Nigel Brennan and Amanda Lindhout Still Captive

We've been keeping an eye on this kidnapping since August 2008 when journalists and photographers Amanda Lindhout (Canadian), Nigel Brennan (Austrailian), and Abdifatah Mohammed Elmi (Somali) were taken by an unidentified group in Somalia. Since then there have been repeated ransom demands and death threats along with long periods of no new information on the plight of the captives. In January of this year, Elmi (a Somali native) was finally released. Now, a new demand has been received. Kidnappers have lowered the ransom demands from Recently a phone call was received by a Canadian news organization from a woman believed to be Amanda Lindout. Reading from a prepared statement she describes being kept in chains in a windowless room without clean drinking water. She makes a tearful plea for Canada, her friends, and her family to pay the ransom or she will die. You can listen to the taped call via CTV. Please note that the call is very disturbing and I would ask you not listen to it with children in the room.

In another sign that the kidnappers are becoming more desperate for money, Voice of America is reporting the ransom has reportedly be lowered from $2.5Million to $1Million. This is especially worrisome as in the past, the safety of kidnapping victims in this type of situation has often been tied to their perceived worth.