Posted on 03/13/2005 2:43:52 AM PST by MisterRepublican
The Times of London reports in tomorrow's edition that the Italians have agreed to stop paying ransoms to kidnapers in Iraq, a policy change that brings Rome into line with other Western nations. In further developments, an Italian parliamentarian indicated that despite earlier assertions that the Americans had been alerted to Sgrena's release and Calipari's itinerary, the Italians never got clearance for their vehicle:
[THE Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has promised President George W Bush that he will not pay more ransoms to free hostages in Iraq.
The Italian government has denied newspaper reports that $6m (£3.1m) was paid for the release of Giuliana Sgrena, who worked for the Communist daily Il Manifesto. But senior officials and intelligence sources have confirmed that money did change hands. ...
Last year Italy paid a reported $5m (£2.6m) for the freedom of two aid workers, Simona Pari and Simona Torretta. Hours after Sgrena was seized, Berlusconi announced that “negotiations” had begun.
The reports of ransom payments have infuriated American officials, who say they fund violence and encourage more kidnappings. Mel Sembler, the American ambassador in Rome, told Berlusconi last week that the money bankrolled “the war being waged by Sunnis in Iraq”.]
Western nations had mostly agreed not to negotiate with terrorists in general decades ago, which is why our negotiations in Beirut with the Iranian-backed hostage takers during Reagan's term rightly generated so much outrage. Since 9/11, we have adamantly opposed cutting deals of any kind with bombthrowers and decapitaters, especially those which reward their activities with millions of dollars in cash.
The Italians have insisted on paying ransoms, and as they now see, all that does is create a market for Italian hostages rather than convince serial killers to love Italy.
(Excerpt) Read more at captainsquartersblog.com ...
If Italy is going to shell out cash for every journalist kidnapped does it really make sense for them to be there???
They need to just go home if they are going to fund the death of US troops and contractors.
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