BS: kidnapping in Iraq

Subject: BS: kidnapping in Iraq
From: dianavan
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 01:36 PM

Everytime a contractor or a diplomat or any American ally is kidnapped in Iraq it makes big headlines but there are plenty of Iraqis who are suffering as a result of missing family members. We seem to understand and have compassion when a child goes missing or has been abducted on U.S. soil but cannot relate as well to the grief of Iraqi families.

Maybe this article will help people understand that Bush is not in Iraq to make friends.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001955118_iraqmissing13.html

Subject: RE: BS: kidnapping in Iraq
From: M.Ted
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 11:16 AM

I have posted about this before, but it is probably worth keeping the discussion active--

You are exactly right when you point out that the media ignored kidnappings until Americans and their allies began to be targets. This was a particularly significant omission because if there had been coverage of it, it would not have come as a big surprise when the Westerners began to be kidnapped.

If the stories had made it into the Western press, people would also understand better why the kidnappings are taking place--which is simply for randsom money that, presumably, is used to fund the insurgent operations. They would also understand why on hostage out of a group is killed and a few days later, the rest of the hostages are, without explanation, released--

For a first had account of what the Iraqis have been experiencing, check this out this blog from a young Iraqi woman:
Baghdad Burning Go down the page about half way, to "Family Crisis"

Subject: RE: BS: kidnapping in Iraq
From: Amos
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 12:01 PM

M. Ted:

I think it is of note, as you point out, that the nightmare these poeple lived through was a kidnapping for ransom, apparently done by Iraqis. Insurgents? Hard to say. If Iraq were suddenly on its own feet, where would they be? Common criominaals? Nihilist merchasnts of chaos?

A

Subject: RE: BS: kidnapping in Iraq
From: M.Ted
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 06:00 PM

Other news sources indicate that the abduction for money thing is now very widespread in Iraq--it is a "traditional" way of financing insurgent operations--in Columbia, for instance, where the rebels may actually be better organized than the military, there are several thousand people currently being held hostage, including a presidential candidate who was abducted while running for office!