Report: Swiss Paid Al-Qaeda Millions for Hostage

(Algiers, Algeria) Sources report that Switzerland paid millions of euros to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb for the release of the Swiss hostage, Werner Greiner.

According to Liberté, quoting informant sources, a Malian intermediary was to have delivered the 5 million euros to the terrorist group.

According to the Arab language newspaper El Khabar, the sum was set at 3 million, and arrived in northern Niger with a Tuareg intermediary.

Yesterday and official (sic) from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Markus Boerlin, stated that "Switzerland did not negotiate with the kidnappers or pay the ransom".

So there you go. Readers have a variety of stories to believe. I lean toward thinking that a ransom of some amount was paid but not as much as reported.

It's noteworthy that Greiner was kidnapped in January along with Brit citizen Edwyn Dyer who was killed, reportedly due to London's refusal to pay a ransom.