Terrorist expert fears long haul for Finnish hostages in Yemen

Helsinki University terrorism researcher Leena Malkki on Yle's A-Studio Monday night. Image: Yle
The fact that the Finns kidnapped in the Yemeni capital Sanaa have not been released suggests that tribal groups no longer hold the hostages, said Malkki, a terrorism researcher with the University of Helsinki.

“The situation is so confused and has continued for so long, that we are beginning to wonder if this is a regular tribal kidnapping,” Malkki said on Yle’s A-Studio discussion programme on Monday night.

Malkki said it is possible that members of the terrorist group al-Qaeda have indeed purchased the hostages or that they were behind the kidnapping all along. From the hostages’ perspective, this would be unfortunate, as they could then expect to be held for a long time. One other western hostage is currently in Yemen, and has been detained for about one year.

“It’s still not known precisely what this case is about,” Malkki said.

However Malkki pointed out that al-Qaeda is behind only a minority of kidnappings in Yemen. In any case, she noted that it would be very difficult to assess the situation without any information about the hostage takers.

“Usually hostages are released with money or a prisoner exchange, but when we find out who is behind the kidnappings then we'll know whether money is among their demands,” the researcher said.

Lack of reliable information

Information coming out of Yemen on Monday appeared to be contradictory. In spite of local media reports, Finland’s Foreign Ministry said that clashes during the day did not appear to be linked to the kidnappings, nor were they unusual given the protracted unrest in the country.

Malkki said it is obvious that the media have no credible information about the kidnappings and that reports are based on local hearsay.

“The Foreign Ministry probably faces the same challenges that others do, but they may be better informed, since they are more closely in touch with Yemeni officials,” the researcher speculated.

She predicted that ministry officials would continue to be tight-lipped about the case, since publicity is not useful in resolving kidnappings. She added that the Finnish public could expect more openness from the ministry only when the hostages have been released.

Source http://yle.fi/uutiset/terrorist_expert_fears_long_haul_for_finnish_hostages_in_yemen/6470587