ALGERIA UPDATE: Yep, it was Islamic extremists, all right:

Wintersteller, a 63-year-old retired technician, disappeared in late March, along with seven other tourists. One early theory was that they had fallen victim to smugglers who frequent the border region.

But Wintersteller described his abductors as Islamic extremists who “wanted to install an Islamic state in Algeria and overthrow the government.” He quoted the kidnappers as saying they were negotiating with the hostages’ governments.

I hope that this will get more attention.