Radio Australia Today Editorial

Nigel Brennan. The nightmare’s over

26 November 2009

This is extraordinary. Fifteen months ago Australian freelance journalist Nigel Brennan was kidnapped in Somalia along with his Canadian companion, journalist Amanda Lindhout.

In the social and political mire that is Somalia, anything could’ve happened to them. The only thing that kept them alive was the possibility of a ransom being paid for their release.

Obviously governments do not pay ransoms to anyone, terrorists, kidnappers or extortionists, because to pay such a ransom would guarantee further such kidnappings.

One of the kidnappers claims that a ransom was paid in this case, and suggestions this morning are that Lindhout’s family may have been the ones who came up with the money. If either the Australian or Canadian governments helped top up the ransom they won’t say. Nor are they likely to ever admit it, for the reason I have already given.

Brennan and Lindhout have an extraordinary tale to tell. Ten months ago they tried to escape their captors, and you can understand why they would. After five months in captivity, a cruel death looked more likely every day. They were recaptured though, and Lindhout tells of being beaten and tortured. The two were chained together, and remained chained together for the remaning ten months of their captivity.

I wrote in the headline for this blog that the nightmare was now over.

Of course it’s not over. Brennan and Lindhout will have years of suffering from their ordeal, and their lives will never be the same as it was sixteen months ago. I just hope that they get all the counselling and support that they deserve and need.

- Phil Kafcaloudes