The 2 Simona are back home

[Naso]

Finally some good news from Iraq.

I hope soon we will have more (the UK hostage).

The 2 girls have been treated respectfully and released yesterday with a box of cakes as a gift.

There have been reports of a 1 million € paid to the group.

I dont know you all, but I am happy some of you voyeristic sadists will have one video less to see.



(Joking)

[CyranoAH]

Good news, finally!

[GRUNHERZ]

That 1 million euro payoff will teach the terrorists that kidnapping doesnt work!

[Naso]

Originally posted by GRUNHERZ
That 1 million euro payoff will teach the terrorists that kidnapping doesnt work!

I dont care if you would have preferred to see more deaths, I am happy both of them are alive and safe.

[GRUNHERZ]

Originally posted by Naso
I dont care if you would have preferred to see more deaths, I am happy both of them are alive and safe.

You are right,  the huge payment to the terrorists will discourge other kidnappings so fewer people's lives will placed at risk in the future...

[Naso]

Anyway, stupid remarks aside, you have to understand how the kidnapping usually work down there.

First, there's many more kidnappings that you have reported by our news, that are interested only to the westerners.

There's a criminal industry of kidnapping, that usually ends in the payment of a ransom.

When the kidnapped is a westerner or a good political target, the criminal group try to sell him to a terrorist/political group.

In this particular case, seem that the terrorist organizations have refused to buy the 2 girls, for many reasons, and the criminal group, being contacted by mediators, have accepted the final agreement of 1 million, from the initial 5 millions request.

The strange thing was that the kidnappers were polite and gentle, and seemed organized like military ("yes sir", "no sir" kind of internal comms).

Maybe ex-Army people that found a new way to "create wage".

Continuing to see the world in black and white, in a simple dualistic way, we and them, us and terrorists, it's akin to generate dangerous mistakes.

[GRUNHERZ]

Typical  overanalyis, who cares what they are called, terrorists, gangesters lunatics whatever...  They took your people and now ou gave them money.

Maybe you should call them your business partners, because yiou will  be dealing with them like this in the future...

[Naso]

Originally posted by GRUNHERZ
You are right,  the huge payment to the terrorists will discourge other kidnappings so fewer people's lives will placed at risk in the future...

I was writing my above post, I suggest you read it.

If the hostages are valuable, the huge payment will be provided by the terrorist organizations themselves.

The terrorists operating in Iraq are not short on money.

They are financial supported by economical powers with roots in our/your ally Saudi Arabia.

[Naso]

Originally posted by GRUNHERZ
Typical  overanalyis, .....SNIP.....

Yes, better not think.

[Wotan]

Naso,

The point is as long as there is profit in kidnappings then they will continue.
 
It doesn't matter if the kidnapping is for politics, terror or profit. As long as folks cave into the demands of the kidnappers it ensures more will happen.

The phrase "We will not negotiate with kidnappers" isn’t a statement of bravado or pride it is the only way to discourage future kidnappings. By showing the criminals that they will gain nothing they will be less inclined to follow that path. A 1 million dollar pay out is no way to discourage them.

It may be good news for the 2 girls and their families but it puts at risk everyone else in that area.

Should we (the world) just write them (bad guys) a check everytime some one gets nabbed?  Where does it end?

[GRUNHERZ]

Naso this will encourage people to kidnap westerners for money. It will start new kidnapping "businesess." This kidnapping thing is pretty easy, just get a few friends together, grab your AK rifles and snatch a european or two. Hold them till the payment comes and you are rich.. Its a great business for poor iraqis.. Simple capitalism..  

Maybe they should kidnap some french or germans, those two countries really need to contribute some money to help develop the iraqi economy...

[Naso]

Wotan,
the "no negotiate" tactic has worked well here in Italy during the time that a kidnapping industry have flourished (I seem to remember was during the '70s).

The situation is different in Iraq, because there's a 3rd party, the terrorist organizations, willing to acquire hostages for their psychological media campaign.

Maybe this precedent can have some positive consequence in suggesting the criminals to not rush to sell the hostages to the terrorist organizations, but contact/be contacted by us for a better deal.

Later, when the control will be finally acquired (if ever) we can apply tactics that worked in our full controlled countries.

It's my opinion, of course.

Grun,
in fact there are the 2 french journalists and it's unknown if they have been already selled to the terrorists or not.

The Uk hostage it's already in the hands of the terrorists, but maybe the interest that Arafat has showed to pressure for his freedom may result in good things.
But this case is more at the political level than economical.

And the kidnapping business it's already there and working, but the western targets are becoming more difficult, because the no-profit organizations have retreated, and the red cross it's generally escorted and protected by military.

The kidnapping business that target Iraqis it's working since the start, but is no news for our medias.

[Naso]

Originally posted by GRUNHERZ
Naso this will encourage people to kidnap westerners for money. It will start new kidnapping "businesess." This kidnapping thing is pretty easy, just get a few friends together, grab your AK rifles and snatch a european or two. Hold them till the payment comes and you are rich.. Its a great business for poor iraqis.. Simple capitalism..  

This is what you wanted, uh?

Make them democratic capitalists?

[GRUNHERZ]

And it seems europe is helping us do it. And to think, once I said erope was useless.

[Naso]

Originally posted by GRUNHERZ
And it seems europe is helping us do it. And to think, once I said erope was useless.

You was wrong.