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Taliban Threaten to Behead Canadian Hostage in New Video

by Rob Walker | March 20, 2009 at 05:09 am

1017 views | 68 Recommendations | 10 comments

A new video of a Canadian journalist being held by the Taliban in Pakistan was provided to the Globe and Mail newspaper, which shows Beverly Giesbrecht asking for her ransom to be paid.

The Canadian journalist, who was taken hostage after travelling to the tribal belt of Northern Pakistan four months ago, made reference to a Polish engineer who was executed by militants last month.

In a new video provided to The Globe and Mail, Beverly Giesbrecht expresses fear for her life if her captors aren't paid.
“I have been advised and asked to make this video. We have very short time now and I am going to be killed, as you can see,” she says, gesturing at the dagger on the wall behind her, pointed at her head.

She alluded to Piotr Stanczak, a kidnapped Polish engineer who was executed by militants last month, the first killing of a Western hostage in Pakistan since U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.

2 See all footage | View Slideshow

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Blue Crush

at 07:42 on March 20th, 2009

Thanks, Rob, for posting this. Here's the Cdn. Press article on Khadija Abdul (her adopted name).

Amy Judd

at 09:55 on March 20th, 2009

I hope something can be done for her - have the government spoken about options at all? I know there is no negotiation with terrorists but surely we just can't let her plead for her life and do nothing? Her video is heartbreaking.

Amaad

at 13:03 on March 20th, 2009

Taliban = regional and religious disgrace

every next day they come with more outragious and shocking act that any normal human being wont even dare imagining.. they are mentally sick, sadist and morally corrput.. they enjoy the public shock to their brutality. they are not humen they are not even animals, they are pests and a cancer.. I wish to see them damned, destroyed and removed from us in my life time.

I hope their leaders suffer 100 times to what they have done to people across the globe.

René

at 19:30 on March 20th, 2009

well, there's another side to this story, folks.

and here is her very own website,

http://www.jihadunspun.com/multimedia/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihadunspun.com

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/ :Vancouver convert get rough reception

what's interesting is that many think it is a ploy. a talibanzi scheme, a fraud.

tikun

at 01:11 on March 21st, 2009

Thanks for the report. I want to thank Rene for the important links about Beverly Giesbrecht's personal life struggle and paranoia.

Barry Artiste

at 06:38 on March 21st, 2009

Tragic as this story is, surely she was aware what she was getting into. Strange Bedfellows indeed.

René

at 11:52 on March 21st, 2009

Call it naiveté, like Pearl's. But, is this a valid kidnapping, or is it a scam she cooked up with her 'pals'?

She does look pretty awful compared to the other video I posted. I also hope she is freed, and unharmed. Maybe she will have new insight into the jihadis she supported.

Amaad

at 15:11 on March 21st, 2009

well said.. it will be a shame if the only reason to convert was her facination with Al-Qaida's global Jihad doctrine

mike f (not verified)

at 10:19 on April 6th, 2009

stupid woman

darcy mccannel (not verified)

at 23:50 on July 30th, 2009

Look this woman has run an ant-semetic anti-Anglosphere campaign through the jihadunspun and other websites for years. She has repeatedly called for attacks against military and civilian targets here in Canada, in Israel and around the world. At this time we are fighting a shooting war with these people in Afghanistan; young Canadian troopers are dieing weekly, Mrs.Giesbrecdt deserves to be left right where she is. Oh the irony.