Australian Hostage Released

[Adventurer]

I guess the producers of Locked up Abroad are on the phone!

[brock]

Wanna lose weight,,,Get Kidnapped..........But pleased the man got out alive.......Never rely on your government too much for anything when you are abroad

[Old55]

Wanna lose weight,,,Get Kidnapped..........But pleased the man got out alive.......Never rely on your government too much for anything when you are abroad

If he was an American the IRS would be on him for back tax's or some other BS.

[FlyAway]

Good he made it out with his head still attached.

 

Reading all this gives me an idea. We all know our perspective governments will not lift a finger to help us in situations like this. The U.S. spends millions to track down and apprehend fugitives from justice. So if you were wanted by U.S. authorities, I am sure they would spare no expense to track you down! So have a relative in U.S. file some sort of charge against you if you are ever kidnapped by unsavory people in Philippines.

[Call me bubba]

as it was discussed guess a RANSOM was paid for his release

 

SYDNEY - Islamic militants in Mindanao were paid US$97,7500 for the release of Australian Warren Rodwell who survived 15 months in captivity, a report said on Sunday.

A gaunt Rodwell, a former soldier, 54, was set free at Pagadian, a port city on Mindanao island, Saturday, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of where he kidnapped on December 5, 2011.

Philippine and Australian authorities refused to say if a ransom was paid,

but Australia's Fairfax Media cited the key negotiator as revealing the equivalent of $97,750 in pesos was handed over.

This was substantially less than the $2 million the kidnappers, members of the Abu Sayyaf militant group, had initially demanded soon after they broke into the house Rodwell shared with his Filipina wife in Ipil town

.

The negotiator, Al Rashid Sakalahul, told Fairfax the kidnappers were demanding some $400,000 when he became involved in the case several weeks ago.

But what they accepted was far less, he said.

"It was really a tough negotiation but in the end, with God's help, we managed to secure the release of Rodwell," Sakalahul, vice-governor of the southern Philippine province of Basilan, told Fairfax.

He said he was revealing how much was paid to douse speculation he benefited from negotiating with the kidnappers.

"I don't want to be accused by anyone that I benefited from this negotiation -- that's why I came up with this admission," he said.

"My only mission is to save the life of Rodwell by getting him out of the Abu Sayyaf."

 

Sakalahul said he did not know where the money was sourced but it was passed through Rodwell's wife Miraflor Gutang and her brother Roger.

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr said Canberra did not pay any money.

"Just be clear that the Australian government never pays ransoms," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"I won't comment on arrangements that may have been made by Mr Rodwell's family and Abu Sayyaf, made through the Philippines anti-kidnapping unit and their police force."

Rodwell was Saturday flown by helicopter to a military base in Zamboanga, one of the major cities in the southern Philippines, where he received medical treatment.

Australian media said he was expected to remain in hospital for up to a week.

The Abu Sayyaf is one of many armed Islamist groups operating in the southern Philippines, which has been home to a deadly Muslim separatist insurgency that has cost tens of thousands of lives since the 1970s.

 

 

http://philnews.com/headlines/2013/headline_news_0323af.htm

[Adventurer]

- Islamic militants in Mindanao were paid US$97,7500 for the release of Australian Warren Rodwell who survived 15 months in captivity, a report said on Sunday.

 

In that case then I guess he will be heading back to Australia in the future to work his butt off for several years to pay back the money....

[Americano]

Paying a ransom only encourages more kidnappings. The kidnappers got a good reward for their evil dead.  After a few days of partying they will be ready to kidnap another foreigner.

 

The best thing to do now is use Rodwell to help track down and kill his kidnappers.  And, if his kidnappers delivered him they should have been killed on the spot.  Their elimination is the only way of controlling these terrorist.

[Bruce]

Paying a ransom only encourages more kidnappings. The kidnappers got a good reward for their evil dead.  After a few days of partying they will be ready to kidnap another foreigner.

 

The best thing to do now is use Rodwell to help track down and kill his kidnappers.  And, if his kidnappers delivered him they should have been killed on the spot.  Their elimination is the only way of controlling these terrorist.

:1 (72):  :AddEmoticons04230:

 

I like your thinking! Too bad 'we' are not incharge of the pirate situation off the coast of Africa...... Between satelites, drones and missle launches.... I give it 3 weeks.....

 

The Russian did it best 50 years ago. They had a reputation of killing kidnappers and asking questions later. While the US was busy trying to befriend and hug the kidnappers due to some preceived issue in their childhoods, the Russians simply started hunting and killing them. No one wanted to kidnap a Russian....

 

Now, on Mindenao, the soft approach with the militants is again making the government appear to be soft easy targets.  

 

Experts agree that in the 1st hour it is your best time to escape. After that.... not so good. I for one plan on having a heart attack. They can carry me if they want... but I ain't gonna go quietly..... This Australian guy went through a lot of trouble as it was, and now the kidnappers see that this 'other man' who says he arrainged the payment is the guy to go to for future kidnappings....

[FlyAway]

Experts agree that in the 1st hour it is your best time to escape. After that.... not so good. I for one plan on having a heart attack. They can carry me if they want... but I ain't gonna go quietly..... This Australian guy went through a lot of trouble as it was, and now the kidnappers see that this 'other man' who says he arrainged the payment is the guy to go to for future kidnappings....

I thought of that, making it difficult for them to carry you off. Problem with that is they may well just leave you behind without your head attached.

 

Talked to my wife about this subject. One of the main problems is you are dealing with not just the kidnappers but also the support of the local community where you are being held. 4 million pesos trickles down a long way.

[Adventurer]

Yes it is unfortunate a ransom was paid and publicized. They will most certainly be planning their next kidnapping and it will probably be in the same area so anyone that is dumb enough to live there should be keeping a low profile. They will be probably be looking for another Aussie too but a yank or Brit will pass.

Edited March 24, 2013 by Adventurer