One of the interesting - and perhaps significant - aspects of this sorry affair is the silence of the Muslim world (excluding the British muslim clerics mentioned earlier). Where is the condemnation of these specific groups, and acts of terrorism, by influential muslims and governments? Nowhere.

So strategically the issue is about public support. Terrorists of whatever stripe, IMHO, need the support of "their" publics - the nationalist community for the IRA, the Loyalist community for the UDF etc, and in this case the support of Muslim opinion worldwide.

If we are to see any end of these kidnappings we need to hear Muslim clerics stating categorically that these acts are un-Islamic and not condoned by the Koran; we need to see suicide bombing clearly denounced as against the teachings of Islam - because this is given by the perpetrators as their justification.
If Muslims - and Islamic governments - will not do this, there will never be an end to the stream of fundamentalists (many of them now children, and easily swayed by what their elders in the faith tell them) willing to commit these crimes because they believe it to be the Will of Allah.
It would also help to defuse the growing unease that many ordinary folks are beginning to have with Muslims in general, not to mention the right wing politicians annd rabble rousers who will use this to stir up hatred of Muslims in western societies..