Stephen Malcolm Support Thread - Kidnapped!

[kentfallen]

Some of you will have seen reports about a Anglo/South African motorcyclist who was apparently kidnapped in Mali late last year!

BBC News - Mali kidnapping: One dead and three seized in Timbuktu

Early reports failed to mention a name. It has become apparent this chaps name is in fact - STEPHEN MALCOMB.

Looks like the bastards have already murdered a German rider in cold blood!

I am surprised that no one here on the HUBB has posted a thread updating the situation and generally supporting this bloke who is clearly in a very dangerous position.

He was after all a fellow RTW adventure biker who had embarked on a trans African tour.

I see the latest news is NOT good news -

The link below is a direct link to a known Islamic terrorist website, you may prefer to use a proxy before clicking on the link in which case use the lower link.

منتديات شبكة شموخ الإسلام
Safer link using proxy server here -
https://s5-eu3.ixquick-proxy.com/do/...a6df871d90ab42

I have other similar links for those wishing to keep abreast of the situation including English language sites etc... If anyone wants these, please PM me. I'm not sure if the links should be put out on open forum like this?

Not much out there about this kidnap not even in the latest version of INSPIRE -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspire_%28magazine%29

I don't suppose the UK government will comply with their request for Abu Quatada to be released (and exchanged with Stephen).

Same old..... another Innocent Westerner kidnapped just because the colour of his skin and fact he was born in the West. Makes me utterly sick to the pit of my stomach. I hope his kidnappers all get what they deserve in the end (a rocket up the arse from a Predator pilotless drone)...

This poor chap deserves our support. Any one of us could easily find ourselves in a similar position. All it takes is being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[kentfallen]

Looks like Mali is fast becoming an extremely dangerous place for ALL White Anglo-Saxon Christian Westerners! It's a great pity because the only people who suffer in the long run will be the locals who depend upon the tourist dollar.

Media reports that STEPHEN MALCOLM holds joint South African / British citizenship. Not entirely surprising given his name...

Hardly any media reports report Stephen as a motorcycle rider which may explain why not many of us are aware of the situation. In fact Stephen was riding his beloved Yamaha XT600 when kidnapped.

Here are a few other reports on the situation -

http://www.modernghana.com/news/3633...li-kidnap.html

Timbuktu al Qaeda kidnappings hurt Mali tourism - World Watch - CBS News

One tourist killed, others kidnapped in Mali's Timbuktu - Africa - FRANCE 24

Timbuktu: Foreigners Kidnapped, Murdered

Official travel advice is as follows -

Due to the latest abductions, several western embassies (including the United Kingdom and France) have modified their travel advice for Mali, urging their citizens to avoid all travel to the northern provinces of the country, including Kidal, Gao, Koulikoro, Ségou, Timbuktu and areas near Nioro. Generally speaking, most of western embassies warn their citizens against all travel in the Sahelian zone covering greater parts of Mauritania, northern Niger and southern Algeria. The risk of kidnapping in northern Mali is extremely high for western travellers due to the presence of Tuareg dissidents and of AQIM. As the terror threat is currently high in Bamako, the capital city, Westerners have to increase awareness and to take extra security precautions. Avoid going out with large groups of Westerners and keep a low profile at all times. Avoid popular places for expatriates (restaurants, bars, night clubs etc.) as it might be a target for kidnapping and terrorist attacks.

All Trans-African / RTW Adventure riders would be well advised to give this area a miss at the moment.

Our thoughts must be with Stephen and his family.

[kentfallen]

More information about the manner they were kidnapped is slowly emerging -

It was in Timbuktu on Friday that a South African man and three foreigners, tourists apparently – from Holland, Sweden and Germany – sat down at a local restaurant, perhaps to sample a few of the local delicacies. But they never finished their meal. Details remain sketchy, but according to a witness report, armed men burst into the restaurant and ordered the foreigners to come with them. The German refused, and was instantly shot and killed. The others were bundled into the back of a truck, and spirited out of the city, presumably north into the desert where there are an almost infinite number of places to hide and where government authority holds no sway.

The cowardly gutless terrorists have demanded the release of Abu Quatada who is currently being held in HM Prison Bellmarsh in South London waiting for deportation to Jordan where he's wanted for terrorism offences including bombings (no surprise there then).

The British government isn't likely to play ball therefore poor Stephen's life hangs in the balance... The situation isn't looking good because the people who have him have already shown themselves to be evil barabarians by killing Stephen's Germanic friend.

I'm monitoring certain "Islamic" websites to learn more about the bastards who have kidnapped him. If I hear more I shall update this thread.

[markharf]

A suggestion:

Lose the "White Anglo Saxon Christian" stuff. Many of us don't qualify, and it makes you sound shrill (to put it politely).

Just a suggestion.

Mark

[mika]

hello kentfallen,

there is only one thing I agree with in your posting, and this is that Stephen Malcolm needs our support.

but the rest of your post is straight out of a cia textbook, so forget about convincing people (or at least me) here with this kind of propaganda.

for some they are terrorists, for others they are freedom fighters ... comes to my mind.

"Germanic" mika

[jkrijt]

Freedom fighters fight for freedom against police, army etc.
Terrorists kidnap or kill innocent civilians.

[chris]

Originally Posted by kentfallen

I am surprised that no one here on the HUBB has posted a thread updating the situation

FYI: This thread was started on 25Nov2011 and last updated 3 days ago: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...timbuktu-60415

HTH

Chris

[DLbiten]

It is hard for me to resond to this. I have rewriten one a few times and it never ends well.

Yes any overlander out to see the word for them self only to find them self bait in something like this needs support.

But look the people doing the kidnapings are just a gang of thugs no world power will deal with them. It is a ploy If the UK frees Abu Quatada the kidnapper will demand more. If they dont do the deal they kill the hostages and nothing happens to the kidnappers.

There not terrorists or freedom fighters, terrorists have a political agenda as do freedom fighters. Killing a hostage when all you had to do was grab him gets you fear from the other hostage and the people aound that area not the people you are trying fight. A thug wants power and fear from the people in the area, this kidnapping gives them that.

For this to stop the UK can send in the SAS. Or the EU with its joint power can do something. But when has any of this happend?

I think I will give the area a pass, if I was going any trips. See it did not end well.

[motoreiter]

Originally Posted by mika

hello kentfallen,
for some they are terrorists, for others they are freedom fighters ... comes to my mind.

never ceases to amaze me that there are people that think that kidnappers = freedom fighters...wow

As to the OP, the information you've posted which is "slowly emerging" was reported within days of the kidnapping, so you should find new sources.

[kentfallen]

FACT - Those most at risk from this kind of activity in these places are the kind of people I have decribed here. The phrase "Chip on shoulder" springs to mind here... In other places others will be more at risk. It aint rocket science.

I should have realised that this type of thread would bring out all the left wing tree hugger nuts who have a problem understanding the difference between a freedom fighter and a plain criminal thug / terrorist.

Nevertheless the most important thing here is that Stephen is released soonest and allowed to return to his family and loved ones.

[mika]

me again,

I wont continue with the political discussion here on the HUBB, this would make no sense and it is not a political forum.

thank you Kentfallen for insulting me, I wont comment anymore on your world views ...

thank you jkrijt for the definition, but sorry the world is not that black and white ...

thank you motoreiter for pointing out that kidnappers are criminals, but this is/was a political kidnapping and I am sure somebody (not me, you got this wrong, sorry) justifies this political action as a freedom fight.

anyway most import is that Stephen Malcolm is returning to his family hopefully soon and that this thread stays on the HUBB as a warning/reminder for us all

saludos mika

[motoreiter]

Originally Posted by mika

me again,
thank you motoreiter for pointing out that kidnappers are criminals, but this is/was a political kidnapping and I am sure somebody (not me, you got this wrong, sorry) justifies this political action as a freedom fight.

sorry mika, but your repeated statement that--while you, of course, don't consider kidnappers to be freedom fighters--someone else could of course make this equation, is very easy to interpret as justifying their opinion as potentially valid.

The fact that every horrific act in the world can be justified by someone, for some twisted reason, does not mean these reasons should be treated as "just another valid point of view".

OP, while I hardly consider myself a "left wing tree hugger nut" (haha), your
post is a bit breathless and over the top even for us "White Anglo-Saxon Christian Westerners". Other than prayer (not a solution to give much weight to), I'm not sure what kind of "support" you're proposing, but I think the best support might be to keep this whole thing out of the limelight so that the professionals can do their jobs.

[Chris Scott]

The original post was dumped here from the Sahara Travel Forum where, as mentioned, a calmer thread has reported on this event for nearly 6 months without hyperbole. It is a thread to which the OP has not contributed so far.

To clarify, the German killed was not a biker nor an acquaintance of Stephen M, and if you don’t follow the subject it's worth knowing that tourist abductions in the Sahara have been going on since 2003 (#1 on the map below), and have escalated to nearly a dozen grabs in the last 3 years.
The full list and outcomes, where known, is here.

Last November, Timbuktu was thought to be on the very edge of the safe zone, or way beyond it according to maps published by the FCO at the time. The Mali map now is all red.

Various factions are involved in the abductions, originally under the Algerian jihadist banner, now less so as extracting multi-million euro ransoms has proved to be so lucrative.

If anyone’s interested, the situation has become further complicated in that, the latest Malian Tuareg rebellion in January (largely a separate issue from terrorist activity) has lead to the desert north of the river declared as free, independent Azawad (Tuareg homeland) no longer under Malian state control (not that it ever really was which is why the kidnapping business prospered).

And unfortunately, of the two Tuareg factions involved in that rebellion, the one with closer links to AQIM seems to have gained the upper hand, a development which has probably set back the release of the dozen European hostages stuck up there, some held for nearly 2 years.

AFAIU, Stephen M was travelling on his RSA passport and so the Brit FCO is not directly involved in this case, but who would not wish a speedy resolution and happy outcome for all Saharan hostages?

Let's lock this up and leave it at that.
(other mods feel free to take other actions)

Chris S