Wiig unlikely to settle for the quiet life, father says

Olaf Wiig is unlikely to now settle for the quiet life, even though the New Zealand cameraman has just endured a two-week kidnapping ordeal, his father says.

Wiig, 36, and Fox News reporter Steve Centanni, 60, were released yesterday after being kidnapped by gunmen on August 14 in Gaza City.

His family learned Wiig had been released only when they saw him on live television last night.

Wiig has worked since 2001 in world hot spots, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Kashmir and the Palestinian territories.

While he might now reassess the risks "I don't think Olaf will be an office-based person", Reverend Roger Wiig told a press conference in Wellington last night.

Rev Wiig said this morning he was not concerned about his son's videoed conversion to Islam while being held hostage.

"You've got to see that in the context of his release," he told National Radio. "That was something that was said out of absolute necessity."

There had been a "fair amount of pressure" on both hostages to make the statements, he said.

"There was a lot of pressure on them, if they didn't make those they might not have got out alive."

While he had talked to his son last night, not much was said about his captors "only insofar in that he recognised he was in a dangerous situation".

"The last few days have been quite tense. He said 'we needed to be careful and make statements that would get us out'.

"We've been glad to hear him, to hear his voice and his concerns straight away. His first comment was he was sorry he had put us through that.

"He wasn't wanting us to experience the turmoil. His concern has been for us the whole way through."

He had always been concerned with the stress his work placed on his mother and family, Rev Wiig said.

"But I have to say I'm very proud of what he's done, very proud," the Presbyterian minister said.

"He is a person of courage, he's a person of great loyalty, a person of incredible compassion, he actually thinks deeply about what he does, and so I guess it's a question now of thinking deeply about what that experience has been for him."

Tenterhooks

On tenterhooks after being warned a release was imminent, the Wiig family turned on the television and saw the news they had expected to come by phone.

"We didn't actually get the phonecall, we saw it on television," Olaf's twin brother Sven Wiig said.

"We just happened to turn over to CNN just as the news broke, we actually saw Olaf."

There were no wild scenes of celebration in the Wiig household, more relief after nearly two weeks of uncertainty and fearing the worst.

"This moment now is just wonderful for us," Rev Wiig said.

"There is an Arabic saying -- one day honey, the next onion. This is a honey day, it really is."

"It's been like that for us, up and down, and that's been hard because there have been moments when we have been promised so much and then, we've had gaps and disappointments and delays.

"It is certainly good news."

Rev Wiig thanked Prime Minister Helen Clark and the Government for supporting the family, keeping them informed and looking after their needs.

Helen Clark last night welcomed the release.

She expressed the gratitude of the New Zealand Government for the "tremendous co-operation" of the Palestinian authorities.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters also expressed his thanks to everyone involved in securing the safe release.

"All those involved in securing the release of the hostages deserve to be congratulated.

"I especially commend the work of Foreign Affairs officials Jan Henderson, Peter Rider, Brian Chambers and Kevin Kay who, along with Police Inspector Rob Abbott, worked many long hours on the ground in Gaza.

"It is always a moment of great satisfaction when a situation like this has a successful outcome," Mr Peters said.

Rev Wiig said he had been stunned by support and prayers from Christians, Jews and Muslims all around the world.

"It's really quite an overwhelming thing, to see a son held in captivity for nearly two weeks to be released."

Sven Wiig said it was "a huge relief, very cool", to hear his brother's voice.

"First he was concerned that we were all right, and then he really just wanted to catch up with the news... he wanted to know whether I had finished the house renovations."

He had sounded in good spirits and relaxed.

Rev Wiig did not know what his released son now planned to do.

"We haven't had a chance to talk about that, that's one of the delights coming up for us."

- NZPA