Is some country holding Americans "hostage"

[Proud Liberal Dem]

I heard a soundbite from Gingrich talking about "Obama's Hostage Crisis". Curiously, I am hearing nothing anywhere else about any sort of new "hostage crisis" (other than, of course, Catholics being "held hostage" by the Obama Administration over birth control coverage ). Anybody have any idea what he is talking about and is this on anybody's radar?

[treestar]

1. It is a delusion in Nootie's head

Like Obama having Christians decapitated, probably.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. They DESPERATELY

want Obama to be seen as being as incompetent as GWB and as weak as Jimmy Carter was perceived as being as POTUS. Sadly (for them), this mysterious elusive ("Barack X&quot figure does not exist anywhere in known reality.

[elleng]

7. Its not a delusion.

http://bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view/20220208american_held_hostage

[treestar]

8. Not a hostage though

Americans can be charged with criminal offenses in other countries. That does not make them hostages.

[customerserviceguy]

10. These are election monitors

Yeah, they're hostages.

[FSogol]

2. Egypt, right? Weren't they released 6 days ago?

[RZM]

4. He's referring to this

'Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) -- The Egyptian government’s decision to press criminal charges against American pro-democracy workers is creating the deepest rift between the two nations in almost four decades and underscoring the shrinking U.S. influence in a rapidly changing Middle East.

-snip-

Egyptian legal authorities yesterday handed down more than 100 pages of criminal charges against 43 workers at non- governmental organizations, including those they said were 19 Americans.

-snip-

The Americans being charged include staff from the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute, democracy-advocacy groups allied with the Republican and Democratic parties. Sam LaHood, the son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, heads IRI’s Cairo office.'

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-09/egypt-opens-worst-u-s-rift-in-decades-by-charging-americans.html

It's not good, but even Charlie Kraut smacked down Newt's assertion that this was anything like the 1979 crisis in Iran.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. Oh ok.

Now I remember hearing a quick blurb on NPR one evening. I heard them mentioning LaHood and wondering if it was the Transportation Secy. I'm surprised that the Republicans (sans Newt) haven't been politicizing THIS more? I certainly haven't heard a LOT about this in the MSM (or elsewhere for that matter).

[Enrique]

5. Egypt

nineteen Americans being charged with trying to subvert the government.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-09/egypt-opens-worst-u-s-rift-in-decades-by-charging-americans.html

[elleng]

6. Yes, Secy Transportation LaHood's son + others being held in Egypt.

Its been on many's radar.

http://bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view/20220208american_held_hostage