The Friends BBC Makes

Reacting to the release of their son Alan Johnston, the BBC reporter held for 114 days by Army of Islam terrorists in Gaza, mum Margaret and dad Graham were grateful to the reporter's friends:

Alan had always told us of the friends he'd made in Gaza. We knew, in the end, they would be there for him. (source)

Isn't that nice? Alan's friends came through. It must be really nice to have friends like that, guys who will go out of their way to help you when you're stuck in a sticky wicket?

Hmmm. I wonder what sort of friends one makes in Gaza? Let's see if the venerable Times of London can illuminate the matter.

Alan Johnston, the kidnapped BBC journalist, was released last night after intense negotiations as Hamas fighters closed in around the compound of the Army of Islam gang that had held him for 114 days.

Amidst chaotic scenes outside the house of Ismail Haniya, the deposed Palestinian Prime Minister, 50 to 60 gunmen holding rocket-propelled grenades and AK47s accompanied Johnston down the street. Johnston appeared to be in good health, and he told The Times that he was OK.

Abu Subhi, a senior Hamas Executive Force commander, told The Times that Mr Johnston was released at 3:30am local time. He was taken for a shave and a shower before he met Ismael Haniya, the deposed Palestinian Prime Minister, in Gaza.

Oh. That sort of friends.

Note that Margaret and Graham didn't say the BBC reporter's "sources" worked for his release, but his "friends." Not his "associates" but his friends. Friends with rocket-propelled grenades and AK47s who dedicate their lives to killing non-Muslims.

The sort of friends a BBC reporter makes.