US: New York Times reporter escapes Pali kidnap attempt

Hmmmmmmm...

By Amira Hass, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and Agencies

A New York Times correspondent narrowly escaped a kidnap attempt by Palestinians while covering Israel's extensive raid into the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip, the newspaper said on Thursday.

James Bennet, bureau chief for Israel and the territories, said he was speaking on a cellphone in front of a Rafah hospital on Wednesday when a Palestinian he did not know came up, smiled and offered his hand, saying, "Welcome."

When Bennet shook his hand, the man and another Palestinian grabbed him and tried to thrust him into an old Mercedes car that pulled up with its back door open, recalling kidnappings of foreigners by Muslim militants in wartime Beirut in the 1980s.

An abduction was averted only by police at the hospital, who ran to Bennet's assistance in response to his struggle and cries. The men then jumped in the car and sped away, the correspondent said in his dispatch in Thursday's Times.

I wonder whether this will make the New York Times anywere that anyone will actually see it...?

As of now, it isn't even mentioned amongst their International headlines or even the section's view all headlines link. It took a search of the last 30 days for the the almost victim's name to bring up this Al-Reuters report of the incident.

Imagine, Reuters and Haaretz scooping the Times on it's own story...

Anyway, I suspect this kidnapping attempt was the 'peaceful' Palestinian way of keeping the NY Times in line...after all, they wouldn't want "the Paper of Record" getting all uppity by somehow blatantly reporting the truth.

Thankfully, Although the Pal insurgents terrorists are exceedingly violent tacticians, they apparently aren't very capable strategic thinkers without their Euro-advisor cheerleaders.

...Speaking of International Chess moves.

Hat tip: LGF