Those Peaceful Palestinians

Three American women were kidnapped in the West Bank city of Nablus. That city is dominated by Fatah and kidnappings are quite common in Palestinian Authority controlled areas. The Jerusalem Post notes that Palestinian officials aren't quite willing to consider this a kidnapping just yet, though no one appears to know anything about where the three women are located.

There's good reason that they don't want to admit that the three have been kidnapped since it would look real bad for the Palestinian Authority and Fatah in general. What little support there is to extend life support to the Palestinian Authority might fizzle if it comes out that Fatah or Hamas was behind the abduction of three American women, though knowing the US State Department, they'll simply ignore this as a cost of doing business.

This would be the first kidnappings of foreigners by the Palestinians since January 23. In that instance, the French diplomat and two associates were released after a couple of hours.

Meanwhile, there is a security alert because the Israelis believe that a Palestinian suicide bomber may have infiltrated the country in the Tel Aviv region. Roadblocks have been set up. An anti tank missile was fired at an IDF position near the Gaza security fence. Israelis were shot at near the fence at Ramallah and in Jenin.

Elsewhere, Hizbullah is busy beefing up its weapons caches to prepare for another round with Israel or for a final showdown with the Siniora government. Either way, that's bad news and UNIFIL shows that it has been less than useless in disarming the militia under UN SCR 1701.

UPDATE:
More details on the kidnapping of the three American women. They were apparently photographing in the vicinity of Balata when they were abducted.

The security officials said the three women were last seen taking pictures on the outskirts of the Balata refugee camp near Nablus. The officials did not release the names of the three.

Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, said U.S. officials were informed of the kidnappings. "We take them extremely seriously," Schweitzer-Bluhm said of the incident.

She said American officials were in touch with Palestinian security. She had no details on the identities of the women or what they were doing in the West Bank.

In the past, scores of foreigners were kidnapped by various Palestinian militant groups, but usually released unharmed after a few hours.

What is left unmentioned is that many are released after ransoms are paid, which only encourages yet more kidnappings. It is a profitable business with no sign of letup.

UPDATE:
The three American women have been released, though details remain sketchy.

There was no claim of responsibility by an armed Palestinian group.

At one point, a man calling himself Hadi Saud contacted The Associated Press in Nablus and said he was the kidnapper. He demanded to be given a job in the Palestinian security forces and medication for a shooting injury sustained last year, in exchange for releasing the hostages. He provided no proof that he is holding the women.

UPDATE:
Seems that there was good reason to believe the suicide bomb threat from earlier today.

So, today will go down as another peaceful date where the 'cease-fire' was effective.

Just ignore all the attempted attacks and you've got a peace. Ignore all the gunfire inbound from Palestinians. Ignore the violence and mayhem and you've got peace.

UPDATE:
Meryl Yourish updates with the latest chicanery between Hamas and Fatah. She also notes Reuters' whitewashing of thousands of years of Jewish connections to the Temple Mount, instead focusing on the Muslim point of view.

Carl in Jerusalem points to the futility of so-called summits between Palestinians and Israelis when the Palestinian terrorists are dedicated to Israel's destruction and they happen to be in charge of the Palestinian Authority. It does make for some mighty interesting photo opportunities though.

Others commenting on kidnappings, the averted suicide bombing: Right Voices, Yoni the Blogger,