The news is in. Jill Carroll was not rescued by the military. That means that someone paid ransom. She said she was never threatened. Does that mean that she was in on the kidnapping?

She, as the picture shows, is an Islamist sympathizer. A similar sympathizer, a"kidnapped" German archeologist Susanne Osthoff, was caught with part of the ransom money following her release.

The issue of money is far from trivial. Upon returning from Iraq, Congress Tom Udall reported that he was told by American commanders on the ground that Europeans paid 80 million dollars ransom to Sunni hostage takers and it helped fund the insurgency for a long time.

Is it possible that the recent releases are related to their need for additional funds and how many American and Iraqis will be killed as a consequence?

For a round up on the subject visit My pet Jawa.