One year after she was snatched off a Somalian roadside at gunpoint, Alberta-born journalist Amanda Lindhout remains held by her captors.
“There are a lot of unanswered questions — it’s not the conventional kidnap and ransom case whatsoever,” said Calgary-based anti-terrorism expert Daniel Clayton.
Clayton met Lindhout two years ago in Afghanistan. The tall, attractive, white woman represented the ideal target for kidnappers, he said.
“I remember telling someone ‘she better be careful,’” Clayton said.
In the year she’s been held captive, conflicting reports on her condition have surfaced, and the ransom has been raised and lowered significantly.
Sources in Somalia tell Clayton the 28-year-old woman now could be released for as little as $250,000. Though the government does not negotiate with terrorists, a visit from a political figure to the Somalian government could mean a chance for freedom, Clayton said.
