Alan Johnston freed

It's a joy, and a relief, to be able to move this from the side bar, and to be able to congratulate not only Alan Johnston on his release but also Hamas on their part in it. It's also interesting to compare Johnston's willingness to return to Gaza with the refusal of the Italian journalist, Daniele Mastrogiacomo, to set foot in Afghanistan following his release, massaged by a substantial ransom payment by the Italian government, a few months ago. Mastrogiacomo's been pretty much silent since then, which is probably the best thing for everyone.