Found Alive Burkina Faso (Africa) - Edith Blais, 34 & Luca Tacchetto, 30, Canada & Italy tourists, 15 Dec 2018

[Cryptic]

"The important thing is that there was no murder, because if there had been, we would have found the bodies,"

okaaaaaaaaaaay. I pray that's true.

I think there is a pretty good chance of it being true. The consensus seems to be that the two were kidnapped by Jihadis.

Severe Jihadis- the kind who kidnap westerners for the sole purpose of killing them, do so for propaganda purposes. That means they want either the bodies to be found, or films of the executions to be made a public as a means to spread the propaganda.

At the end of the day, severe Jihader's don't gain anything from killing westerners- and then not telling anybody about it.

Even if they were kidnapped by ransom inclined non religious bandits, or casual Jiahders who mix religion with cash motives and then killed for what ever reason, the bodies would have economic value in a desperately poor region.

My guess is that somebody would inform authorities of their location and offer to guide them there- in exchange for an "appropriate reward" and.... of course, amnesty.

 

[Catmommy]

I appreciate your logic and reassurance. Again, I pray that you are correct. It has been an awfully long time though since any reported sighting of them. The last folks kidnapped for ransom were identified quickly, the ransom was paid and they were rescued. There's been no word of these poor people since LAST DECEMBER.

 

[otto]

"A Quebec woman and her Italian travel companion who went missing in West Africa late last year are still alive, but no longer in Burkina Faso, according to a government official of the African country, speaking on an Italian news channel."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/edith-blais-still-alive-reports-1.5097228

 

[Cryptic]

The last folks kidnapped for ransom were identified quickly, the ransom was paid and they were rescued. There's been no word of these poor people since LAST DECEMBER.

I understand your concern and honestly, I am worried about the time delay as well. One other morsel of hope is that there has been no public affirmation of contact with the hostage takers.

I think some governments that are willing to pay ransoms, or enhance private ransoms prefer secrecy as it helps keep them from being known as an "easy mark" which leads to more say, Italian hostages being taken.

Likewise, the ransom inclined Jihadis may also prefer secrecy as they don't want more powerful rival groups learning of the negotiations and demanding a share of the ransom, or even worse- demanding that the hostages be transfered to them.

 

[Catmommy]

They "think" that "Jihadists" kidnapped them. No one has come forward as a witness to that as far as we've been told. AIR, the last place they were absolutely known to be was at a private dinner. Please correct me if I'm mistaken. They were "supposed" to leave for ... but did anyone see them actually leave? I'd feel much better if there is proof of their existence SOON.

 

[ZaZara]

I appreciate your logic and reassurance. Again, I pray that you are correct. It has been an awfully long time though since any reported sighting of them. The last folks kidnapped for ransom were identified quickly, the ransom was paid and they were rescued. There's been no word of these poor people since LAST DECEMBER.

BBM


This is blatantly untrue. The most recent person rescued by the Italian Secret Services had been captured for three years by jihadist groups and the entire proces was conducted in the greatest secrecy.

L'annuncio di Conte: "Liberato in Siria Sergio Zanotti, rapito tre anni fa"

PM Conte's announcement: "Freed in Syria Sergio Zanotti, who was kidnapped three years ago"

The Italian entrepreneur had disappeared in 2016 during a trip to Turkey close to the Syrian border. He had appeared in two videos. The premier: "He's in good shape, he'll be in Rome soon".

"At the end of a complex and delicate activity of intelligence, investigative and diplomatic efforts, carried out in a synchronized manner, today we have succeeded in obtaining the liberation of Sergio Zanotti, who was kidnapped in Syria in April 2016." The announcement of Premier Giuseppe Conte arrived in the late afternoon. "Our fellow countryman - Conte continued - appears in good general conditions and will return in a few hours to Italy, to Rome. A further success of our institutions and, in particular, of Aise: to them my most sincere and heartfelt thanks."

According to the former wife of the entrepreneur, the man left for Turkey in April 2016, in an area close to the Syrian border. From there his tracks were lost, to the point that his family was forced to report his disappearance. "I am happy. But I don't know anything more. Now I'm waiting for him," said the sister of Zanotti at the announcement of the liberation of her brother: "I'm overjoyed!" she commented in tears.

From the moment the news of his disappearance broke, the Crisis Unit of the Farnesina was immediately activated in coordination with the Intelligence and Security Agencies, the Ros of the Carabinieri and the judicial authority. In all these years, the Crisis Unit has maintained regular contacts with the family in Italy.

In May 2017, the Italian entrepreneur had appeared in a short video released by the kidnappers. Sergio Zanotti, the 59-year-old Brescian businessman, was already considered kidnapped in Syria by groups linked to al Qaeda. Zanotti, with a long beard and a blue t-shirt, appeared on his knees in a bare room: "Today is the first of May. My name is Zanotti Sergio. This is the second call they let me make," he said. Behind him are two men with covered faces, dressed in black and holding a rifle.


With Zanotti's liberation there remain at least four Italians of whom there is no news. They are Father Paolo Dall'Oglio, the Jesuit kidnapped on 29 July 2013 while he was in Raqqa; Luca Tacchetto, 30 years old from Vigonza, who disappeared in Burkina Faso on 15 December 2018 together with his Canadian friend Edith Blais; volunteer Silvia Romano, kidnapped by an armed commando in a Kenyan village last November and Father Pier Luigi Maccalli, priest of the Society for African Missions (SMA) kidnapped in Niger.


BBM


Three years of hard work in the utmost secrecy. The government in Rome deliberately maintained a radio silence to increase the chances of release.

IMHO we will be on this thread with no news of Luca and Edith for quite a while.

 

[Catmommy]

BBM


This is blatantly untrue. The most recent person rescued by the Italian Secret Services had been captured for three years by jihadist groups and the entire proces was conducted in the greatest secrecy.

I was speaking of the woman from the US who was taken with her guide in Uganda last week and rescued after the ransom was paid. So it is blatantly true.

 

[dotr]

I was speaking of the woman from the US who was taken with her guide in Uganda last week and rescued after the ransom was paid. So it is blatantly true.

Unsure who was responsible for the rescue, might have been Uganda's "security forces" imo, speculation.
Uganda kidnapping: American tourist Kimberly Sue Endicott and her tour guide rescued, officials say - CNN
rbbm.
"American tourist Kimberly Sue Endicott and her tour guide, who were abducted in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park on Tuesday, have been rescued by security forces, a Ugandan government spokesperson said Sunday."
Ws thread..
Recovered/Located - UGANDA - Kimberly Sue Endicott, 56, & Jean-Paul Mirenge Remezo, 38, kidnapped for ransom, 2 Apr 2019

 

[ZaZara]

I was speaking of the woman from the US who was taken with her guide in Uganda last week and rescued after the ransom was paid. So it is blatantly true.

Uganda has nothing to do with this thread. Different location, different situation, different victim and different circumstances.

In this thread, it has been amply explained, on the basis of various reliable sources why the disappearance of Luca Tacchetto and Edith Blais is more than probably a kidnapping with a possiblew jihadist background and why this might take long, because these kidnappings in the jihadist galaxy usually take long to solve. It took the Italian governemnt 3 years to free Sergio Zanotti from jihadist kidnappers

If a kidnapping in Uganda was solved quickly, nowhere does it follow that another kidnapping in Burkina Faso will or should be solved quickly too.

 

[Catmommy]

If Uganda has nothing to do with this thread, why does Syria?

 

[Catmommy]

Different location, different situation, different victim and different circumstances.

Yes, indeed, and so was your example

 

[dotr]

April 12 2019
35 countries where the US State Department is warning Americans they could get kidnapped
"The US State Department announced this week it was adding a "K" indicator to its public travel advisories to let American travelers know where they could be at risk of getting kidnapped or taken hostage."
Here's a map of the 35 countries on the list:

"Terrorist groups continue plotting attacks and kidnappings in Burkina Faso and may conduct attacks anywhere with no warning," the advisory reads. "Targets could include hotels, restaurants, police stations, customs offices, areas at or near mining sites, military posts, and schools."

 

[Cryptic]

They "think" that "Jihadists" kidnapped them. No one has come forward as a witness to that as far as we've been told. AIR, the last place they were absolutely known to be was at a private dinner. Please correct me if I'm mistaken. They were "supposed" to leave for ... but did anyone see them actually leave?

Though anything is possible, I don't think anybody else is under suspicion besides Jihaders.

The term "Jihader", however, is very broad. Jihaders range from "made" Al Queda / ISIS members from the "mother chapter" to a group of mostly non religious cattle rustlers that got lucky when two westerners drove up to their hasty checkpoint.

 

[ZaZara]

If Uganda has nothing to do with this thread, why does Syria?

Yes, indeed, and so was your example

You are so funny. However, I am not going to repeat this entire thread, it is free for anyone to read and digest.

 

[ZaZara]

French free hostages in Burkina Faso

Four foreign hostages have been freed by French forces in the West African country of Burkina Faso, the French government says.

Two of those released are French. The other two are said to be an American woman and a South Korean woman.

Two French soldiers were killed during the raid, the French presidency said. Four kidnappers were also killed, AFP quoted the French military as saying.

The French hostages had been kidnapped in neighbouring Benin on 1 May.


BBM

 

[zecats]

French free hostages in Burkina Faso

Four foreign hostages have been freed by French forces in the West African country of Burkina Faso, the French government says.

Two of those released are French. The other two are said to be an American woman and a South Korean woman.

Two French soldiers were killed during the raid, the French presidency said. Four kidnappers were also killed, AFP quoted the French military as saying.

The French hostages had been kidnapped in neighbouring Benin on 1 May.


BBM

No news of Edith or Luca. Hoping for the best outcome for them as well, though sorry to hear French soldiers were killed during this rescue.

 

[Catmommy]

And still no word about the two this thread was created for.

 

[zecats]

And still no word about the two this thread was created for.

That's who I meant - Edith and Luca.

 

[Catmommy]

I posted at the same times as zecats with the same thought

 

[zecats]

I posted at the same times as zecats with the same thought

Great minds, I guess..on the same thought.