, the majority government of the Palestinian Authority.) It was for the people who released him that he wore the pin. He did not "look like a fool appearing to side with his captors" (whoever they were) nor did he "give ammunition to his critics".
  15. Carolyn Bongiorno from Glenham, NY, United States writes: Neil Girdhar: Mr. Johnston's story was widely reported in the British press and, yes, I knew that Hamas made pleas on his behalf. Both my own government and the E.U. had already refused to accept their democratic election, however ( though Mr. Johnston had a number of contacts within their leadership). I do believe there are two sides to a story and that Johnston was a dedicated reporter.

    There is a contradiction--Mr. Johnston had said he was beaten about the head, but in this interview he's insisting there was no torture. I still believe that as a BBC correspondent, he had the duty to appear even-handed. His sporting of the lapel pin struck me as a sign of solidarity with the Palestinian population and therefore was taking sides. He can wear whatever he wants back home in Scotland, but his choice had a resonance in the mideast.

    Yes, he gave his critics ammunition by choosing sides. We may disagree on whether or not he looked foolish.
  16. Puzzled One from Canada writes: Carolyn,
    After you have been imprisoned for 114 days and then released, you may then perhaps be in a position to critcise the optics of his release.

    Given all that he had endured, if Mr Johnston looks 'foolish' in his release and chose sides, I am certain he would willingly trade a 'foolish' expression of gratitude for a wise captivity. But perhaps I am naive.

    In judging Mr Johnston, we must remember his humanity first and his profession second. The impulse to thank those who lobbied for his release is understandable; I hope none of us is ever called upon to make such a decision.
  17. David Smith from Canada writes: Ah, Dennis... Bill Graham has publically expressed his regrets that as Foreign Minister he did not get Kadr out of the big G. The NDP surely don't want this mis-carriage of justice to occur. It's unlikely that the Bloc would oppose his being brought back to Canada....do the math.... that leaves Tories! Gee.... maybe the Greens are supporting Bush on this....

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