Al-Qaeda releases Swiss hostage

[demoleft]

Source: bbc

A Swiss man held hostage for six months by members of al-Qaeda in Mali has been freed, Swiss and Malian officials say.

Werner Greiner - seized in Niger - is the last of six Western hostages held by a group calling itself al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb.

In May, the group announced on a website that it had killed British hostage Edwin Dyer.



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8146405.stm

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i only got it now. sorry if u already had it.
good news, anyway.

[ohio2007]

1. It was not immediately clear if a ransom had been paid ....

Mr Greiner had been attending a music festival when he was seized

[Ian David]

2. Probably paid in chocolate. n/t

[ohio2007]

3. a vat of chocolate big enough to swim in nt

[ohio2007]

4. 3 to 5 million Euros paid for hostage release.

TERRORISM: PRESS, MLNS OF EUROS FOR RELEASE OF SWISS MAN
(ANSAmed) - ALGIERS, JULY 13 - A sum between 3 and 5 million euros has been handed over to Al Qaida for the Islamic Maghreb for the release of the Swiss hostage, Werner Greiner, reported the Algerian press today. According to Liberté, quoting informant sources, a Malian intermediary was to have delivered the 5 million euros to the terrorist group. According to the Arab language newspaper El Khabar, the sum was set at 3 million, and arrived in northern Niger with a Tuareg intermediary. Yesterday and official from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Markus Boerlin, stated that "Switzerland did not negotiate with the kidnappers or pay the ransom". The Swiss citizen was kidnapped in northern Mali in January with a British hostage, Edwyn Dyer, who was killed at the beginning of June, reportedly due to London's refusal to negotiate and pay the ransom to the terrorists. (ANSAmed).


http://www.ansamed.info/en/news/[e-mail]


What could they possibly do with 5 million Euros?


Feed the starving displaced children in Africa ?

could happen