In showing greater restraint over the hostage videos, Arab stations may even be appearing to play down the emotional impact of the killings in comparison with the intensity of their coverage of Iraqi or Palestinian casualties.

BBC: Ken Bigley

Mr. MAHTANI: Well, Nigeria is the eighth biggest exporter in the world, and after these wave of attacks last week, which included the hostage taking and an explosion on a pipeline that fed a key export terminal, Nigeria had to shut down about 226, 000 barrels per day, that's about 10% of Nigeria's total production, which are still down.

NPR: Militant Group Targets Oil Producers in Nigeria